Psychology is closely related to education. Education is the modification of behaviour in a desirable direction or in a controlled environment and psychology is the study of behaviour or science of behaviour. To modify the behaviour or to bring about some changes in the behaviour it is necessary to study the science of behaviour. Thus, education and psychology are logically related.
The developmental stages of children and characteristics are very essential factors which the teacher must know in order to be a successful teacher. The traditional education was subject centered and teacher dominated. But the modern concept of education has been changed into learning centered to learner centered.
Today’s education has become child centered:
It is the child who is to learn according to his needs, interests and capacities. Hence, there is no doubt that a knowledge of psychology is quite essential for planning and organizing any educative effort. For this purpose all the great educators emphasize that education must have a psychological base.
Pestalozzi tried to psychologies education. Montessori and Froebel also advocated that education must be based on psychological principles. Almost all the aspects of education are guided by psychological principles.
Different aspects of education related to psychological principles are as follows:
1. The objectives of education at different stages have a psychological base.
2. Preparation of curriculum for different stages as per the age, ability and capacities of the learner must be based on some of the psychological principles.
3. The teacher employs some of the suitable methods of teaching, appropriate motivational techniques and teaching devices which are also the contributions of educational psychology.
4. Solution of different educational problems through research are also the contribution.
5. Preparation of school time table and timing have also a psychological base.
6. Effective school administration and organization needs a knowledge of psychology.
7. Knowledge of psychology is necessary to study the gifted or the retarded child, the problem child and the maladjusted child.
8. The problem of discipline in the school can be tackled psychologically.
9. Educational psychology provides knowledge about mental health of the teacher.
10. Psychology provides knowledge about evaluation procedure for better learning in the school.
11. Better guidance can be provided for effective learning by studying the psychological traits of the learner.
Besides the above, better students participation in classroom teaching, individualized instruction, group activity, learning by doing etc. has a psychological base. So, we cannot think of education without psychology in modern education scenario.