Enrichment of the Educational Psychology Curriculum through Clinical Experiences

An educational psychology curriculum for preservice teachers that attempts to overcome some of the shortcomings of most such curricula while providing clinical experience is described. The curriculum is based on three major propositions: (1) preservice teachers must acquire psychologically informed...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors Shaker, Paul, Ullrich, Walter
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.03.1989
Subjects
Clinical Teacher Education
Curriculum Enrichment
Educational Psychology
Elementary Secondary Education
Field Experience Programs
Higher Education
Laboratory Training
Preservice Teacher Education
Teacher Education Curriculum
Teaching Experience
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Summary:An educational psychology curriculum for preservice teachers that attempts to overcome some of the shortcomings of most such curricula while providing clinical experience is described. The curriculum is based on three major propositions: (1) preservice teachers must acquire psychologically informed inquiry skills and a general understanding of when and how they are to be used; (2) preservice teachers must be encouraged to learn independently in ways that reinforce critical thinking and increase the strength and range of their intellectual curiosity; and (3) educational psychology is an appropriate place to begin encouraging prospective teachers to be reflective so they can learn from teaching itself. The curriculum is confined to the traditional subfields of motivation, human development, learning theory, and evaluation. Teaching is primarily interactive, with small-group work, micro teaching, simulation, discussion, and question-and-answer sessions. Weekly field-based or clinical laboratory activities for 90 minutes augment classroom instruction. Among the requirements is that students present a five-lesson mini-course to middle-school students. The grading system transfers some of the evaluative responsibility to the students themselves. Student interest, involvement, and achievement are indicators of the value of this curricular approach. Syllabus materials and a bibliography are included. (SLD)