Critical Thinking Assignment
What are my tasks for the assignment?
Identify an Educational Psychology issue that is personally relevant and conducive to critical thinking.
Potential Topics:
1. To teach or not to teach, that is the question. Disputes about the role of instructional guidance in teaching have been prevalent over the last 50 years. Some experts believe that the most effective classroom experiences entail unguided or partly guided instruction (also called discovery learning, inquiry learning, experiential learning, and constructivist learning). Other experts have argued that partly guided instruction is only effective after the teacher has provided direct, explicit instruction. They believe that small group work and independent discovery are effective for practicing recently learned skills and knowledge. Where do your thoughts on effective teaching for your particular development group and content area fall on this continuum?
2. Some have suggested schools’ concern for children’s moral development and their self-esteem is misplaced, and the business of the school is to teach knowledge and cognitive skills. What is your position regarding this issue? Please provide an overview of at least one theory of morality and evidence that justifies your position.
3. A fundamental goal in the field of educational psychology is to identify how theories can inform pedagogy. How does the field of educational psychology inform your particular domain and/or developmental level? In order to answer this question, please reference at least two theories (cognitive theories and/or motivational theories). For example, you could discuss the implications of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory for effective pedagogy in teaching music. This approach would call for a discussion on the role of scaffolding and fading in teaching music.
4. There are two conflicting arguments on the role of motivation in the classroom:
a. Take care of learning, and motivation will take care of itself
b. Take care of motivation, and learning will take care of itself
To what extent do you support one or both of these arguments? In order to answer this question, please make sure to discuss: (1) Three different explanations of motivation (for example: attributions, self- efficacy, intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation) and; (2) how these explanations for motivation may affect teaching within your particular content area and developmental group.
5. There has been a long-time and on-going debate about the relative value of teaching students content (e.g., concepts) versus processes (e.g., self-regulation, critical thinking, problem solving, metacognitive skills, etc). Which should schools emphasize more? Why? What do you think will be most important for your particular developmental group and content area?
