Answer to Question #139260 in Psychology for Zinhle

Question

What do you understand under the term "psychology of education"?

Answer 1

Psychology of Education

Education is the process where a person gives or receives knowledge to enlighten their experiences in life. On the other hand, psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior: Thus, education's psychology is the relationship between intelligence and knowledge. 

The field of Psychology of Education heavily relies on testing measurement and quantitative methods to achieve conclusive results. The hypothesis is that a higher education level leads to a more significant intelligence level and vice versa. However, this idea is not applicable in all situations. Substantial evidence suggests that education influences intelligence at some level (Baltes & Reinert, 1969). A study in Germany investigated the relationship between intelligence and education in the school system. The findings showed that an extra year in school could positively affect intelligence. However, the intelligence level was measured only using stuff learned in school. On the other hand, a study in the UK showed that even though children can be at the same level of education, intelligence varied from one child to another (Deary, Strand, Smith & Fernandes, 2007).

These studies demonstrate the importance of intelligence to receive education, learning, and any form of training. It is a fact that those with higher intelligence levels adapt to learning rapidly and more effectively than those with lower levels of intelligence. Education and intelligence share a complicated relationship as two other factors also affect this relationship (Richard & Sacker, 2003). These factors are genes and the environment; the hypothesis that intelligence leads to educational success stresses that genes are essential. Education promotes intelligence emphasized the importance of the environment that a person is raised.

Does education influence intelligence, or does intelligence beget education? The answer to this question is a combination of the two (Johnson, Mcgue & Lacono, 2006). Today, in London, the Human science lab's critical thinking project explores how current education systems either promote or impede intelligence levels and critical thinking (Research at Human Science Lab). The nature of the relationship between intelligence and education needs further testing to produce conclusive results.

References

Baltes, P. B., & Reinert, G. (1969). Cohort effects in cognitive development of children as revealed by cross-sectional sequences. Developmental Psychology, 1(2), 169.

Deary, I. J., Strand, S., Smith, P., & Fernandes, C. (2007). Intelligence and educational achievement. Intelligence, 35(1), 13-21.

Richards, M., & Sacker, A. (2003). Lifetime antecedents of cognitive reserve. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 25(5), 614-624.

Johnson, W., McGue, M., & Iacono, W. G. (2006). Genetic and environmental influences on academic achievement trajectories during adolescence. Developmental psychology, 42(3), 514.

Research at Human Science Lab. http://humansciencelab.org.uk/research/- Accessed on 20^th October 2020.