Psychology of Learning & Instruction

PREFACE

Improvement in the quality of education has become the paramount need of the hour. With the focus now shifting to the improvement of human resource, if we are to achieve our national goals, increasing attention is being paid to the processes of teaching and learning. Two basic criteria determine the improvement of quality in education, viz. trends in learning dispositions and techniques in instructional innovations.

The psychology of individual factors like developmental traits, innate behavioural dispositions, learning abilities, memory power, intellectual abilities, psychological adjustments, achievement motivations etc. which vary from individual to individual have an immense bearing on the quality and quantity of education acquired by a person. Similarly, the extent of behavioural modifications and attainment of desirable behavioural changes in the instructional objective, psychological refinements in instruction and learning such as self-learning methods, activity methods. motivational techniques, group or individualization methods. diagnostic or remedial methods, computer-based instruction etc. which are innovations in instruction, also affect the quality and quantity of educational improvement.

With the passage of time, our society is undergoing tremendous changes in all walks of life. This change is more evident in education, as it is an intellectual activity that modernizes man in tangible ways. To keep in tune with the flux of time and the changes that are taking place in educational activities, the teachers who are hardly equipped to face these changes, because of their short training periods, should be made to participate in regular in-service training programmes. The Government of India has taken

some steps in this direction by establishing Institutes of Advanced Study in Education (IASES) and Colleges of Teacher Education (CTES). These are expected to integrate and institutionalize research-oriented and intensive training programmes for teachers.

The present book caters to the needs of not only B.Ed and M.Ed students, but also to all those teachers who undergo in-service training. This book will be extremely useful to all those who have an interest in the field of education.

Any suggestions for the improvement of this book will be received with thanks.

Prof. K.K. Vijayan Nambiar