13 Educational Psychology

With roots in philosophy, psychology, and education, the field of educational psychology grew from our curiosity for understanding human learning and our commitment to improving learning and instruction in educational contexts. This quest has lead educational psychologists to identifying a host of important variables related to students, teachers, instruction, classrooms, programs, and schools that influence learning and can be manipulated to increase student success. Educational psychologists have also developed and incorporated a number of quantitative and qualitative research approaches to study these phenomena with increasing scientific rigor and depth. In this chapter, we overview the historical development of the field of educational psychology and highlight significant theoretical and practical contributions this field has made to education and our society across time. We also discuss current trends and future directions for this field. Keywords: educational psychology; educational research; instruction; students; teachers