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Topics in Educational Psychology
EDU HT107

Course Information

Description

For those interested in learning in school settings, an understanding of educational psychology, including theories of how students learn and what motivates students to learn, is fundamental. This course offers a broad introduction to psychological theory and research that has attempted to better understand students' learning and motivation. The course begins with an exploration of theories of learning, including behaviorist, cognitivist, and situated perspectives. This is followed by a deep dive into motivational constructs such as self-efficacy, goal orientation, and self-determination theory. The course concludes with an examination of additional, selected topics from educational psychology that may include individual differences, gifted/talented education, ADHD, learning styles, and international/cultural differences in learning and teaching. Course readings will be grounded in theoretical and empirical literature related to theories of learning and motivation. Application of theory, including case studies, will be foundational to class sessions, as a way to ground our discussion of theory and research.
The course is suitable for all HGSE master's and doctoral students, including those who have not already had an introductory course in educational psychology, as well as for those who have previously taken HGSE's How People Learn module.

School Graduate School of Education
Credits 4
Cross Reg

Available for Harvard Cross Registration

Department Education
Course Component Regular Course
Instruction Mode In Person
Subject Education
Grading Basis HGSE Student Option (Letter Graded, Sat/Unsat)
Learning Goals Students in this course will develop understanding about how students learn and what motivates students to learn. Students will develop familiarity with major theoretical perspectives on learning and motivation, as well as the ability to apply, extend, and critique these theories to educational contexts.
Career Focus

The course is designed to be appropriate for all HGSE masters and doctoral students. For those who did not have an undergraduate educational psychology course and want to know more about students’ learning and motivation in schools, this course offers both a broad overview of topics in educational psychology as well as a graduate-level focus on the theory, research, and practice related to educational psychology. For those who did have an undergraduate educational psychology course, this course offers a more targeted and detailed focus on learning and motivation in educational settings, as well as an opportunity to more deeply explore topics that you may have been introduced to as an undergraduate. Similarly, for those who have completed HGSE How People Learn online module, this course offers a more in-depth examination of theories of learning and motivation.