Educational Psychology : Windows on Classrooms

For Introduction to Educational Psychology courses.Revised and expanded, this is the new edition of the most applied introduction to educational psychology on the market today. Long recognized for its groundbreaking innovations in placing educational psychology firmly within the context of classrooms, this text examines every educational psychology theory learning, motivation, and development and every pertinent concept through the viewpoint of the teacher. Once again in this edition, the authors' hallmark cases, in both written and videotape format, introduce real-world applications in a way that no other text can, truly fulfilling the promise of its title to give students a "window" on the classrooms in which they will someday teach.

The literature of educational psychology continues to rapidly evolve, and we have written the sixth edition ofEducational Psychology: Windows on Classroomsto remain on the cutting edge of theory and research in the field. At the same time, we have expanded on the theme that has made this book successful: to be the most applied text on the market. Our goals are to provide accurate, clear, and precise descriptions of research and theory combined with the suggestions that make these theories applicable in classroom practice. The subtitle "Windows on Classrooms" refers to our presentation of authentic classroom activities that are designed to provide you, our readers, with a realistic look at classrooms today and what they might become tomorrow. To this end, this new edition has a deeper focus and commitment to being: Case-basedthroughouteach chapter Exceptionally applied Filled with practice for the PRAXIS The edition is also expanded to include a new chapter that provides a detailed examination of the construction of understanding, a second chapter that presents a classroom model of student motivation, and a third chapter that focuses on the processes and issues involved in standardized testing. The following pages illustrate the features and new additions to this text. A BOOK THATTRULY INTEGRATES CASESTHROUGHT CHAPTERS To capture the real world of learning and teaching, we capitalize on the use of case studies. All chapters begin with an extended case study. These cases are detailed and rich and are integrated and elaborated throughout the chapters to make theory concrete and applicable. The process of situating theory in the context of real-world practice is consistent with the most recent learning and motivation research. In this regard, the book is a model for effective instruction and provides our readers with repeated opportunities to construct meaningful understandings of the book's contents. Elaborated Cases.The book does not merely reference the opening case, but it actually integrates and enriches the case as the chapter develops. Illustrations and captions are provided on pages throughout the chapter to call students' attention to the key points in the case study. Videos to Accompany Cases.Twelve of the chapter cases have a video counterpart. These video segments are included on two videotapes, "Looking Through Classroom Windows 1 and 2", in order of their appearance in the book. Viewing video cases and discussing and analyzing them can deepen understanding of concepts presented in the chapter. See the table on page 26 listing the topic, grade level, and content focus of each video case. End-of-Chapter Case Analysis.Chapter-ending cases, called "Windows on Classrooms," provide additional practice in understanding chapter concepts through analysis of the classroom-based case. Moreover, constructed-response questions and document-based analysis questions give students opportunities to practice analyzing cases for the PRAXIS "Principles of Learning and Teaching" Exam--and for professional practice. A BOOK THAT IS EXCEPTIONALLY APPLIED As might be expected from a case-based text, a central goal ofEducational Psychology: Windows on Classroomsis to help its readers be able to use educational psychology as teachers. The text examines every theory and concept through its application in classrooms, and a number of features help students connect content to classrooms. Classroom Connections at the Elementary, Middle School, and High School Levels.This box in each chapter offers strategies for applying the content to specific learning and teaching situations. Each strategy is illustrated with an example, derived largely from the authors' experiences in schools, for elementary classrooms, middle and junior high classrooms,