Foundations of Education

The Fall term of the Foundations of Education course introduced a number of disciplinary fields within educational studies. These include: educational history, educational sociology, and educational economics. While each of these disciplinary fields is fundamental to understanding K-12 teaching, it is another disciplinary area - educational psychology - which has come to dominate the educational studies field, beginning in the early 20th century.

In fact, ‘psychology’ holds such a preeminent position in the field of educational studies that multiple courses within Brock University’s concurrent teacher education program are devoted to its study (broadly defined), including two Year 1 and 2 Child and Youth Studies courses which concurrent students complete early in the program:

CHYS 1F90
Introduction to Child and Youth Studies
Theories, methods and issues involved in studying children and youth from a multidisciplinary perspective. Topics may include the history of childhood, family life, peer relations and children and youth with special needs.

CHYS 2P10
Child and Youth Development
Basic concepts and contemporary issues in the development of the child and youth, including processes in cognitive and social-emotional patterns of change. Developmental theory and research provides the conceptual framework.

Many other courses in the concurrent education program also draw directly on the disciplinary field of educational psychology. For example:

EDUC 3F02 (P/J and J/I concurrent students)
Cognition and Learning
Psychological approaches to cognitive, behavioural and social development. Cognitive processes in learning and instruction (assisting students to use appropriate cognitive processes on specific academic tasks). Cognitive theories applied to school subject areas including reading, writing, mathematics and science.

EDBE 8P72 (I/S concurrent students)
Cognition, Development and the Exceptional Learner Intermediate/Senior
Integration of curriculum related to human development and exceptional learners. Topics include cognitive development, intellectual exceptionalities, memory, metacognition and learning strategies, behaviour, behavioural exceptionalities, and classroom management.

In introducing the field of educational psychology, EDUC 1F95: Introduction to the Foundations of Education focuses on the following educational psychology-related topics:

• Week 13: Assessment and Evaluation
• Week 14: Educational and Developmental Psychology
• Week 15: Motivation
• Week 16: Learning Styles