Education is fundamental for human development, especially in the early stages of life. Over the years, countless strategies have been implemented to meet the needs of students in the classroom, one of which is educational psychology (Román, n.d.). The breadth, diversity, and richness of current educational content are clear evidence of the advancement of education, as well as the impact that educational psychology has on it (Beltrán & Pérez, 2011). However, according to Sanfeliciano (2018), few schools or institutions have educational psychologists, and even then, their role is often confused with that of guidance counselors or child clinical psychologists.
While the training of this professional allows them to serve as counselors, the functions of educational psychologists are completely different (Sanfeliciano, 2018). These professionals are responsible for building relationships, adjustments, and academic processes between students and their environment (Florez, 2016). Similarly, according to Sanfeliciano (2018), educational psychologists are committed to the study of human behavior and cognitive processes in the context of education, as well as the applications derived from this research.
Additionally, educational psychology can help minimize school failures and increase student satisfaction (Román, n.d.). In general, some students absorb knowledge more easily, while others find the process a bit more complex. Therefore, including this professional practice can ensure the application of techniques designed to detect the presence of students with disabilities, who are supervised and treated by guidance counselors or educational psychologists, as appropriate. According to Román (n.d.), the appropriate treatment of students with disabilities, combined with active participation and didactic teaching methods, promotes the growth and development of their potential.
Regarding the context, educational psychology has incorporated new ecological currents and powerful tools to transform the classroom and turn it into a community that poses and solves real problems related to students' lives (Beltrán & Pérez, 2011). This tool helps teachers make decisions and creates a teaching and learning process based on the real situation of the participants (Román, n.d.). The analysis of limitations, weaknesses, threats, and strengths of each student serves as a basis for developing educational strategies that promote student-teacher interaction, incorporating the family system. According to Román (n.d.), when this relationship is maximized, the results in the short, medium, and long term are usually ideal.
With this in mind, according to Beltrán & Pérez (2011), the contributions of educational psychology are such that it is inconceivable to understand current education without considering the imprint that educational psychology has left throughout its history, in which it has led the development of the educational process within the channels of the scientific model, both in research and in school practice, with successes and failures.
In summary, according to Fernández (2014), thanks to educational psychologists, we have a better understanding of the different mechanisms involved in learning, such as attention, motivation, reinforcement, among others; we have a better assimilation of the specific characteristics of each developmental stage; we have a better understanding of what differences in learning and teaching styles can mean, and thus, appropriate and personalized curricular adjustments can be made, and we have more assessment and clinical and educational diagnostic tools, counseling for students, parents, teachers, and academic authorities, as well as corrective, preventive, and optimizing interventions.
Referencias
Beltrán, J., & Pérez, L. (2011). Más de un siglo de psicología educativa. Valoración general y perspectivas de futuro. Redalyc.org. Recuperado 5 March 2021, a partir de https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/778/77822236002.pdf
Fernández, J. (2014). Importancia del psicólogo educativo en los centros educativos. Psicólogos y Logopedas en Getafe (Madrid). Recuperado 5 March 2021, a partir de https://www.psicologosylogopedas.com/2015/01/13/importancia-del-psicólogo-educativo-en-los-centros-educativos/
Florez, C. (2016). El colegio, más que docentes y estudiantes. www.elmundo.com. Recuperado 5 March 2021, a partir de https://www.elmundo.com/portal/pagina.general.impresion.php?idx=270534
Román, A. (s.f) La importancia de la psicología educativa | Flipa. Flipa. Recuperado 5 March 2021, a partir de https://www.flipa.net/importancia-psicologia-educativa/
Sanfeliciano, A. (2018). La importancia del psicólogo educativo en la escuela. La Mente es Maravillosa. Recuperado 5 March 2021, a partir de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/psicologo-educativo-en-la-escuela/
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