The role of educational psychology in the preparation of teachers

Abstract

This article continues the dialogue initiated by Anderson et al. (1995) on the teaching of educational psychology to prospective teachers. It approaches the problem from the perspective of what educational psychology represents as a field and the way modem-day educational psychology can contribute to the preparation of teachers. The diversity that exists in the field, the long-standing tension between scientific theory and educational practices, and the adequacy of such metaphors as "middleperson" and "application" are among the issues discussed. The relation of educational psychology to other aspects of the teacher education program, topics that might be included and instructional methods that might be used in an educational psychology course, and implications of these issues for the preparation of doctoral students in educational psychology are also discussed.