Methods of data collection in Educational Psychology 
                                                                                                         Module Details 
                                     1.  Su      bject Name                                 Adult Education 
                                     2.  Pap       er  Name                                 Psychological Foundation 
                                     3.  Mo       dule number                               Module- 2.6 
                                     4.  Mo       dule Name                                 Methods of data collection in Educational Psychology 
                                                                                             
                                     5.  Pr     incipal Investigator  Prof.  Vandana  Chakrabarti,  Director,  Lifelong  Learning  and 
                                                                                            Extension, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai 
                                                                                             
                                     6.  Pap       er Coordinator                           Prof. Anuradha Sovani, Professor,Departmentof Psychology, 
                                                                                            SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai 
                                     7.  Co      ntent writer                               Dr. Smita Desai, Director, Drishti center for psychological 
                                                                                            intervention 
                                                                                             
                                     8.  Co      ntent Reviewer                             Prof. Anuradha Sovani, Professor,Department of Psychology, 
                                                                                            SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai 
                              
                             Content Outline 
                                     1.  Objectives 
                                     2.  The Meaning, Nature and Scope of Educational Psychology 
                                     3.  The Twin Approaches - Qualitative and Quantitative 
                                     4.  The Methods of Educational Psychology 
                                     5.  Summary 
                                             
                             1.        Objectives 
                                       At the end of the module, the learner will be able to,  
                                                Explain Educational Psychology 
                                                Descibe Twin Approaches- Qualitative and Quantitative 
                                                List the Methods of Educational Psychology 
                              
                             2.   The Meaning, Nature and Scope of Educational Psychology 
                             Meaning:  
                             Educational Psychology is a branch of psychology concerned with developing effective 
                             educational techniques and dealing with psychological problems in schools. 
                                           Glover and Ronning (1987, p. 14) state that educational psychology includes 
                             topics that span human development, individual differences, measurement, learning, and 
                             motivation and is both a data-driven and a theory-driven discipline. 
                              
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                                           Crow  and  Crow  stated  that“Educational  psychology  describes  and  explains 
                             learning experience of an individual from birth to old age”. 
                              
                                           E.A. Peel states that “Educational psychology helps the teacher to understand 
                             the development of his pupils, the range and limits of their capacities, the processes by 
                             which they learn and their social relationships.” 
                             Nature:  
                             W.A. Kelly (1941) listed the nature of Educational Psychology as follows: 
                                           To give knowledge of the nature of the child 
                                           To give understanding of the nature, aims and purposes of education 
                                           To give understanding of the scientific methods and procedures which have been 
                             used in arriving at the facts and principles of educational psychology 
                                           To present the principles and techniques of learning and teaching 
                                           To give training in  methods of measuring abilities and achievement in school 
                             subjects 
                                           To give knowledge of the growth and development of children 
                                           To  assist  in  the  better  adjustment  of  children  and  to  help  them  to  prevent 
                             maladjustment 
                                           To study the educational significance and control of emotions and 
                                           To give an understanding of the principles and techniques of correct training. 
                             Scope: 
                             The scope of educational psychology is ever-growing due to constantly researches in this 
                             field. The following factors will indicate the scope of educational psychology: 
                              
                                           The Learner. The subject-matter of educational psychology is knitted around the 
                             learner.  Educational  psychology  as  an  applied  branch  deals  with  the  study  of  the 
                             problems  a  learner  can  face  and  how  it  can  be  dealt  with.  It  throws  light  on  the 
                             developmental characteristics of the learner and individual differences like in intelligence 
                             and personalities, their attitudes and interest.It also tries to explain the causes for these 
                             individual differences that affect the learner and learning process. 
                                           The  Learning  Experiences:Educational  Psychology  helps  in  deciding  what 
                             learning experiences are desirable, at each stage of the growth and development of the 
                             learner, so that these experiences can be acquired with greater ease and satisfaction. 
                              
                                           Learning  process:  After  knowing  the  learner  and  deciding  what  learning 
                             experiences are to be provided, Educational Psychology moves on to the laws, principles 
                             and theories of learning. Educational psychology provides knowledge about learning, 
                             factors that affect the process of learning such as maturation, motivation, attention, 
                             interest and many other internal and external factors. 
                              
                                           Learning  Situation  or  Environment:  Here  we  deal  with  the  environmental 
                             factors and learning situations which come midway between the learner and the teacher. 
                              
                                           The  Teacher:The  teacher  is  a  potent  force  in  any  scheme  of  teaching  and 
                             learning process. Educational Psychology emphasizes the need of ‘knowing thyself’ for a 
                             teacher to play his role properly in the process of education. It throws light on the 
                             essential personality traits, interests, aptitudes, the characteristics of effective teaching 
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                             etc., so as to inspire him to become a successful teacher.  
                              
                             Other Aspects: 
                                           It studies human behaviour in educational situations 
                                           It studies the growth and development of the child 
                                           It understands the role of heredity and environment towards the growth of the 
                             individual  
                                           Educational Psychology deals with the nature and development of the personality 
                             of an individual 
                                           It studies individual differences 
                              
                             3.             The Twin Approaches - Qualitative and Quantitative 
                             Nomothetic (Quantitative Approach): This approach basically uses inferential and 
                             descriptive  statistics  as  mediums  of  scientific  method  of  investigation  in  analyzing, 
                             presenting, and interpretation of data gathered by the researcher through standardized 
                             or  objective  instruments  (e.g.  psychological  Tests).  Commonly  used  methods  - 
                             Experimental Method, Testing Method 
                             Idiographic (Qualitative Approach): This approach tends not to use inferential or 
                             descriptive  statistics,  but  rather  uses  qualitative  methods  of  data  gathering  such  as 
                             interviews,  diaries,  and  other  written  materials,  obtained  from  or  provided  by  the 
                             expected or anticipated respondents of a particular research.  
                              
                             4.             The Methods of Educational Psychology 
                             There are six methods of data collection commonly used in Educational Psychology. They 
                             include:  
                             1.             Introspection 
                             2.             Observation 
                             3.             Experimental Method 
                             4.             Clinical/Case Study Method 
                             5.             Genetic/Developmental Method 
                             6.             Testing Method 
                             4.1 INTROSPECTION 
                              
                                           Distinct to the field of psychology 
                                           It involves “looking within” (reflecting on the inner workings of one’s own mind) 
                                           It is a method of observation- it is made by the self and of the self 
                                           It is not random, and it usually has a specific goal/purpose 
                                           Popular forms: Questionnaires, Anecdotal Data 
                              
                              
                              
                              
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                             (a) Questionnaires:  
                                           The  questionnaire  is  more  than  simply  a  list  of  questions  or  forms  to  be 
                             completed 
                                           When properly constructed, a questionnaire can be used as a scientific instrument 
                             to obtain data from large numbers of individuals 
                                           Construction  of  a  useful  questionnaire  that  minimizes  interfering  problems 
                             requires experience, skill, thoughtfulness, and time 
                                           There are two types of questionnaires based on information being collected: 
                             o              Descriptive  questionnaires  are  usually  restricted  to  factual  information,  often 
                             biographical, which is usually accessible by other means (e.g. job application forms) 
                              
                             o              Analytical  questionnairesdeal  more  with  information  related  to  attitudes  or 
                             opinions 
                                           The types of questionnaires based on the method of execution include:  
                             o              Mail  Surveys:  Questionnaires  can  be  sent  in  the  mail.  It  allows  for  mass 
                             replication 
                             o              Group Administered Surveys: A sample of the population is administered the 
                             survey. The response rate here is high, and doubts are easy to clarify.  
                             o              Door-to-Door  Survey:  This  allows  for  the  asking  of  follow  up  questions,  and 
                             ensures higher response rates. 
                              
                             Advantages of Using Questionnaires:  
                                           Data  can  be  obtained  on  large  numbers  of  participants  quickly  and  relatively 
                             inexpensively 
                                           The sample can be very large and geographically representative 
                                           Often, anonymity can be easily maintained; that is, identifying information is not 
                             associated with the data 
                                           When constructed properly, a questionnaire provides data that can be organized 
                             easily, tabulated, and analyzed 
                              
                              
                             (b) Interviews: 
                                           There are two types of interviews- 
                             o              Structured and Standardized Interviews: Appropriate questions are selected, the 
                             order and sequence is decided beforehand, The type of answer or response is aligned 
                             with the objective of the study 
                             o              Unstructured and Non- Standardized: Here, the interviewer doesn’t decide on the 
                             set of questions or order. It is regarded as less objective and reliable. However, the 
                             subject has enough opportunity for self-expression.  
                              
                                           Execution-Before taking an interview, keep in mind these points:  
                             o              Plan what the goal of the study is 
                             o              Locate the population or sample of individuals to be interviewed 
                             o              Motivate respondents to participate by explaining the aim and advantages 
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