5 Books On Teaching Psychology You Should Read
Teaching psychology studies the behaviors and cognitive processes related to educational environments. Despite not being a particularly well-known discipline in the general public, it has excellent potential. We can learn about this potential by reading the best books on teaching psychology.
The studies that researchers have conducted in this field provide us with strategies and tools that can help us create an ideal education system.
Many theorists have contributed to this branch of psychology. The books we are talking about in this article are written within a common framework, based on social constructivism. The theoretical perspective is important because it helps us understand education from its broadest points.
Books on teaching psychology
The Unschooled Mind by Howard Gardner
The subtitle of this book is: ” How children think and how schools should teach “. The book explains children’s intuitive theories. First of all, it focuses on the importance of breaking with the previous learning methods, in order to achieve true learning.
It is one of the essential books on teaching psychology. It allows us to see that current learning methods rarely succeed. Instead, they focus on memorization and superficial learning.
Because of this learning style, students develop a form of “double thinking”. This means that students respond appropriately to problems in an academic context, but they go back to their uninformed theories in real-life situations.
This book is particularly important because Gardner backs up his conclusions with many experiments and research. Furthermore, he also introduces us to a comprehensive bibliography that supports his interpretation of the results.
Psychology and Pedagogy by Vygotsky, Luria and Leontiev
Although the front page bears the names Vygotsky, Luria and Leontiev, this book is actually a collection of reports from many authors. The book shows us a revolutionary education system that is completely different from what we are used to in today’s society.
These psychologists believe that education should not be motivated by economic forces. The goal of education should not be to produce labor. For them, education is a tool for developing an individual’s intellectual potential.
As it helps break with dogmas, this book is one of the best books on teaching psychology. It presents many studies that support its arguments; that classrooms without hierarchies, where open debates and individualized instruction are prioritized, lead to incredible results.
Books on Teaching Psychology : Chomsky on Mis-Education by Noam Chomsky
Some may say that this book is not part of the other books on teaching psychology. This is because it is about the political aspects of education. Nevertheless, it is a book that can help you understand education in the broadest sense of the word. Noam Chomsky offers us an insight that, certainly, is worth reading.
In this book, Chomsky explains how the system uses education to keep itself stable. He details his thoughts on the flaws of the current education system, which may not be flawed at all for some people.
This is because they allow the system to keep itself frozen in a stable power structure that holds every individual in place.
Chomsky uses the actions of the United States in Latin America as an example. He shares that propaganda and the media help distort the reality of events. Propaganda makes the United States a messenger of justice and truth.
The Culture of Education by Jerome Bruner
Bruner is one of the theorists who started a revolution in cognitive psychology. His studies paved the way for rejecting extremely mechanical and data-processed perspectives. He promoted a sociocultural view of facts.
This author understood that if one wants to understand human beings, one cannot separate them from their social environment.
In this book, you can find a detailed explanation of the social constructivist perspective on education. It shows us how important cultural frameworks are and how they affect different education systems. It is a very interesting perspective as it helps us to understand how these effects have an impact on education.
It is a fundamental book because it teaches us how culture and education create our reality. It also presents the idea that both culture and education are the engines of social change.
Experience and Education by John Dewey
John Dewey was one of the fathers of teaching psychology. Despite the fact that his work is about 100 years old, it contains some revolutionary ideas around education.
In Experience and Education , the author shows us a reconstruction of the educational models of his time, based on a constructivist paradigm. His educational model highlights a concept that is at the heart of his pedagogical thoughts: the continuity of experience.
For him, teaching is only correct when it promotes future educational experiences. If teaching involves stagnation, then it is not teaching.
Experience and Education is one of the best books on teaching psychology. Despite the fact that it has a limited reach, it criticizes traditional and progressive education models.
Why read books on teaching psychology?
You should definitely read these books on teaching psychology if you would like to learn more about it. They will also familiarize you with the authors’ suggestions for quality education.
