educational psychology

American  

noun

1. a branch of psychology concerned with developing effective educational techniques and dealing with psychological problems in schools.

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educational psychology British  

noun

1. the study of methods of training and teaching and their effectiveness, and of the problems experienced in learning formal material; in particular, the study of how to help people, esp school children, with learning problems to overcome their difficulties

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Other Word Forms

• educational psychologist noun

Etymology

Origin of educational psychology

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Kindergarten readiness encompasses the foundational skills necessary to engage in a more formal learning environment, said Ohio State University educational psychology professor Laura Justice.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

Cariaga, whose father was a lawyer, was doing clerical work for an insurance company while preparing to study educational psychology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

As educational psychology researchers we look at ways to improve how students learn.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2024

That may be because suspending or expelling students makes them angrier and leads to more violence, said study co-author Eric Anderman, professor of educational psychology at Ohio State.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2023

It rests upon the twin pillars of educational psychology and educational sociology.

From Catastrophe and Social Change Based Upon a Sociological Study of the Halifax Disaster by Prince, Samuel Henry