Psychological Pedagogy for Quality Teaching and

Learning

Professor Lucija Rutka,

Dr.psych, Mg.math.

University of Latvia

Aim of presentation

To acquaint in general with the personal

academic and research experience and to

discuss together the most effective ways of

achieving the learning outcomes in the

Educational Psychology Module

About me

• Professor, University of Latvia, Faculty of Education,

Psychology and Art

• Expert in education at the Council of Sciences of the

Republic of Latvia

• Since 2015 - National research programme „Innovative

Solutions in Social Telerehabilitation in the Schools of

Latvia in the Context of Inclusive Education”

• 2012 – 2013 – ESF project „Creating a Support System for

the Youth at Risk of Inclusive Education and Social

Exclusion, Preparing and Providing Necessary Personnel

and Improving Their Competence”

My courses in bachelor, master and doctoral study programs

• Developmental Psychology

• Theories of Developmental Psychology

• Communication Psychology

• Personalization of Pedagogical Process

• Teaching and Learning in University

• Development of the Personality in the Socialization

Process

• Educator's Personal Effectiveness

• Communication in the Study Process

• Communication Peculiarities between Doctor and Patient

• and others

Psychological pedagogy

My research area is Psychological

pedagogy, wich is new trend in our university.

The main research subject of psychological

pedagogy is psychological competence of

teachers (students)

Research area

The teacher’s psychological competence is

composed of the knowledge of psychology,

psychological thinking, the person’s qualities of

professional importance, abilities of self-

analysis, empathy, abilities of taking decisions,

skills of rendering psychological support, skills

of self-regulation and stress management.

(Lefrancois, 2000; Зинченко, 2002; Simikin, 2006;

Kepalaite, 2008; Rutka, 2012; Gregory, 2016)

Psychological competence develops in reflective

activity, during the process of thinking directed to the

awareness of one’s actions, behavior, language,

experience, emotions, abilities, character, attitudes,

conviction, analysis and understanding concerning

other people, one’s tasks and functions in search of

the solution of different problems (McCormick Davis,

2005; Loughran, 2006; Sense, 2007; Korthagen,

Verkuyl, 2007; Russel, 2007; Kepalaite, 2008; Rutka,

2012; Latkovska, 2014)

One of the home pages of psychological aid,

(http://www.teenfad.ph/beintheknowcontent.php),

considers psychological competence to be the most

important life skill and it is defined as the

individual’s ability and skill to cope with

everyday problems, to keep feeling fine and

demonstrate adaptive, positive behavior in

cooperation with other people in their cultural

environment. Psychological competence is important

in the preservation of one’s physical and mental

health, and it determines the individual’s sense of

feeling in the social environment as well.

Not only teachers’ psychological competence is

researched in the world but also the psychological

competence of other professionals, e.g., doctors,

lawyers, actors, businessmen (Кочубей, 2001;

Nastasi, Pluymert, Moore, 2002; Ambuel, Rappaport,

2005; Bluckert, 2007; Zanelti-Dalenbach, Tschudin,

Lapaire, Holzgreve, 2009)

One dimension of the study process –

educator’s psychological pedagogical

knowledge, skills and competence for

achieving the learning outcomes

Practical

part

We have a lot of questions

A discussion about

the ways how to

achieve the best

learning outcomes.

Program Intended Learning Outcomes

in Educational Psychology :

• Knowledge and Understanding

• Skills - cognitive (thinking), professional

(practical)

• Competence – autonomy, responsibility,

interaction (collaboration)

Knowledge and Understanding

• Advanced knowledge of STEM, involving a critical

understanding of learning theories and principles.

• Apply the appropriate strategies for enhancing students’

active and flexible learning through motivation, self-efficacy

and engagement.

• Broad, integrated and advanced knowledge about students’

diversity and its impact on teaching and learning processes

• Broad, integrated and advanced knowledge in adjoining

areas - educational psychology, involving a critical

understanding of learning theories and principles.

Skills

Cognitive (thinking)

• Demonstrate advanced cognitive skills including logical,

intuitive and creative thinking for enhancing students’

motivation, self-efficacy, and engagement

• Demonstrate advanced cognitive skills including logical,

intuitive and creative thinking for integrating STEM teaching

practices in classroom

Skills

Professional (practical)

• Demonstrate practical skills in application of different

learning theories in STEM classroom

• Demonstrate practical skills in classroom management and

classroom leadership

• Demonstrate practical skills in creating inclusive and

motivating learning environment in STEM classroom.

• Demonstrate practical skills in responding to students’

diversity and to diverse learning cultures

Competence

Autonomy

Demonstrate autonomy in managing class situations

through encouraging students’ engagement, mutual trust and

active learning.

Responsibility

Takes responsibility for responding to students’ diversity

and managing diverse learning cultures

Interaction (collaboration)

Demonstrate competence for enhancing students’ social

interaction in innovative learning environments

Which knowledge, skills and

competences are especially

important for university educators to

promote achievement of better

learning outcomes?

This will be important and useful both for

improving the Psychology module and

preparing the training in Riga.

Knowledge, skills and competences offered for

discussion:

To promote students’:1. Self-motivation

2. Critical thinking

3. Communication skills

4. Positive emotions and self-awareness

5. Self assessment and peer-to-peer assessment

6. Self-discipline

7. Ethical understanding

8. Respect for diversity

9. Mutual trust and mutual support

10. Initiative

11. Independence

12. Decision making

Procedure of practical activities

1. Please organise yourselves in groups of 3-4 people.

2. Each group receives an envelope with slips that have

psycho-pedagogical skills and competences written on

them. There are alsosome extra slips that you can use to

write your variants.

3. Each group receives 3 A4 sheets in 3 different colours.

4. Please discuss which of the formulated skills and

competences you are good? at and put them on the green

sheets.

5. Then discuss wich of the formulated skills you use in your

work, but you would like to improve them, and then place

these slips on the yellow sheet.

Procedure of practical activities

6. Finally, discuss wich skills or competences seem

important to you, but it is not clear how to aply them and

you would like to do it.

7. You can also add your variants and put them on the

coloured sheets.

8. The skills that you do not consider important put aside.

9. You have 10-15 minutes. At the end discussion each

group should give their feedback about the discussion.

10. I would like to take a picture of every grops coloured

sheets.

I am planning to use them in training in Riga next year.

Unfortunately, we can’t discuss the meaning

and content of every skill and competence

because it is very time consuming.

We will do it next year in Riga!

Thank you for your

attentions, active

participation and

feedback!

I look forward to

futher cooperation!