Psychological Basis of Education

Mass media of communication especially radio and television have provided an extraordinary richness and even surfeit of vicarious experiences and have artfully fostered wants and desires and ideas regarding social behaviour. The interests of young people are thus developing under the stimulation of influences which often seem grossly artificial and possibly conductive to irresponsibility or delinquency but which could be used constructively and in forceful supplementation of educational efforts. Somewhat as physiology in basic in preparing to practice medicine, so certain major topics in psychology, the writers believe are basic in preparing to teach. In particular three large areas of Psychological investigation, development, learning and individualization of educational programmes, seem of great potential value to teachers as a means of understanding educational problems and suggesting ways of dealing with them.