Lee Cronbach
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Educational Psychology and Lee Cronbach
Lee J. Cronbach (1916-2001) was an American educational professor. As a boy of five or so in 1921, he was given an IQ test, getting a test score of 200. He graduated from Fresno State College (majoring in chemistry and mathematics) at eighteen.Cronbach made major contributions in the fields of educational psychology. After he received a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Chicago in 1940, he eventually settled at Stanford University in 1964. Cronbach was the president of the American Psychological Association for a period, and other associations.
Cronbach's research included work on evaluation and instruction. He argued as early as the 1950s that learning environments should be designed to match the abilities of individuals. And he sought to bridge the gap between different theories of psychology by showing the importance of both the environment and individual behaviour.
The source of the observations and quotations that follow, is the educational textbook Educational Psychology by Lee J. Cronbach when at the University of Illinois. Page references are included too.
Chapter 1
Socialisation is for solving
deep life problems in the first place
DESCRIPTIONS are less useful for thinking than exact principles [cf.
59].Broad and abstract concepts generate principles that are powerful aids to thought [cf. 60].
Orderly directed thoughts and efforts, and respect for good ability may be useful in solving practical and everyday problems. Survival and easily rising into a superior job tend to rest on things like that [cf. 43, 48, 47, 37].
But merely accepting impulses and making analyses will hardly do. There are many unwise marriages and adult drinking problems to show that. [cf. 42, 48, 34].
Five qualities are to be sought as aims of socialization: (1) solve problems; (2) have enough good self-confidence; (3) satisfying lives; (4) absorbing goals and interests; (5) conforming in a praiseworthy manner to certain ways and values [cf. 64].
Affiliation for communities and contribute well to Tao [of means, skills, ways etc.][cf. 50].
It may serve you to learn a neat handwriting and some basic philosophy of education [cf. 55, 63].
Principles are organized into systems of thought, into disciplines. And, hopefully, the persons who do well in school are those who have the talents needed in responsible positions. However, the achievement-oriented person is a striver, for good and bad and so on [cf. 65, 64, 66].
To establish a law solidly, many independent arguments using different sources of evidence are needed. Valuable systematic understanding gives central place to the most general, most powerful principles, it adds meaning to each subordinate principle, and it provides a way of coming to grips with unprecedented situations [62, cf. 61].
Preverbal knowledge is developed from direct experience and is not easily transferred [cf. 65].
The attitude called "Do your best" is very task-oriented [cf. 49].
What to learn in order to function well? Much in a life depends on respecting good quality [cf. 30].
Being persistent enough involves no trick [cf. 42] (2).
A discipline rests on sources and conclusions that are generalizations,
prescriptions, or decisions which it points to, according to John Dewey [60].
Generalization eventually
contribute when their relevance is recognized, if not before.
BY EXPOSURE to stimulating models it happens that more or less "other-directedness"
gets superseded by being "inner-directed" [cf. 44, 47] (3).A pupil should grasp that generalizations oversimplify [62].
Knowledge certainly does not always transfer [57] (4).
One is to teach ground rules of science well. As a result, recipients can learn and develop and eventually contribute [55, cf. 48].
Recognizing the relevance of situations for understanding ideas and skills therein
[cf. 57].
Luck may count more than
efforts, a worthy education, and living a sedentary life
A PRINCIPLE or broad generalization is a higher type of knowledge than a description
or a prescription [60] (5).A physical law is established over an certain range of phenomena and within a certain range of accuracy [62].
It pays to consider that in some cases luck counts more than effort [cf. 48].
Central or key concepts of various disciplines are worth learning and remembering well. Postponing little in the education and getting fine grades is also much worth [cf. 60].
Well, one should value a fit education [cf. 36].
The most important qualities of the mature individual versus the widely incomplete and handicapped person are self-confidence, effective dealings; living satisfying; having interests; being praiseworthy; conforming neatly enough [cf. 39].
Throughout adulthood observation of regularities must precede formulation of laws [32, 62].
While appreciating fine and fit traditions, learn to ask critically beforehand as to
desirable outcomes [cf. 45, 56] 
.
We gain a sense of competence to build on by going deftly for important achievements [cf. 44, 49].
One is supposed to try for an adequate picture first and foremost, so as to respond to this and that adequately - and systematic knowledge is a boon in itself..
The simplest principles are little more than descriptions [60].
To understand such as qualities and the raising into some discipline, infidelity and reactions to it can help in ascertaining what may be at stake [cf. 65].
True mathematical talent is intuitive rather than systematic [64].
What education is to perform, determines the favoured educational procedures. What in the student should education try to develop? [cf. 63 and 40].
Effectiveness depends on the choice of worthwhile problems, on persistence, on willingness to take an independent position [cf. 65] (7).
Getting along with others and having fun all marks affiliation-oriented ones [cf. 66].
How the person behaves depends on his goal, knowledge and skill, and his confidence [65].
Intellectual knowledge may be harmful unless turned to a good social purpose. Besides, intrinsic connectedness and precision of thought marks a discipline. A discipline may be harmful unless linked to good [64, cf. 60].
"See what you can do" stems from a relaxing attitude and may work better than an outer-directed and achievement-oriented "Do your best", but it depends [cf. 49].
Verbal knowledge has four levels of complexity: (1) descriptions, (2) prescriptions;
(3) generalizations; and (4) systematic knowledge [cf. 65].
Gist
- Socialisation is for solving deep life problems in the first place, and education serves socialisation far and wide these days.
- A tough generalisation eventually contributes when its relevance is recognized, if not before.
- Luck may count more than efforts, a worthy education, and living a sedentary life.
Deep problems are tough to deal with, and thus a worthy education may be
tough too.
No other, nowhere else . . .
The Chinese philosopher Teng Shih lived in the 6th century BC. Once a wealthy man in
his state had drowned in the Wei River. The corpse was recovered by someone who would not
hand it over to the mourning family until he had got a large payment. The relatives of the
drowned man sought Teng's advice.Teng said to them, "Wait, no other family will pay for the body."
After some time the finder of the corpse grew worried and also consulted Teng.
"Wait," said Teng, "for nowhere else can they get the body."
What normally helps is to channel feelings into
constructive patterns.
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Literature
Cpi: Anderson, John R. Cognitive Psychology and its Implications. 4th ed. New York: Freeman, 1995.
Ebu: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica 2006 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD. London: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2006.
Lte: Schunk, Dale. Learning Theories. An Educational Perspective. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill/Prentice-Hall, 1996.
Mmb: Buzan, Tony, with Barry Buzan. The Mind Map Book. Rev. ed. London: BBC Books, 1995.
Proe: Bruner, Jerome. The Process of Education. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1966.
Pseb: Cronbach, Lee. Educational Psychology. 2nd ed. London: Hart-Davis, 1963.
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