Psychological perspectives in physic curriculum

Constructive  approach is found to be significant in the selected content by Sindh Textbook Board for physics curriculum at secondary school levels. Under constructive approach, Piaget’s cognitive development and Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory are more significant theories for this curriculum.    
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Piaget’s formal operation stage is about mental tasks involving abstract thinking and coordination of a number of variables. In formal operation stage, the learners shape hypothesis, identify all factors and by inductive or deductive reasoning evaluate the situation (Wolfolk, 2007). In the selected content of physics curriculum, some topics require the students reason out inductively or deductively to internalise certain concepts. For example, in the chapter of nuclear physics, fission and fusion are the concepts which are abstract and the students need to hypothetically draw their conclusions of breaking down and joining up of the atoms.
Social cognitive theory of learning
According to social cognitive theory, environmental factors, personal factors and behaviors of the students all influence each other in teaching and learning processes. Teacher’s instructional strategies or models are social factors which affect students’ goals, self efficacy, attributions and self regulatory process, that are students’ personal factors. These personal factors and environmental factors encourage students’ behaviors which lead to motivation, persistence and learning (Wolfolk, 2007).   The selected content of physics curriculum includes such topics which are addressed according to this theory. For example, in a chapter about “Dynamics” the teacher will teach force and motion by a simple learning activity (environmental factor), then the students will know the relationship of force and motion and get ready to do such activities(personal factors), finally they will practice such activities (behavior).
Teachers are expected to analyse the content of their subject areas looking at the significance of psychological perspective to make their teaching go well and maximize students’ learning. This type of analysis will help teachers to meaningfully select and organize learning activities to be implemented in their classrooms.

Reference

Woolfolk, A. (2007). Educational psychology (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson