Educational Psychology Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Educational Psychology distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/educational-psychology/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Lev Vygotsky's concept describing the gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance from a more knowledgeable other. Instruction is most effective when it targets this zone.

Scaffolding

A teaching strategy in which an instructor provides temporary, structured support to help a learner accomplish a task they cannot yet perform independently. Support is gradually removed as competence increases.

Constructivism

A learning theory holding that learners actively construct their own understanding and knowledge through experience, rather than passively absorbing information. Knowledge is built by connecting new information to prior knowledge.

Growth Mindset

Carol Dweck's theory that individuals who believe their abilities can be developed through effort, strategy, and feedback (growth mindset) tend to achieve more than those who view abilities as fixed traits (fixed mindset).

Bloom's Taxonomy

A hierarchical framework for classifying educational learning objectives into levels of complexity, from lower-order skills (remembering, understanding) to higher-order skills (analyzing, evaluating, creating).

Metacognition

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes, including the ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate one's learning. Metacognitive skills are strong predictors of academic success.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation arises from internal interest, curiosity, or enjoyment of the task itself. Extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards or consequences such as grades, praise, or punishment.

Self-Efficacy

Albert Bandura's concept referring to a person's belief in their own capability to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific outcomes. High self-efficacy is associated with greater effort, persistence, and achievement.

Formative Assessment

Ongoing assessment conducted during instruction to monitor student learning and provide feedback that guides teaching adjustments. Unlike summative assessment, the goal is to improve learning in real time.

Retrieval Practice

A learning strategy based on the testing effect, where actively recalling information from memory strengthens long-term retention more effectively than passive review such as rereading.

Key Terms at a Glance

Accommodation:In Piaget's theory, the process of modifying existing cognitive schemas to incorporate new information that does not fit existing structures.

Assimilation:In Piaget's theory, the process of incorporating new information into existing cognitive schemas without modifying the schemas.

Behaviorism:A learning theory focused on observable behaviors and the external stimuli that shape them through reinforcement and punishment.

Bloom's Taxonomy:A hierarchical classification of cognitive learning objectives ranging from lower-order (remembering) to higher-order (creating) skills.

Chunking:A memory strategy that involves grouping individual pieces of information into larger, meaningful units to overcome working memory limitations.

Classical Conditioning:A learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus to produce a conditioned response.

Cognitive Load:The total amount of mental effort being used in working memory during a learning task.

Constructivism:A theory that learners actively build knowledge through experience, reflection, and integration with prior understanding.

Differentiated Instruction:An instructional approach that tailors teaching to meet individual differences in readiness, interest, and learning profile.

Elaborative Interrogation:A learning strategy that involves generating explanations for why stated facts are true, deepening understanding and memory.

Extrinsic Motivation:Motivation driven by external rewards, punishments, or social pressures rather than internal interest.

Fixed Mindset:The belief that intelligence and abilities are static traits that cannot be meaningfully developed.

Formative Assessment:Assessment conducted during instruction to monitor learning progress and provide feedback for instructional adjustment.

Growth Mindset:The belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, effective strategies, and feedback.

Intrinsic Motivation:Motivation arising from internal interest, curiosity, or satisfaction derived from the task itself.

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