The authors reassess the role of social psychology. They offer an analysis of motivation and the social development of primary age children as well as relationships and social interaction in the classroom, gender and special needs.

This book examines the ways in which the theory and data of social psychology can be applied to teaching, learning, and other experiences in schools. Its focus ranges in level from the individual (e.g., student attitudes and attributions), to the teacher-student interaction, to the impact of society (e.g., racial and cultural influences on school performance). The editor and distinguished contributors have two major purposes. The first is to illustrate the scope and sophistication of the emerging field known as the social psychology of education. The second is to provide solid, informed suggestions to educators for the amelioration of current educational problems. To that end, each author explicitly discusses implications for educational practice.

This book reviews recent work in psychology which sheds new light on important areas of concern to primary school teachers, providing clear guidelines for good practice. The Psychology of Teaching and Learning in the Primary School details the current controversies regarding the effective teaching of reading and numeracy, how to deal with emotional and behavioural difficulties, the best methods of assessing learning, as well as teaching children to think and develop their creativity. It is a useful text for tutors and students on initial teacher training courses, and to teachers involved in professional development. Each chapter contains an editor's summary, a list of further reading, a full list of references and activities to develop and deepen the readers' understanding in each area. At the same time, the book is written in an accessible style ideal for the non-psychologist and is well illustrated with practical classroom examples.

Teachers often find that their training has not provided them with sufficient knowledge and understanding about underlying social forces and processes in their classrooms. This new book addresses this gap by focusing on the social psychology of the classroom, providing the relevant social psychological knowledge and facilitating the application of that knowledge in the practice of the teacher in the classroom. Elisha Babad discusses "the state of the art" of classroom management theory, research and practice and explores a full range of teacher and classroom experiences (such as teachers' differential behavior in the classroom and its psychological price, students' roles and relationships, and distinguishing between "educating" students and "changing" students). This exceptional book will be of interest to students and scholars of educational studies and educational psychology as well as for teachers-in-training, experienced teachers, and "educators-at-large."

This impressive volume reintroduces the importance of -- and the contributions made by -- social psychology to school psychology. It provides an overview of the basic areas of social psychology (history, attitudes, attribution, attraction, and research methods) as well as the traditional school psychology functions (assessment, therapy, and consultation). To unite these two crucial areas, the editors and their contributors provide detailed discussions of specific educational and social issues such as substance abuse prevention and treatment, loneliness, cooperative versus competitive environments, and integration of handicapped and culturally different children. Based on classical, contemporary, and cutting-edge research and theory, this text should become an essential reference tool for all school psychologists.