Preface

A systematic review of the literature on recent educational psychology reveals a rebranded jigsaw that contains classic texts, updated and revised research, as well as prospects of strat‐ egies to managing behavioral difficulties according to the educational psychology services. Beyond the familiar preferences of the previous critical studies in the fieldwork, which re‐ considers the topics of trend analysis, citations, individual differences, statistics, content analysis, educational psychology deconstruction, or research methodology, this exegesis de‐ lineates five major themes considered important for the future development of theories, practices from the educational psychology services, and public policy.

The title of the book, *Educational Psychology - Between Certitudes and Uncertainties*, is relevant for dynamic and low predictable research from genetics, neurosciences, technologies, and empirical evidence of the relationship between mind, brain plasticity, communication, and education that produces challenges and exchanges across sciences. There are various per‐ spectives on the epistemology in the field, new results of experiments, different hermeneu‐ tics and misinterpretations of data collected, multiple scientific simulations, and diverse substantial evaluative data. Eccentric, exotic, and strange theories of the new epistemic com‐ munities coexist with traditional approaches to educational psychology. This new frame‐ work argues that this book is to be considered a fairly unique and realistic way to rebuild the incongruities and paradoxes in this area. Naturally, "certitudes and uncertainties" is a common denominator for the existing sophisticated academic conventions and for the im‐ mense potential of continuous professional development. The title of the book reflects the state of the art, a new trend in the conceptual fabric of educational psychology, and an atti‐ tude toward an academic market in the age of many battles in the world of science.

A distinctive characteristic of this book is that it intends to provide a new perspective on the current hypothesis from educational psychology. It consists of five chapters, covers the most discussed problems from the areas of study, and brings together notorious experts from dif‐ ferent cultures. From the number of intentions submitted, four contributions were selected and incorporated.

Within each chapter, theories linked with practice issues and emerging conclusions are ex‐ amined.

The first chapter (author Victorița Trif) examines the polarized paradigms from educational psychology, combining parallel explanations and concerning the identity of the scientific do‐ main. The research questions are in interdependence with future trends in the fieldwork, as well as with a new comprehension of uncontrolled multiliteracy and of the contemporary state of interconnected paths, models, or reconsidered branches of psychology. The title of the chapter ("Will a Cooperation between Polarized Paradigms in Educational Psychology Be Possible?") suggests a possible answer to the potential cognitive model of solving an asynchronous conglomeration of knowledge in the area.

Chapter 2 (author Carlos Ossa-Cornejo) discusses the critical role of the psychologist accord‐ ing to a reflexive educational psychology. The theoretical synthesis is focused on the follow‐ ing relevant guidelines: the transition of educational psychology from simplicity to complexity, critical thinking as a strategy for the evolution of educational psychology, and a new dimension of educational psychology—a critical one. The ontological and epistemologi‐ cal analysis of the author takes into account the vast variety of human situations, paradigms from the area, and concerns related to clear, measurable, and unambiguous knowledge.

**Chapter 1**

Provisional chapter

**Introductory Chapter: Will a Cooperation between**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.83593

Introductory Chapter: Will a Cooperation between

**Polarized Paradigms in Educational Psychology Be**

Over the past decades, the educational psychology knowledge was constantly rebranding and revising due to performance pressure and need to solve authentic educational problems. The multiple case studies [1], the mastery experiences, and the different kinds of results from the research nurtured new mutual communities of knowledge in the area. This book comprises a variety of styles, debated issues, many theoretical positions, substantial details concerning knowledge, and tensions between extreme methodological rules, and discusses the most

Even though the contemporary epistemology is very sophisticated [2], this book addresses an alternative position to the fragmented educational psychology knowledge. The following characteristics lead to the current explanations from the educational psychology framework

For most of the people, knowledge is relative and the epistemology of educational psychology is cognitively represented at the crossroads between different branches of psychology and educational sciences. In many cases, this view significantly differs from the classic body knowledge. Such assumptions remain endemic without a masterly demonstration. In order to

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and eproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Polarized Paradigms in Educational Psychology Be

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83593

important academic market topics.

and sustain the intellectual architecture of the book.

2. Why this book?

2.1. Epistemology

**Possible?**

Possible?

Trif Victorița

Trif Victorița

1. Introduction

Chapter 3 (author D. Tzuriel) presents the relationship between the effects of mediated learn‐ ing experience and children's cognitive modifiability. The findings and discussions are fo‐ cused on how mediated learning experience processes are internalized by the child, because of various strategies—intentionality and reciprocity, mediation of meaning, mediation of transcendence, mediation of feelings of competence, mediation of self-regulation—used by the mother while interacting with the infant. The dynamic assessment of cognitive modifiabil‐ ity and the role of maternal stimulation are related to the theories of Vygotsky and Feuerstein.

Chapter 4 (authors Huy P. Phan, Hui-Wen Wang, Jen-Hwa Shih, Sheng-Ying Shi, Ruey-Yih Lin, and Bing H. Ngu) draws attention to the concept of "optimal functioning," defined in terms of positive psychology. The key questions of the study ("What is the best that I can do as a person, both academically and nonacademically?" and "How do I achieve my best in a subject matter?") are correlated with different conceptualizations of mindfulness. The struc‐ ture of the chapter (the importance of optimal functioning, the overview of mindfulness, mindfulness from an Eastern perspective, mindfulness and optimal functioning, and the conclusion) mirrors the methodological conceptualization of the authors.

Chapter 5 (author Susana Occhipinti) develops research anchored to earth sciences and geo‐ sciences education according to Italian features of the education system. Multidisciplinary connections are inserted between different scientific areas of knowledge (geochemistry, vol‐ canology, petrography, geophysics) and various disciplines (history, literature, art). The net‐ work of resources from the chapter is reconsidered in terms of conceptual nodes and it is related to the epistemology of complexity.

This book is essential reading for teachers, students, researchers, and practitioners from edu‐ cational sciences, educational psychology, and hybrid domains.

The most important message of the book is that the multitudinous contents of educational psychology are relevant to different stages of science development and, in the current phase, are amalgamating the perspective of traditional control knowledge and rival paradigms. This explains the "cyclone" of knowledge in the conceptual framework that generates uncer‐ tain and contradicting expectations and anticipations concerning the future of educational psychology. At the same time, this process is not entirely negative, false, or confusing. A possible answer for both the inside and outside enemies of a storm could be that of assum‐ ing an intergenerational effort for us to manage the academic interest in the field of educa‐ tional psychology.

> **Victorița Trif** University of Bucharest Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences Bucharest, Romania

#### **Introductory Chapter: Will a Cooperation between Polarized Paradigms in Educational Psychology Be Possible?** Introductory Chapter: Will a Cooperation between Polarized Paradigms in Educational Psychology Be Possible?

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.83593

#### Trif Victorița Trif Victorița

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83593
