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Pinakini Shah
Nadia Ayub
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Samuel Chukwuemeka Obasi
Sara RichterLearning, Knowledge and Human Development MOOC’s Updates
6. Productive Struggle in Learning (George Reese)
Comment: Educational psychology is also concerned with the dynamics of learning. In his contribution to this course, George Reese analyzes by way of example the notion of "productive struggle." How can educational psychology help us to understand the processes of learning?
Make an Update: Take one area of the learning sciences. How does educational psychology contribute to our understanding? What evidence does it offer? What interpretative concepts and theories does it provide?
Learning Isn’t Always Easy—And That’s the Point
Educational psychology helps us understand that learning isn’t just about getting the right answers—it’s about how we get there. George Reese talks about “productive struggle,” which is basically the idea that a little bit of confusion or challenge can actually be good for learning (yep, struggling is part of the plan!). When we wrestle with tough problems, our brains make stronger connections. Educational psychology explains things like motivation, memory, and problem-solving, showing us that learning is a process, not instant magic. So next time you’re stuck on a math problem, just remember: your brain is working out—no gym membership required.
Educational Psychology allows us to understand the process of learning by creating specific teaching methods and curriculum to create a diagnosis for students or anyone with learning challenges. George Reese gives examples of challenging tasks that not only helps students solve problems but also be able to interact and help one another. Box folding is one example of a task worthy of challenging students to creatively problem solve. Putting the students into groups in this activity helps social and emotional factors that effectively allow students to not only find an answer but to realize their potential in the process. This contributes to classroom culture as well when students interact to help each other and also combine ideas to problem solve (Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical Mindsets).
When you combine learning with psychology it may not always be an easy study, but educational psychology helps us understand the why and how of educational learning. It is proven to be effective after tests, studies, surveys, and more are all implicated.
Productive Struggle in Learning (George Reese)
Educational psychology helps us understand the processes of learning by exploring how students think, feel, and behave as they acquire new knowledge and skills. The concept of productive struggle, as discussed by George Reese, highlights how challenge and effort are essential parts of meaningful learning. Educational psychology explains that when learners face tasks that are slightly beyond their comfort zone—but still achievable with support—they develop persistence, problem-solving skills, and deeper understanding. This balance between difficulty and support is rooted in theories of cognitive development and motivation, such as Vygotsky’s “zone of proximal development.” By studying how learners respond to feedback, reinforcement, and cognitive load, educational psychology guides teachers in designing experiences that promote engagement, resilience, and growth. Ultimately, it shows that learning is not just about acquiring information but about nurturing the mental processes and attitudes that sustain lifelong learning.
Dr. George Reese talks about the stairs metaphor, the strategy teachers are using to provide scaffolding, or the support we provide to our students. Productive struggle -means tasks that are worthy, which require thought to exercise by the learners. In Piaget's Theory and Stages of Cognitive Development, he described it as cognitive disequilibrium or the state of cognitive discomfort because new information could not fit into existing schema and hence requires adaptation in order to assimilate and achieve equilibration. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) further supports this concept, when learners are learning new concepts, would need to persevere, reason out, and make meaningful reflections in order to step up. Dr. Reese suggests that it can be done by applying the culture of collaboration. Understanding how educational psychology helps us to understand the processes of learning by providing enough support at the right time. Teachers can design learning activities and materials that allow learners to explore and discover problems and ideas, like what Dr. Reese should do on the box-folding problem. Working together as students will promote critical thinking and higher-order thinking, as their thoughts will be challenged by one another. Hence, promoting deeper thinking. We learn from cognitive psychology and neuroscience that a certain enough of struggle allows learners to activate their critical thinking and will benefit in solving problems. It also helps learners in facing future problems by being resilient and confident learners. Although the concept of productive struggle might seem difficult and uncomfortable to achieve with enough level of difficulty and right support from the teachers, this method can promote meta-cognition, self-regulation, and collaborative learning that transforms struggle into real cognitive growth.
Your reflection thoughtfully connects Dr. Reese’s concept of productive struggle with key theories from Piaget and Vygotsky, showing a strong understanding of how educational psychology explains the learning process. I like how you highlighted the balance between challenge and support—this truly captures the essence of scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development. Your mention of collaboration and metacognition adds depth, emphasizing that learning is not just individual but also social and reflective. One suggestion would be to briefly include how teachers can assess or adjust the level of “struggle” to ensure it remains productive rather than frustrating. Overall, this is a well-integrated and insightful explanation of how educational psychology bridges theory and classroom practice.
Quantitative psychology is all about using numbers and statistics to understand people. Schools use it to track student progress based on test scores, hospitals use it to help diagnose mental health issues, and companies use surveys to assess employee well-being. It’s also essential for policymakers who need solid data to make informed decisions about programs such as education or healthcare.
The biggest strength of quantitative psychology is that it enables us to identify large patterns and compare results across a large number of people. It’s great for spotting trends and determining if something is genuinely compelling. But numbers can’t tell the whole story. They might overlook how people actually feel or why they behave in a certain way, and some essential aspects of the human experience cannot be easily measured.
So, while quantitative psychology is super helpful in making sense of lots of information, it’s even better when we also listen to people’s stories and look at the bigger picture.
Educational psychology helps us understand learning by showing that it’s not always about finding the “right answer” quickly, but about engaging with challenges in a way that builds deeper understanding. George Reese’s idea of productive struggle illustrates this—when learners wrestle with problems, reflect, and try different approaches, they develop stronger problem-solving skills and long-term retention. Educational psychology provides the concepts that explain why struggling in the right way can actually make learning more effective.
Educational psychology helps us understand learning by showing how challenges, or ‘productive struggle,’ support skill development, problem-solving, and deeper understanding, and this explanation really makes that clear.
Opinion #1
Educational psychology, in my view, truly excels when examining the dynamics of learning. It aids in understanding how students engage with ideas, such as the concept of purposeful challenge discussed by George Reese. For instance, consider a science teacher who introduces a complex experiment, encouraging students to formulate their own hypotheses and troubleshoot problems as they arise. This hands-on approach, guided by the teacher's understanding of cognitive processes and motivation, exemplifies educational psychology in practice.
I believe educational psychology is incredibly valuable for comprehending the learning sciences. It offers research-backed techniques, like personalized learning plans or the use of metacognitive strategies, and models, such as viewing learning as an active construction of knowledge, to improve educational outcomes.
@Jorome Jireh Robles, thank you for your insights. Incorporating educational psychology in personalized learning is indeed a powerful tool in providing a learner-centered approach. I think there is no single theory that meets all the needs of the students. Learning to apply what's good and beneficial to the class is still, I think, a good way.
Educational psychology helps us understand learning processes by showing that mistakes and challenges are not failures but important parts of growth. The concept of “productive struggle” explains how learners develop deeper understanding when they persist through challenges with appropriate support.
How can educational psychology help us to understand the processes of learning?
Educational psychology provides a scientific framework for understanding how people learn by integrating insights from cognitive science, behavioral theory, and developmental psychology. One powerful example of this is the concept of “productive struggle,” as analyzed by George Reese. This idea challenges the misconception that learning should always be easy and error-free. Instead, educational psychology suggests that struggle, when appropriately supported, is not only expected but essential for deep learning.
Theories such as Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) explain why learning is most effective when it occurs just beyond the learner’s current level, with the support of scaffolding. Similarly, Piaget’s constructivist theory supports the notion that learners construct knowledge through active engagement, often encountering and working through cognitive conflict.
Educational psychology also explains why some struggle becomes productive while other struggles lead to frustration or withdrawal. Factors such as self-efficacy, motivation (especially intrinsic vs. extrinsic), and emotional regulation are crucial. When learners believe that effort leads to growth—a concept grounded in Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset theory—they are more likely to persist through challenges.
In sum, educational psychology helps us understand that learning is not just the transmission of information, but a dynamic, sometimes difficult process of mental reorganization, supported by social and emotional factors.