“The field of education is heavily connected to the field of psychology”: Dr. Paula Kristmanson on the Overlap Between Psychology and Education

(Photo provided by Paula Kristmanson)

“Many seminal and influential researchers were educational psychologists - Lev Vygotsky, Jerome Bruner, and Jean Piaget, to name just a few. The work of educational and cognitive psychologists is pivotal to understanding how learning works.” ~ Paula Kristmanson

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*In the following article, TS refers to The Synapse and PK refers to Paula Kristmanson;

TS: Could you briefly introduce yourself and what brought you to UNB?

PK: My name is Paula Lee Kristmanson. I am a Professor in the Faculty of Education at UNB and the Director of the Second Language Research Institute.

I have lived in NB for most of my adult life and completed my PhD at UNB. A position opened at UNB shortly after I finished my doctorate and I applied… and here I am! I feel very privileged to be able to work in a great faculty at this university.

TS: What is your research area or discipline?

PK: My research is set in the context of second or additional language teaching and learning, as well as teacher education. I have presented and published on topics such as second language writing pedagogy, motivation, portfolio-based language assessment (i.e. teachers and learners work together to determine learning outcomes), international practicum experiences, and most recently, teacher identity.

TS: To your knowledge, how are the methods/ topics of your area related or applicable to psychology?

PK: The field of education in general is heavily influenced by and connected to the field of psychology. Many seminal and influential researchers were educational psychologists - Lev Vygotsky, Jerome Bruner, and Jean Piaget, to name just a few. The work of educational, social, and cognitive psychologists is integral to understanding how learning works. For example, Vygotsky’s “Zone of Proximal Development” (ZPD) addresses how interacting with a “more knowledgeable other” can be a pivotal part of the learning process. I always say that the ZPD theory gives teachers their “raison d’être”.

More recently, the field of positive psychology has been garnering interest from educational researchers. For example, Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory looks at three human needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In education, these three ideas give educators insights into how to contribute to learner well-being and learner motivation.

TS: Which courses or research topics in your area would you recommend to psychology students? Why?

PK: I believe that the field of positive psychology would be of great interest to psychology students as it has many applications, including to the field of education. I work specifically in the field of second or additional language learning and I see the potential of studies using a positive psychology lens in that context.

Additionally, the psychological phenomenon of motivation (which is connected to self-determination theory) is a very intriguing area of study. I did my Master’s thesis in this area and examined the intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing adult learners’ motivation to learn a language.

Another area of study related to psychology that I have become interested in recently is the conception of identity and how new teachers build their teaching identity. I am certain that psychology students would also find this topic intriguing and applicable to a variety of contexts.

TS: Is there anything else you wish to share about how your area overlaps with psychology?

PK: As you can see, my field has many overlaps with the field of psychology and I have only scratched the surface!

Two of my newest colleagues, Dr. Melissa Garrett and Dr. Andrea Garner, work in the area of exceptionalities. This particular area of study within education is highly connected to psychology and neuroscience. When working with learners with exceptionalities, teachers use strategies grounded in findings from psychology research. Indeed, candidates must have some prerequisites in psychology to do a Master of Education in Exceptionalities. I am sure my new colleagues would be happy to share more about their work. Ψ

Created for The Synapse by Incé Husain.