ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the educational insights achieved through the application of social psychology. Educational psychology is the application of any psychological theories to understanding or influencing the process of education. A key concept in social psychology of learning is the ‘group’. In everyday language, a group is any gathering of two or more people. A group identity is formed out of certain key qualities which all groups have to some degree but which vary from group to group in terms of how well defined or frequently the quality is demonstrated. All groups have norms, the expectations of the group regarding the behaviour of its members, with adherence to the norms being rewarded and deviation being punished. The world is divided into in-group and out-group, and the attempt to emphasise the difference between in-group and out-group can lead to prejudice toward the out-group.
