Teachers’ Educational Psychology Knowledge and English Language Teaching Practices in Malawian Primary Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajet.v5i4.8241Keywords:
Classroom Effectiveness, Educational Psychology, English Language Pedagogy, Learner Engagement, Learner-Centered Teaching, Malawi Primary EducationAbstract
Educational psychology equips teachers with knowledge of learner cognition, motivation, emotional development, and behavior management, thereby supporting effective instructional delivery and learner-centered pedagogy. Despite national reforms promoting active learning in Malawi, many primary classrooms remain constrained by overcrowding, inadequate teaching and learning materials, and persistent teacher-centered practices that limit learner engagement and classroom effectiveness. This study investigated how teachers’ educational psychology knowledge shapes English language pedagogy, learner engagement, and classroom effectiveness in Malawi’s primary education context. A descriptive cross-sectional design with a convergent mixed-methods approach was employed, combining structured questionnaires and systematic classroom observations. All twenty (20) English language teachers teaching Standards 1 to 4 at Dzenza Primary School, Lilongwe District, participated via census sampling. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages; qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Teachers reported strong awareness of educational psychology principles and their positive influence on the use of Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) (100%), varied instructional methods (100%), understanding of individual learner differences (100%), reinforcement techniques (100%), and guidance and counseling (100%). Implementation was significantly constrained by inadequate TLMs (80%), limited lesson time (75%), overcrowded classrooms, and learner misbehavior (85%). Classroom observations confirmed use of learner-centered strategies when resources permitted, alongside persistent teacher-centered approaches in overcrowded conditions. Teachers possess considerable educational psychology knowledge, but a structural mediation effect was identified: systemic barriers including overcrowding, resource scarcity, and insufficient professional development systematically constrain the translation of psychological competence into sustained learner-centered practice. The study advances the argument that educational psychology knowledge functions as a necessary but insufficient condition for effective ELT in low-resource African contexts. Continuous professional development, TLM provision, reduced class sizes, and stronger integration of multilingual and structural dimensions into teacher training are recommended.
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