Social cognition in the classroom

This article explores applications from the field of social cognition to educational issues. Among the topics examined are: mainstreaming, low achievement, academic self‐concept, achievement change programs, achievement‐related emotions, praise and blame, help‐giving, and affective communications of pity and anger. These issues are clarified with the use of concepts from cognitive social psychology such as perceptual salience, causal ascriptions, perceived personal control, and compensatory schema. Throughout the article, future research directions in educational contexts are suggested from the point of view of cognitive social psychology.