Johann Herbart (1776 -- 1841) is considered the father of educational psychology. He believed that learning was influenced by interest in the subject and the teacher. He thought that teachers should consider the students ' existing mental sets -- what they already know -- when presenting new information or material. Herbart came up with what are now known as the formal steps. The 5 steps that teachers should use are:
who is called the father of educational psychology
Johann Herbart