Here we aim to describe and explain the EP role in plain english, and we hope this resource is useful to young people, parents and carers, schools and educational psychology services. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career opportunities in psychology will grow at a healthy rate of about 14% over this decade, and educational psychology is expected to keep pace. Such settings include not only schools, but also workplaces, organized sports, government agencies, and retirement communities – anywhere humans are engaged in instruction and learning of some type. As mentioned in the discussion of Nathaniel Gage’s theory of effective teaching, student motivation is an important component to assess and encourage.

They found that school climate was positively associated with students’ sense of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy, in turn, was positively associated with academic achievement in math and English. Researchers in educational psychology have made important contributions to contemporary education and culture, from learning paradigms (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructionism) and the theory of multiple intelligences, to proactive school-wide positive behavioral supports.N2 - The role of educational psychologists (EPs) in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is increasingly being recognised in light of pressures on support services, and the identified importance of school-based provision. At the same time, EP practice has benefitted from psychological practice frameworks which support formulation and decision-making although, to date, none of these has focused on therapeutic work. This paper proposes a flexible, practical model, based on the constructionist model of reasoned action (COMOIRA) and informed by cognitive behavioural therapy, human givens therapy and motivational interviewing. It offers practical guidance and structure for EPs engaging in direct therapeutic work with children and young people, complementing guidance from the Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP) on the delivery of therapeutic approaches in school and communities. Further research and development of this model is encouraged by the authors. This study reflects a constructivist approach, emphasizing how students create meaning out of their educational experiences. Dynamic assessment also allows an EP to explore other things that can affect learning. These things include motivation to learn, how the child thinks about themselves as a learner (mindset) or the impact of the language used by the EP or the task itself. Gage went on to develop a research program that did much to advance the scientific study of teaching. This is just a small sample of the work that EPs do. If you want to know more, talk with your EP. Educational psychologists work in a variety of contexts

Some scholars have also held that from a behaviorist perspective, learners are more reactive to environmental stimuli than active or proactive in the learning process (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). Just like no two EP assessments are the same, no two EP reports are the same. When EPs hear that a report is needed, they’re likely to want to know a few things:Cognitivists are also keenly interested in “neuroplasticity,” or how learning causes new connections to be made between individual brain cells (neurons) and their broader neuronal networks.

This is an important part of an EP’s job. Often, we’re asked to become involved to support a child or young person who seems to be experiencing difficulties. Children and young people are at the centre of our thinking and work and so it’s important to try to understand what they think about what is going on, what the difficulties are and what they think is working well. A large part of our job is about working with children who experience special educational needs, but this doesn’t represent the range and variety of work that we do. Educational psychologists are more involved in teaching and research at the college or university level. They also focus on larger and more diverse groups in their research and consulting activities. It can be difficult for school staff to have the time to carry out an in-depth, focused observation and so sometimes an EP might spot things that have previously been missed. EPs might carry out observations in lots of different ways e.g. at different times, in different places. This is because we know that children and young people can behave in different ways in different environments. Cognitive assessmentHowever, it was not until later in history that educational psychology emerged as a field in its own right, distinct from philosophy. Often it can be useful to observe a child at school. This can help an EP understand what life might be like for the young person they’re working with. An observation can give an EP the chance to think about what a child or young person might be struggling with, but also what’s already working well in a particular situation. A key focus of these observations is exploring environmental influences on a child’s learning, wellbeing and development. The Who Am I Self-Reflection can help students and their teachers think about what they are good at, what significant challenges they have been confronted with, and what inspires them. This knowledge can help both teachers and students find ways to enhance motivation in specific cases.

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43–71. Howard Gardner, professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is known for having developed the theory of multiple intelligences. Over 2,500 schools across the United States now apply the PBIS supportive behavioral framework, with documented improvements in both student behavior (Bradshaw, Waasdorp, & Leaf, 2012) and achievement (Madigan, Cross, Smolkowski, & Stryker, 2016). 2. CognitivismRarely, in our experience, do problems suddenly appear. Often, adults who work with children and young people have a gut feeling that something isn’t right. We’d encourage you to think about speaking to your EP at this early stage, even for reassurance. Sometimes an EP might suggest that the best support would come from another agency or professional. By working together and sharing expertise, any actions or next steps, will be right for that child at that particular time