A reaction to educational reform: Implications for educational psychologists

Issue is taken with Benton and Hoyt's (1990) study of three groups as to their agreement or disagreement with the Holmes Group report Tomorrow's Teachers (1986), and the Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy's Report, A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century (1986). The three groups studied were volunteer respondents from the initial Holmes Group, Division 15 of the American Psychological Association, and the Teacher Education Council for State Colleges and Universities. Questions are raised regarding the Benton and Hoyt study's general assumptions, selection of documents for study, selection of and generalization about group responses, and general implications for all educationists as well as educational psychologists.     

Educational reform: Implications for educational psychologists

The Holmes Group report, titled Tomorrow's Teachers (1986), and the report of the Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy, titled A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century (1986), contain major reform proposals that have implications for educational psychologists. To understand the nature of these proposals, we performed a content analysis of the Holmes and Carnegie documents and constructed a 149-item survey instrument. Three separate mailings were conducted to solicit volunteer respondents from the initial Holmes Group, Division 15 of APA, and the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU). A principal components analysis with varimax rotation was performed on data collected from 1039 respondents, and three factors were found to underlie the survey instrument: Incremental Changes, Sweeping Changes, and Financial Changes. A multivariate analysis of variance on the three factor scores revealed that the Holmes Group more strongly supported Incremental and Sweeping Changes than did TECSCU respondents, and that Division 15 members more strongly endorsed Sweeping Changes than did TECSCU. Recommendations are made for involving educational psychologists in the reform process.     

Analysis and implications of educational reform proposals for educational psychologists: A comment on Benton and Hoyt

The design of Benton and Hoyt's study is discussed, as well as their data analysis. The limitations of the study, including the possible bias toward economic issues of the items and of data interpretation and nonrandom sampling of the subjects, are noted. Benton and Hoyt's discussion of how educational psychologists are affected by the educational reform movement is considered within the larger framework of the shift in educational research from a static normative to a dynamic interactionist approach. This shift has not only affected specific reform proposals, but also shows promise of resolving perceived conflicts in the proposals between excellence and equity and educational psychologists and teacher educators.     

Perceptions of Zimbabwean trainee/educational psychologists regarding the training on their support roles and responsibilities in inclusive education

The study used focus group interviews at three administrative offices (provinces) that house trainee/educational psychologists in order to explore their experiences on how they learn about their support roles and responsibilities regarding the implementation of inclusive education. 13 trainee/educational psychologists from these provinces volunteered to participate in the study. The study used a qualitative design based on a phenomenological perspective and inductive thematic content was used to analyse data. The results indicate that trainee/educational psychologists had known their support roles through master's degree programmes, a single 2016 workshop, personally guided reading and collaborative work with workmates. Their views indicated inadequate training and supervision, and negative feelings towards internship after master's programme, payment of supervisors, continuing professional development points, lack of degree programmes in Master of Science in educational psychology, and location of conferences. The results provide important information about educational psychology in Zimbabwe with important implications for training and policy making.     

Comparative study of the evaluation of professional competencies by experienced and trainee Spanish primary teachers

Taking as reference the proposals of the European Higher Education Area, the aim of this study is to identify the competencies which a wide sample of teachers in Spanish primary schools (6–12 age group) consider to be important for their professional performance and which they use in their everyday teaching, and to what extent their university training prepared them for their practising professional development. To do this, an ad hoc instrument was devised and applied to experienced practising teachers and to teacher trainees who were on teacher training placements during the last semester of their course. The results of the study show that initial teacher training should deal in depth with the competencies related to the organisation and management of teaching–learning, the use of new technologies in the primary classroom, the involvement of the families, education in values, social skills and skills for working in professional groups. Finally, proposals are made for training based on the articulation between theory and practice, to allow the professional competencies mentioned to be developed and used in practice, as well as encouraging close collaboration between teacher trainers and experienced practising teachers.     

Beyond educational psychology: Steps toward an educational semiotic

In this paper, I argue that educational psychology is deeply embedded in an objectivist epistemology, the consequences of which seriously undermine our ability to inform educational practice. In the remainder of the paper, I provide an introduction to semiotics, the doctrine of signs, and offer four global concepts (the sign, semiosis, inference, and reflexivity) that I believe set semiotics apart from other, more or less related, approaches within psychology and educational psychology (e.g., constructivism). I conclude the paper by responding to some of the more frequently asked questions I have encountered in attempting to define an educational semiotic.     

Educational psychologists: the early search for an identity

Contemporary society’s expectations of educational psychology, and of a role for educational psychologists within these expectations, were major themes of, and subtexts to, many of the papers delivered at recent annual courses of the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP). The distinctive contribution of educational psychology and a perceived “identity crisis” of its practitioners was the subject of examination in recent issues of Educational Psychology in Practice. Within this context it may be both salutary and heartening to review the aspirations of educational psychologists, during a period from the mid‐1960s to the late‐1980s, to shed their stereotype as psychometricians, and later as gatekeepers to special education, in favour of a supportive role to pupils, teachers and parents. Articles published in this journal and its predecessors are drawn upon to illustrate the earlier search by educational psychologists for a role and a status within the local government field. Reference is also made to the author’s experience of working as an educational psychologist from the early 1950s to the end of the 1980s.     

Coaching psychology: an approach to practice for educational psychologists

Coaching psychology is a distinct sub-discipline of academic and applied psychology that focuses on the enhancement of performance, development and well-being in the broader population. Applied in educational contexts, the practice of coaching psychology has the potential to have a positive impact by supporting children and adults to achieve enhanced standards of functioning and well-being. It therefore represents a way in which educational psychologists (EPs) might elect to diversify their practice. However, EPs are disproportionately under-represented in the development of this emerging field. This article charts the birth and evolution of contemporary coaching psychology, and presents a case study illustrating the application of this methodology in a school context. Suggestions are given regarding professional development activities that might be undertaken by EPs seeking to develop coaching psychology as a strand of their practice.     

Between psychopathology and inclusion: the challenging collaboration between educational psychologists and child psychiatrists

This article reports on a Danish study on interprofessional collaboration between child psychiatrists and educational psychologists concerning children who are categorised as being at risk. Methodologically, the analysis is grounded in qualitative interviews with psychologists. A Foucauldian approach is applied to narratives and experiences that occur within these interviews concerning external collaboration with child psychiatrists. The article is informed by the research tradition that has problematised the significance of psychiatry and diagnoses in the field of special needs education and social pedagogy. We thus enquire into how the rise of diagnostics and medicalisation affects our understanding of children's difficulties. We discuss a paradox that is present in Denmark and other countries. As educational policies emphasise inclusion, the field of schooling experiences a huge rise in children with medical diagnoses. We argue that diagnostic knowledge is itself an insufficient basis for action and must be considered in relation to teachers’ overall training and teachers’ situated professionalism.     

The role of educational psychologists in supporting post-16 transition: findings from the literature

The Children and Families Act (2014) has seen the extension of the role of educational psychologists (EPs) to cover the age range from birth to 25 years. EPs have had to develop and extend their practice to meet the needs of post-16 young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Research on transition from compulsory education to further education, employment or training has highlighted significant variability in practice. A systematic review of contemporary literature was undertaken to explore the potential role and contributions of EPs in supporting post-school transition to further education, employment or training. Seven studies met inclusion criteria and data were reported using PRISMA guidelines. Although predominantly speculative, the data highlight a number of roles for EPs in supporting post-16 transition, encompassing work at individual, group and systemic levels and incorporating core functions of educational psychology practice.     

Interpretive validity theory: mapping a methodology for validating educational assessments

Background:?Validity theory has evolved significantly over the past 30 years in response to the increased use of assessments across scientific, social and educational settings. The overarching trajectory of this evolution reflects a shift from a purely quantitative, positivistic approach to a conception of validity reliant on the interpretation of multiple evidence sources integrated into validity arguments. Moreover, within contemporary validity, interpretation has been emphasised as a central process; however, despite this emphasis, there have been few explicit articulations of specific interpretive methodologies applicable to the practice of validation.

Purpose:?To link contemporary theoretical foundations in validity to practical methods and structures to help guide the collection and analysis of interpretive validity evidence. By building upon existing validity theory, this paper aims to provide greater clarity on the practice of validation and contribute toward the larger developing framework for the validation of educational assessments.

Source of evidence:?An interdisciplinary, integrative review of over 60 research articles and sources related to the theory and practice of educational validation and interpretive inquiry approaches. Sources include literature from the fields of educational assessment and more broadly social scientific research.

Main argument:?As assessments in education increasingly aim to measure complex constructs that are value-laden and socially dependant, validity theory must keep pace and evolve in ways that address the inherent complexities associated with contemporary educational assessment. Through this paper, I assert that a greater understanding of interpretive methodologies represents one of the most promising areas for development of validation theory and practice. Specifically, I argue that dialectic, hermeneutic and transgressive forms of inquiry can be integrated within current argument-based structures for the collection, analysis and representation of validity evidence in several useful ways.

Conclusions:?Interpretive inquiry processes, namely dialectic, hermeneutic and transgressive forms of interpretation, serve to expand validation practice to include diverse evidences for the generation of multiple-perspective validity arguments. The paper concludes with specific implications for future research and practice within the field of interpretive validity theory.     

Early investment: the use of Action Research in developing the role of an educational psychologist in an early years setting

This research considers the role an educational psychologist could play within one early years setting over an academic year, using an Action Research and a Research and Development in Organisations framework. A model of practice was developed based on the needs of the setting that included being more frequently involved with casework and conducting work aimed at supporting early years practitioners and parents/carers. This research suggests there is a greater role for educational psychologists within early years, involving more than conducting casework, through providing a more holistic and intensive approach to supporting practitioners, parents/carers and children. This supports the existing literature as well as advocating a more extensive role within early intervention services.     

Dyscalculia: issues for practice in educational psychology

Dyscalculia has been described as a specific learning difficulty affecting the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. In recent years, it has become a topic for discussion in the popular media, yet there has been little research undertaken by educational psychologists. This paper provides a summary of neuroscientific research into the development of early number skills and considers the neurological and behavioural features of dyscalculia. Two fundamental questions are then discussed: Is one able to accurately assess for and identify dyscalculia?; Is it of benefit to children and young people to do so? The paper concludes by considering implications for practice.     

Educational reform: Implications for educational psychologists—A comment on Benton and Hoyt's study

Stephen L. Benton and Kenneth B. Hoyt have studied the reactions of TECSCU members contrasted to those of Holmes Group Members to the recommendations made in the Holmes Group and the Carnegie reform reports. This paper agrees with several observations made by these authors, including the elitist nature of the Holmes Group and the ignoring of educational psychology and other teacher-education faculty, but it disagrees with some of the causes behind these accusations, some attributed to naivety of the Holmes Group leaders and others attributed to their purposeful, self-serving goals. This paper has focused on those report recommendations that are educationally unsound and it has offered explanations with supportive information.     

Gender variance and educational psychology: implications for practice

The area of gender variance appears to be more visible in both the media and everyday life. Within educational psychology literature gender variance remains underrepresented. The positioning of educational psychologists working across the three levels of child and family, school or establishment and education authority/council, means that they are well placed to support knowledge, understanding and practice in this area. The literature highlights the importance of the terminology around gender variance, the differing representations of gender variance and the potential impact upon young people. Three practice examples demonstrate potential roles for educational psychologists and together with the literature highlight possible implications for educational psychology practice.     

Teacher evaluation,curricular autonomy and professional development: trends and tensions in the Portuguese educational policy

A programme of City Academies was announced by the Secretary of State for Education for England in 2000. These schools would be independent of local government control, have voluntary and private sector sponsors, and would break the cycle of failing inner‐city schools. The first three Academies opened in 2002, and this paper considers how they have fared so far in terms of changes to their student intake and improvements in examination outcomes. Using figures from 1997 to 2003–2004 from the annual school census and from the DfES Standards site, the paper shows that there is no evidence that these schools are, in general, performing any better for equivalent students than the schools they replaced. Although the programme is at a very early stage, this finding is important because it contradicts the claims of the DfES and of the Academies themselves and the determination of the government (at time of writing) to expand the programme to 200 schools.     

Pedagogy in the multimodal classroom: an analysis of the challenges and opportunities for teachers

Contemporary commentary notes that students are frequently ahead of their teachers in their ability to manipulate and be creative with the internet, digital programs, and mobile technology. In this context it is important to ask, ‘What knowledge do teachers need to teach in the contemporary context where texts are elaborately multimodal, constructed not just of print but of image, sound, and movement?’ This paper proposes some signposts to assist teachers with navigating in this environment. Using teachers’ and researchers’ reflections on practices in a diverse range of settings, both primary and secondary, the analysis explicates the challenges that teachers face in this multimodal context and elucidates some ways they can effectively operate within it. In particular, it argues that it is teachers’ expertise as analysts and critics of texts that needs to guide their planning and teaching in this ‘new’ text world.     

Applied psychology and the case for individual casework: some reflections on the role of the educational psychologist

The authors consider the changing role of educational psychology in the current era and emphasise the importance of casework‐based interventions not only for influencing systemic work but also for maintaining credibility within the educational marketplace. With in‐school counselling and intervention becoming more popular, the natural providers of this service should be educational psychologists but this may not be the case in many local authorities. The authors consider the possibility of the profession becoming obsolete if there is a continuation of the move away from individual interventions to a more consultative based approach.     

The attitudes and opinions of Cypriot primary teachers about the use of the Internet for their professional development and as an educational tool

This article explores the attitudes and opinions of Cypriot primary teachers about the use of the Internet for their personal development and as an educational tool. It also examines the teachers’ concerns about the implementation of the Internet in schools and their opinions about what has to be done in order to ensure its effective integration into the educational settings. The research revealed that Cypriot primary teachers had positive attitudes towards using the Internet both for their professional development and as an educational tool. The only factor that appeared to have a significant positive relationship with the attitudes of the teachers was the degree of confidence in using the Internet. Additionally, teachers considered training in the use of the Internet as the most important need for its effective implementation in primary schools.