Educational psychology and school psychology study how children and adults learn, the effectiveness of various educational strategies and tactics, and how schools function as organizations. Although the titles are often used interchangedly, researchers and theorists are likely to be identified as educational psychologists, while practitioners in schools or school-related settings are identified as school psychologists. School psychologists work together with teachers and parents, to enhance children's learning and development by helping them to resolve behavioural, emotional and academic problems. School psychologists focus on the needs of children in school as well as other areas of children's lives that interact with their school experiences. While educational and school psychology deal with all types of learners, some school psychologists focus on assisting children with specific difficulties such as learning disability, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and mood disorder.
Social, Moral and Cognitive Development:
- Developmental psychology
- Erikson's stages of psychosocial development
- Kohlberg's stages of moral development
- Piaget's theory of cognitive development
- Individual Differences and Disabilities
- Learning and Cognition
- Motivation
- Applications in Teaching and Learning
Careers in Educational Psychology:
A person is generally considered an Educational Psychologist if he or
she has completed a graduate degree in educational psychology or a closely
related field. Universities usually establish educational psychology graduate
programs in either psychology departments or faculties of education. Psychologists
that work in a k-12 school setting are usually trained at either the masters
or doctoral (PhD or EdD) level. In addition to conducting assessments,
school psychologists provide services such as academic and behavioral
intervention, counseling, teacher consultation, and crisis intervention.