A career in educational psychology might be for you if you have a keen interest in how students learn best, good research and critical thinking abilities, a penchant for working with people, and a talent with mathematics. A bachelor’s, master’s, and possibly doctoral degree are required along the way. Additionally, you’ll probably need to complete an internship. Read on to know the various career paths for educational psychology graduates.
What is Education Psychology?
The study of how people learn, including teaching strategies, learning processes, and individual learning characteristics, is known as educational psychology. It investigates the influences of cognition, behavior, emotion, and society on learning. This comprehension of how people learn is used by educational psychologists to create instructional strategies and support students’ academic success.
This area of psychology is concerned with how children and adolescents learn. On the other hand, it also examines the social, emotional, and cognitive processes involved in learning over the lifespan.
Developmental psychology, behavioral psychology, and cognitive psychology are some of the other fields that are included in the field of educational psychology. Behavioral, developmental, cognitive, constructivist, and experiential philosophies are used in educational psychology.
Also Read: How to Get an Internship in 9 Easy Steps
Educational Psychology Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the market for educational psychologists is expanding by 20% nationwide. For those who work in elementary or secondary schools, the mean annual salary is $75,670; however, higher salaries are available for those who specialize or work in research.
Also Read: Information Analysis: How to Discern Facts from Fiction
History of Educational Psychology
An area of psychology that is still developing significantly is educational psychology. Since psychology did not become a distinct science until the late 1800s, educational philosophers were largely responsible for the early interest in educational psychology.
Herbart thought that a student’s interest in a subject had a significant impact on the results of their learning. When choosing the best kind of instruction, he thought teachers ought to take this into account.
William James, a philosopher and psychologist, later made substantial contributions to the field. The first textbook on educational psychology is regarded as his foundational work “Talks to Teachers on Psychology,” published in 1899.
Alfred Binet, a French psychologist, was creating his renowned IQ tests at the same time. The French government initially created the exams to aid in identifying children who had developmental delays and developing special education programs.
John Dewey had a huge impact on education in the United States. Progressive in his thinking, Dewey thought that students should come first in the classroom rather than certain subjects. He promoted active learning, saying that practical application was a crucial component of the procedure.
More recently, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom created a taxonomy “Bloom’s Taxonomy” that is crucial for classifying and describing various educational goals. He listed three top-level domains for learning objectives: cognitive, emotional, and psychomotor.
Important Figures:
Numerous other people have been influential in the growth of educational psychology throughout history. These well-known people include, among others:
- John Locke: English philosopher John Locke is credited with introducing the idea of tabula rasa, or the notion that the mind is essentially unformed at birth. This indicates that knowledge is gained via study and experience.
- Jean Piaget: A Swiss psychologist whose well recognized theory of cognitive development has had a significant impact on educational psychology, Jean Piaget’s effect is still felt today.
- B.F. Skinner: American psychologist Skinner popularized the idea of operant conditioning, which shapes behaviorist viewpoints. His studies on rewards and penalties are still very relevant to schooling today.
Also Read: 15 Fastest-Growing Careers Through 2030
Career Paths for Educational Psychology Graduates
There are various career paths for educational psychology graduates, including:
Creating Educational Programs:
Working with struggling schools or students to determine what is not working and how to enhance learning practices may be part of your job as an educational psychologist. You would investigate solutions using research and theory, then collaborate with administrators and educators to implement them. You might also work for businesses that create educational materials, textbooks, or online coursework.
Assisting Students:
At the primary, secondary, or collegiate levels, many educational psychologists serve as school psychologists who work with students and parents. School psychologists support educational strategies for gifted or learning-disabled kids, assist students with academic, social, or emotional concerns, and provide guidance as students prepare for college or map out their futures while in college and later.
Instructing Teachers (Teaching the Teachers):
Put your enjoyment of an academic environment to use by instructing future instructors. Doctoral-level educational psychologists can perform research on college campuses, teach undergraduate or graduate students, and help shape the future by creating more effective teaching methods.
Pure Research:
Perhaps you find it more interesting to explore the hows and whys of educational psychology. Researchers investigate the best ways to use learning processes in the real world. You could work as an educational researcher for a company that makes educational materials, for the government, for the school system, or for a social service organization.
There may be educational psychologists employed by the US. either the Department of Defense or the Department of Education. They might work on creating rules, assisting educational institutions with challenges like diversity and cultural differences, or assessing teaching aids and methods.
Quantitative psychology, a related area, examines data and studies psychological processes using statistics.
Future-oriented Approaches:
For information about the area, students thinking about a career in educational psychology can look at recent studies. Do Learners Really Know Best? is one of the articles in the journal Educational Psychology.
Modern Legends in Education compares modern teaching methods to traditional ones, examines if different people have different “optimal” learning styles, and considers how much control the learner should have over his or her own learning process. Other studies examine student resilience, motivation, and the relationship between emotion and academic success.
A career in educational psychology can help shape future learners as it builds your own future in an ever-changing and difficult area, whether you see your future in public schools, academia, the government, or the commercial sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can you accomplish with an educational psychology master’s degree?
With a master's in educational psychology, you can get the skills necessary to work in K–12 institutions, colleges and universities, governmental organizations, nonprofits, and counseling practices. A profession in educational psychology entails collaborating with kids, families, schools, and other non-profit and governmental organizations to provide educational tools and programs.
What area of study does educational psychology primarily cover?
Studying how people learn is educational psychology's main area of interest. Investigating instructional processes, examining individual learning preferences, and creating instructional strategies are all part of this.
What’s the importance of educational psychology?
The potential benefits of educational psychology for both students and teachers make it crucial. It gives instructors crucial knowledge that they can use to develop engaging lessons, assess student progress, and boost motivation.
How may Educational Psychology benefit educators?
In order to create more interesting and successful lesson plans and classroom activities, teachers can benefit from educational psychology's help in better comprehending the fundamentals of learning. Additionally, it can provide a greater comprehension of how social dynamics, academic motivation, and learning settings might affect how students learn.
TOP PICKS FOR YOU:
English 
العربية 
Deutsch 
हिन्दी 
简体中文 