‘In This Together’: Developing University-Workplace Partnerships in Initial Professional Training for Practitioner Educational Psychologists

Abstract

This chapter focuses on workplace learning for trainee educational psychologists, drawing upon data on students’ experiences. It is shown how the university-workplace learning partnership has been affected by the context of recent developments in national training arrangements and in the role of qualified educational psychologists, particularly their employment under models of ‘service trading’ and statutory registration. Implications for quality assurance of trainees’ workplace learning experiences, and in particular for effective practice supervision, have provided the opportunity for joint reflection on the interdependency within the university-workplace learning partnership. Partnership strategies are described which support effective workplace learning for trainee psychologists. Continued organisational learning will be important as socio-political factors shape the context in which partners negotiate workplace learning opportunities for trainee educational psychologists.