Educational Psychology Research Articles

Passing the torch: Reflections and recommendations to advance Training and Education in Professional Psychology.

Passing the torch: Reflections and recommendations to advance Training and Education in Professional Psychology.

Exploring parents’ experiences of working with educational psychologists to support their autistic daughters

ABSTRACT Understanding of autism has changed considerably in recent years, with growing awareness of the under-recognition of autism in girls. Research has sought to explain the under-diagnosis and experiences of autistic girls, and to provide recommendations for support. Research has also highlighted that parents are often dismissed by professionals; thus, it is crucial that the experiences of parents are represented in the literature. This study explored parents’ experiences of working with educational psychologists to support their autistic daughters. A single embedded case study design and semi-structured interviews were utilised to explore the experiences of five parents of autistic girls. Interviews were analysed using a deductive-inductive approach to thematic analysis. Nine themes and 22 subthemes were identified which highlighted what parents found to be helpful/unhelpful, and areas for development, when working with educational psychologists to support their daughters. The findings are discussed in relation to the existing literature and implications for professional practice are highlighted.

Step away from the paraphrase: teaching note-taking as a gateway to knowledge transformation

In this presentation, we examined the role note-taking can play as a gateway to knowledge transformation in the reading-to-write process and challenged an academic focus on the teaching of paraphrasing. Much research has been done into the role that note-taking plays in lectures (Morehead et al., 2019), the impact of longhand notes compared with digital (Allen et al., 2020) and student writing strategies (Wingate and Harper, 2021). Although notes play an important role in evidence-based writing, in both providing a clear record of a student’s reading and increasing encoding and engagement (Voyer et al., 2022), very little research directly addresses the impact of note-taking strategies in the reading-to-write process. This study builds on work done in educational psychology by Cuevas et al. (2016) examining writing beliefs. It aims to understand student approaches to evidence gathering and explore links between their current practices and their writing beliefs. Understanding current student practices and the link with epistemological beliefs will allow us, as learning developers, to more effectively create targeted activities and interventions to support student understanding and engagement with texts in the reading-to-write process. It will also provide a foundation for explicit discussion and reflection of student beliefs about the nature of reading and writing and the link between these beliefs and note-taking practices, encouraging students to see reading and writing as knowledge construction and, importantly, encouraging deeper cognitive engagement and learning. The study builds on work done in educational psychology by Cuevas et al. (2016) examining the link between writing beliefs and students’ ability to create argumentation and synthesis and attempts to answer the questions: (1) In the reading-to-write process, what common strategies are students using to record information from their reading? (2) What potential impacts do common practices have on learning, focus, source integration and academic integrity? (3) How are students’ epistemological beliefs about reading and writing reflected in their notetaking practices? (4) How do common practices impact students’ ability to transform knowledge and incorporate it into existing beliefs? Understanding current student practices and the link with epistemological beliefs will allow us, as learning developers, to more effectively create targeted activities and interventions to support student understanding and engagement with texts in the reading-to-write process. It will also provide a foundation for explicit discussion and reflection of student beliefs about the nature of reading and writing and the link between these beliefs and notetaking practices, encouraging students to see reading and writing as knowledge construction and, importantly, encouraging deeper cognitive engagement and learning.

Professional and personal development of newly-qualified teachers as a factor in sustainable development of the region

Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of newly-qualified teachers’ professional development. The aim of the study is to identify the difficulties of novice teachers during their adaptation in educational settings of the region and to substantiate the ways to improve the quality of initial teacher education in the system of continuous teacher education. Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of the study consists of contextual biographical and cluster approaches. The contextual biographical approach involves studying teachers’ professional biographies in the system of continuing education, taking into account complex external conditions. The cluster approach defines the principles of interaction between various stakeholders within the regional community in order to ensure the sustainable development of the regional educational system. In order to achieve the research goal, the following methods were used: theoretical (analysis of scholarly literature, comparison, generalization) and empirical (online questionnaire, focus group method, method of independent expert assessments). Results. Based on the analysis of scholarly literature, the authors provide their definition of professional and personal teachers’ development as a basic component of their professional development during the period of initial teacher education and at the initial stage of professional development. The authors argued that the main difficulty of novice teachers during the adaptation period is their interaction with various subjects of the educational process at school - students and their parents. The article substantiates the necessity of creating a regional educational cluster as an effective mechanism for improving the quality of initial teacher education at different stages of continuous teacher education. Conclusions. Based on the authors’ idea about professional and personal development of teachers as a basic component of their professional development in the initial period of their working life, the study reveals the main difficulties of novice teachers during their adaptation in educational settings of the region, overcoming of which requires changes in the system of psychological, teacher and methods education at universities and colleges. As an effective mechanism for improving the quality of teacher education, the authors substantiated the idea of creating a pedagogical scientific and educational cluster in the region, which unites the participants of the territorial educational community interested in providing the regional education system with highly qualified teaching staff.

Exploring risk and resilience in school environments for students in kinship care

ABSTRACT Kinship care is provided by members of a child’s extended family or friend network when they can no longer live with their parents. This study explores risk and resilience in UK school environments for students in kinship care. Eight professionals experienced in working with students in kinship care and their schools took part in individual, semi-structured interviews. Interviews focussed on kinship students’ needs and how professionals perceive schools respond to those needs. Reflexive thematic analysis generated over-arching themes indicating that: children in kinship care have multiple needs and are looked after by kinship carers who find themselves “between a rock and a hard place”; in some schools kinship care is “under the radar”; other schools respond to kinship families with the attitude of “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”; and in some schools kinship care is “on the agenda”. A model is presented that integrates risk and protective factors within schools, generated from this study, with risk and protective factors for kinship students within families, identified by previous literature. Implications for educational psychology (EP) practice are presented, and further research needs discussed.

The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Academic Achievement of College Students

With the ongoing development of educational psychology, Emotional Intelligence (EI) has garnered increasing academic attention as a critical factor influencing students’ academic outcomes. EI, which involves the capacity to identify, comprehend, manage, and apply emotions, is widely recognized as essential for academic success, particularly in language learning contexts. This study systematically examines the influence of EI dimensions on college students’ academic performance in English by synthesizing and analyzing existing literature. A thorough review of international research has been conducted, focusing on the association between EI and the academic performance of non-English majors within the scope of Chinese higher education. The analysis integrates both quantitative and qualitative findings, emphasizing EI’s role in managing anxiety and enhancing motivation in English learning. The results demonstrate a significant positive correlation between EI and academic achievement in English, particularly in aspects related to emotional regulation, social skills, and self-management. Furthermore, EI is identified as a mediating factor in promoting academic performance, notably through the reduction of foreign language anxiety and the enhancement of learning motivation. Based on these findings, this paper advocates for the enhancement of EI in higher education as a strategic approach to support students in improving their academic performance.

Fostering Inclusivity: A Critical Emancipatory Approach to Dyscalculia in Primary School Mathematics

This research endeavoured to revolutionise primary school mathematics education by implementing an active learning approach tailored to addressing dyscalculia. The study used a critical emancipatory framework as the theoretical foundation, and participatory action research as the chosen methodology. The researcher employed purposive sampling to select two mathematics teachers, one school-based teacher, a district education psychologist, two learners displaying dyscalculia symptoms, and two parents. The research collaboratively engaged participants to identify challenges, crafting interventions, and reflecting on outcomes through the lens of the critical emancipatory framework and participatory action research,. The researcher assessed the effectiveness of the active learning strategy to enhance students’ mathematical abilities, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward mathematics. Critical discourse analysis shed light on the potential of active learning strategies to improve mathematical learning outcomes and create a supportive learning atmosphere. The results indicated that the implemented active learning strategy offers effective pedagogical practices for learners with dyscalculia by influencing positive changes in their attitude towards mathematics and the learning environment. The participating teachers gained insights into understanding the behaviour of learners with dyscalculia and the role of active learning in intervention strategies. The study’s findings can guide educators, policymakers, and researcher in developing inclusive mathematics instruction for diverse learners in primary school classrooms.

Unpacking the Dynamics of Online Motivation: A Study of Short-Term Changes in Task Value and Cost Utilizing Multiple Change Analyses

Motivation is critical to student success in learning environments. However, changes in situation-specific motivation over time are rarely explored among online learners. Drawing from the Situated Expectancy Theory (SEVT), in the current study, I examined changes in situational task-specific task value and cost over the short term and tested the impact of these changes on achievement. I collected task value and cost over four time points from 68 students in an upper-division online Educational Psychology course. Grades on two discussion posts and one exam represented academic performance. I used multiple analytic techniques, scarcely used in the literature, to measure change across time, including task value-cost switching and group and individual-level task value-cost intensity. Group-level intensity analyses revealed task value and cost stability across most time point comparisons. However, individual-level analysis demonstrated variability in task value and cost across comparisons. There was no evidence of task value or cost switching. One significant increase in cost across tasks predicted academic performance in the subsequent assessment. The study highlights the importance of using various techniques to explore motivational changes among online learners and demonstrates the applicability of SEVT in online learning environments.

Experiences in a study abroad utilizing deliberate psychological education

Experiences in a study abroad utilizing deliberate psychological education

Relationships between self-efficacy and learning approaches as perceived by computer science students

Optimizing learning outcomes in university students necessitates an understanding of the processes that drive high-quality learning outcomes. This study investigates the motivational factors and learning methodologies perceived by computer science students during an introductory course. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 171 computer science students asked to complete a psychometric instrument (“Study Skills Inventory for Students”) during the first year of their university studies. Two major theoretical frameworks in educational psychology, namely students’ self-efficacy and learning approaches were tested relative to a factor structure obtained from learning situations. The findings supported self-efficacy and three learning approaches among computer science students. Models for deep, surface, and strategic learning approaches suggest that students with higher self-efficacy tend to adopt a deeper approach to learning. Conversely, students with lower self-efficacy were more inclined toward surface learning methods. Furthermore, a link was identified between strategic learning approaches and students’ experiences within their learning environments. The results substantiate earlier research and align with learning approach theories. The findings indicated that, in higher education settings, focus should be directed toward understanding the motivational factors influencing students and their learning approaches for educational outcomes.

Psychologists' Opportunities for Fostering Leadership Skills in Academic Medicine: The Rothenberger Leadership Academy.

Healthcare leaders must increasingly attend to the monumental challenges facing their organizations (Angood and Falcone, American Association for Physician Leadership, 2023). As such, leadership in healthcare settings demands new skills sets amongst healthcare professionals that transcend the technical skills of any given profession. Academic health center psychologists are well-positioned to contribute to the leadership of academic health centers due to knowledge, skills, and attitudes fostered in doctoral psychology education, practice, and research through the focus on Profession-Wide Competencies. This article calls for psychologists to pursue more leadership opportunities within academic health centers.The article starts by identifying parallels between psychology's Profession-Wide Competencies and needed leadership skills/concepts for healthcare leaders. An example of an academic health center psychologist's leadership in a cohort-based physician leadership program illustrates how Profession-Wide Competencies were used in three structural elements of the leadership program. The article identifies particular leadership opportunities for psychologists within academic health centers.

Transformative education applied to the philosophical principles of undergraduate education in psychology.

Transformative education applied to the philosophical principles of undergraduate education in psychology.

A Study of the Application of Educational Psychology to Educational Practice

The application of educational psychology in educational practices aims at enhancing the process of education through integrating psychological concepts with the teaching environment. Such a stance holds the practical relevance of improving the quality of instruction and learning as essential and timely. When these elements are understood, educational strategies can be designed to take into account these different learning profiles and hence enhance the chances of the learning achievement for overall students ability and for the presence of Inclusive Education. These research themes are important as they serve as a guideline in an effort to determine the nature of students learning, the conditions that prompt these changes in learning, and how technology can be incorporated into the learning process. Altogether, in pursuance of the present paper, a literature review and search have been performed, and the focus is on offering realistic recommendations for educators. The study provides a theoretical and empirical foundation for educational practice to help teachers to carry out conclusive teaching strategies. Therefore, sustaining and building this scholarship bridges theory and practice toward achieving progressive educational strategies that are supportive for all students and enhance the overall quality of education. Based on the findings, this study can provide useful recommendations for a range of issues, including the strategies for creating individual learning profiles for learners, the possible ways for dealing with the learning styles, and the guidelines for employing technologies to enhance learning. Furthermore, the paper also underlines the need to effectively update teachers professional experience and knowledge in the sphere of educational psychology.

Exploring worker subjectivity: shaping industrial and organizational psychology in post-apartheid South Africa

This article critically evaluates the role of industrial–organizational psychology in post-apartheid South Africa, advocating for a transformative framework that addresses the socio-political and historical inequalities in the workplace. The article highlights how industrial–organizational psychology has traditionally focused on organizational efficiency, often aligned with capitalist interests, while overlooking the socio-historical forces shaping worker experiences, particularly related to race, gender, and class. By introducing the concept of worker subjectivity, the article calls for a reimagined industrial–organizational psychology that integrates critical perspectives from psychology and management studies to better understand how workers navigate their identities and agency within broader socio-political structures. The author emphasizes the need to address the emotional and psychological dimensions of worker experiences, especially in the South African context marked by the legacies of colonialism and apartheid. By focusing on worker subjectivity, industrial–organizational psychology can move beyond traditional quantitative methods and engage with the complexities of workplace inequality. This approach aligns industrial–organizational psychology with the broader mission of the Psychological Society of South Africa to promote socially just and inclusive practices. The article also calls for interdisciplinary collaboration and the reformation of industrial–organizational psychology education to better equip practitioners with the tools needed to address the realities of post-apartheid workplaces.

You say you can, but can you? The impact of entrepreneurship education on unwarranted and gendered entrepreneurial self-efficacy - a calibration study

PurposeEntrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) has a dark side largely ignored in the field of entrepreneurship education. Research in educational psychology indicates that self-efficacy is prone to misjudgment, with novice learners often displaying overconfidence. Furthermore, this misjudgment is gendered; studies suggest that men are more likely to display overconfidence and less likely to correct erroneous self-assessments. However, realistic self-assessments are essential for effective learning strategies, pivotal for performance in the ambiguous entrepreneurial context. Therefore, this study explores whether entrepreneurship education helps mitigate overconfidence, and if this impact varies by gender.Design/methodology/approachCommon in educational psychology, but new in the field of entrepreneurship education, a calibration design captures discrepancies between perceived and actual performance. Data from before and after an introductory undergraduate entrepreneurship course (N = 103) inform descriptive analyses, statistical comparison tests and calibration plots.FindingsAs expected, nearly all novice students showed significant overconfidence. Curiously, gender difference was only significant at the end of the course, as overconfidence had decreased among female students and increased among male students.Originality/valueThe paper advocates a more nuanced stance toward ESE, and introduces ESE accuracy as a more fitting measure of entrepreneurial overconfidence. The findings flag the common use of self-perception as a proxy for actual competence, and evoke new research avenues on (gender differences in) learning motivations of aspiring entrepreneurs. Finally, the study shares guidance for entrepreneurship educators on fostering a “healthier” level of self-efficacy for better entrepreneurial learning.

Methodological support of the Masters’ research activities in the field «psychological and pedagogical education»

The article presents the experience of organizing Masters’ research activities in the field «psychological and pedagogical education» at the Samara National Research University. Gradually, students are involved in activities to obtain scientific knowledge from texts of various types in scientific work; comprehend the subject of scientific work, the subject of scientific activity and the levels of pedagogical research. Attention is drawn to the conditions for obtaining reliable scientific knowledge in the course of scientific research: methodological competence and methodological literacy of the Master. As a methodological support for the process of mastering the methodology of scientific activity in the field of pedagogical science, the content of educational disciplines is presented in the form of a set of tools, tasks on practical methodology.

Model of formation of tutoring competence of future educational psychologists

The article discusses the problem of individualization of training and substantiates the importance of developing a specialist’s tutoring competence. When designing a model for the formation of tutoring competence of future educational psychologists, the methodological foundations were identified: problem-oriented, systemic and competency-based approaches. The research used methods of systematization, generalization, synthesis and modeling. The blocks of the model are identified (conceptual-target, content, procedural and evaluative-resultative) and their characteristics are given.

Using Generative AI to Promote Psychological, Feedback, and Artificial Intelligence Literacies in Undergraduate Psychology

Background With the arrival of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) tools, psychology educators are rethinking their assessment practices. Objective This paper describes one approach to integrating genAI into an assessment designed to promote psychological literacy. Method Students used ChatGPT to generate a media release about a published article and then wrote a critique. We evaluated whether students were able to use the marking rubric to assess the ChatGPT output, and whether working with the rubric early in the assessment process had benefits for their grades on subsequent tasks. Results The results show that students accurately assessed the ChatGPT output against the marking rubric, judging the output to be stylistically good but lacking in accurate coverage of the aims, methods, and results of the research. Working with genAI and the marking rubric early in the assessment process had benefits for performance, relative to cohorts that had engaged in peer review. Conclusion By allowing students to use genAI and scaffolding the process of critiquing and revising, students gained competencies in psychological, feedback, and AI literacies. Teaching implications Integrating genAI presents opportunities for learning, if educators can think beyond the artifact and design assessment that allows our students to showcase their learning process.

Nursing care for women with perinatal depression

The perinatal period can be a challenging and difficult time for many women, during which they experience a shift in their social roles and a gradual transition to motherhood. Perinatal depression (PND) is one of the most common perinatal mental health conditions that jeopardizes mental health. health. Electronic database searches were conducted to find suitable papers; these publications included risk factors for perinatal depression, interventions, limitations and perspectives of interventions, and finally the information was extracted for narrative synthesis. Personal psychiatric history and addictive behaviors, mother-infant and husband conflicts in the family, economic and employment in the society and teenage pregnancy were associated with the risk of developing the disease. Medication and psychotherapy, providing professional help and family-centered care, improving the health care system and psychological screening and education, and providing social support were effective solutions. Perinatal depression is an important global public health problem that deserves some attention from individuals, families, and societies.

Design of an Educational Psychology Research Material Sharing Platform Based on Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm

In the interdisciplinary field of educational psychology, efficiently managing and accessing research materials remains a formidable challenge due to the vast and varied nature of available data. This paper introduces an innovative platform engineered to streamline the organization and dissemination of educational psychology research materials by harnessing the power of fuzzy clustering algorithms for automated content categorization. Motivated by the imperative to enhance the accessibility and discoverability of scholarly resources, our methodology employs the Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) algorithm, adept at accommodating the intrinsic ambiguity and overlap prevalent in educational psychology topics. The process initiates with a comprehensive preprocessing of diverse research materials, including scholarly articles, reports, and datasets, succeeded by meticulous feature extraction to distill pivotal themes and concepts. Subsequent application of the FCM algorithm facilitates the intuitive grouping of materials into clusters, each with varying degrees of relevance, thereby mirroring the multidimensional essence of the domain. Rigorous experimental validation of our approach underscores its efficacy in augmenting search precision and markedly diminishing the time scholars expend in locating pertinent materials. The platform’s user-centric interface further simplifies the exploration of educational psychology research, offering scholars a streamlined mechanism to access and engage with an extensive repository of resources. Through this study, we demonstrate a significant stride towards overcoming the hurdles in research material categorization and retrieval, heralding a new era of efficiency and accessibility for the educational psychology academic community on a global scale.