Educational psychology refers to the study of how human beings learn, including instructional processes, teaching methods, and individual variations in learning. It delves into behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and social influences on the process of learning.
Educational psychology professionals study children of all ages and how they acquire knowledge. While exploring how children process social, cognitive, and emotional stimuli, they conduct assessments based on children’s reactions to stimuli. They use this analysis to determine learning, behavioral, and social issues that hinder a child’s learning.
In recent years, educational psychology has broadened beyond preschool and elementary school classrooms to help adults in academic settings. Adult students, especially those with learning disabilities, have benefitted from educational psychologists.
The role of an educational psychologist may include psychological counseling in educational settings (students, parents, teachers, and academic authorities), psycho-educational assessment, psycho-educational intervention, and coordination and recommendation to other relevant professionals at all educational levels.
When it comes to their qualification, students are first required to complete a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology. The curriculum usually encompasses topics such as human development, instructional design, assessment, classroom management, and supportive learning methods and technologies for different types of students. Once graduated, students may opt for various career paths and even enroll in ma psychology online degree simultaneously to enhance their expertise to engage students better and shape them into excellent critical thinkers. Acquiring higher education can increase their chances of landing a job in a high-paying role.
Here is a list of career paths for individuals who graduated in educational psychology
1- School Psychologist
With a degree in educational psychology, you can become a school psychologist. These professionals are qualified members of schools that help students to learn better and support teachers to teach better. School psychologists apply their expertise in learning, mental health, and behavior to allow students to succeed academically, behaviorally, socially, and emotionally. They usually partner with teachers, parents, and school administrators to:
- Enhance academic achievement through gathering and interpreting children and classroom data and making psychological assessments
- Promote mental health and positive behavior through counseling (individual or group) about anger management, coping skills, conflict resolution, and social skills, conducting assessments of behavioral and emotional needs, and collaborating with community-based professionals
- Create a healthy, supportive, safe learning environment that fosters connections between school, home, and the community
- Incorporate diverse learning techniques to support various types of learners and help boost student engagement as well as learning
One important thing to note for educational psychology graduates is that most states usually require a higher qualification, such as a doctorate or master’s, to practice in the role of a school psychologist.
The reported annual mean salary for a school psychologist is about $77,323 in the USA. As per reports, the employment growth for school psychologists is about 10.4% between 2020 and 2030.
2- Educational Researcher
An educational researcher is one of the many career paths you can choose with a degree in educational psychology. Psychology researchers play an essential part in academic institutions.
An education researcher investigates learning processes in all stages of education. They are responsible for designing and planning training programs and developing up-to-date instructional programs. As an educational researcher, you may often have to create different kinds of surveys, together with the recruitment of test groups.
A master’s degree is typically required to pursue a career as an educational researcher; however, some companies or institutes may require a doctorate. In addition, a professional must possess excellent analytical, communication, and research skills to qualify for the role.
Educational researchers may work in various settings, including government agencies, schools, social service agencies, and private corporations.
The average pay for an education researcher in the United States is $54,188 per annum.
3- College Counsellor
College counselors are professionals who help students of all age groups, cultures, religions, ethnic groups, and genders with their academic and professional goals. As a college counselor, you will assist individuals in navigating their lives after graduating from college.
The typical responsibilities of a college counselor include the following:
- Conducting counseling sessions for students dealing with personal challenges
- Answering queries of incoming students about your institute or college
- Helping students accomplish their goals
- Organizing outreach activities
- Directing individuals to social services or other resources
- Completing administrative duties (if any) and relevant paperwork
Most of these professionals work in an office setting (full-time). They typically work at colleges or universities and are likely to work in the career center, student affairs, or admissions department.
The average college counselor pay in the US is $61,100; however, it typically ranges between $53,000 and $70,500, depending on factors like education, skills, certifications, and experience. Reports suggest that the job growth for school/college counselors will be about 11 percent between 2020 and 2030.
4- College/ University Professor
If you are an educational psychology graduate who loves teaching, this career path might be a good fit. College or university professors work in institutes as instructors or researchers. Your primary role will be to teach relevant courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students. You may also be involved in research activities, such as supervising college students in their research studies.
College professors earn an average salary of $75,782 per annum in the United States.
5- Private Practitioner
You can also opt to become a private practitioner with an educational psychology degree. These practitioners often contract with corporations, government agencies, public and private organizations, and court systems as consultants. They apply their skills to help different organizations offer productive workshops and training for their employees. The typical responsibilities include assessing existing programs, creating new curriculums, and analyzing educational data to identify what program modifications should be done.
Private practitioners may also work with school districts to help them evaluate strategies for teaching, program quality, and assessment measures. The outcomes provide school administrators insight into areas not working for particular groups of learners. These professionals help improve the overall quality of educational programs.
6- School or University Administrator
Educational psychologists can also choose to work in the academic administration domain. They may work in areas such as disabilities, assessment, study skills centers, residential life, and other student support services. School administrators may also work with faculty to enhance the quality of teaching and assess their methods.
Their duties may include:
- Managing scheduling, reporting, and record-keeping
- Developing and running different educational programs
- Training staff
- Counseling students when required
- Resolving conflicts and other student issues
- Communicating with parents and regulatory bodies
- Implementing actions to improve the quality of education and the school
Depending on their experience, school administrators can earn between $73,180 and $92,817 annually in the United States.
Conclusion
Educational psychology is the discipline that concentrates on understanding how people learn and how different environments affect their learning. Professionals in educational psychology study behavioral, cognitive, social, developmental, emotional, and social factors that affect the ability to acquire knowledge, to facilitate educational practice for all students, specifically those with special learning abilities. As an educational psychologist, you can enjoy several career paths. Explore some of the careers above to find one that suits your interests and skill sets.
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