The Role of Educational Psychology in Teacher Education: Three Challenges for Educational Psychologists

Abstract

We argue that this is a crucial time for educational psychology as a field to refocus its attention on the evidence base for its contribution to teacher education. In revisiting the recommendations of the APA Division 15 committee charged with examining the role of educational psychology in teacher education (Anderson et al., 1995), we note positive changes in educational psychology courses for preservice teachers. We then identify and discuss three immediate challenges for educational psychologists: (a) communicating the relevance of educational psychology research to the wider education community, (b) developing collaborative relationships with colleagues in teacher education programs that support a common discourse and shared vision of effective teacher preparation, and (c) documenting the ways that educational psychology courses make a difference to the practice of graduating teachers and to the educational experiences of their K–12 students. We conclude with suggestions for addressing these challenges.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We thank Anita Woolfolk Hoy for her feedback.

Notes

¹To distinguish “we” the authors, from “we” educational psychologists (who also include the authors), from this point we refer to educational psychologists in general in the third person.

²For a review of similar concerns prior to the 1980s, see Feldhusen (1976) and Hilgard (1996).