Editor's Statement

Welcome to Educational Psychologist, the premier journal for discussion, debate, and advancement of theoretical and methodological issues in educational psychology. Over the past several decades and editorships, the journal has flourished in its mission to publish provocative and groundbreaking papers that have advanced the field in significant ways. Its influence has been far-reaching, touching on educational practice and policy as well as psychological theory. It is therefore with great pleasure that I begin my editorship of Educational Psychologist; I consider it a privilege to carry forward the rich tradition of the journal.

The job of the editor of Educational Psychologist is to sustain and nurture the ongoing excellence of the journal. In this regard, the past stewardship of Educational Psychologist has been outstanding. Under the editorship of Clark Chinn, the diversity and international scope of authors and board members has been greatly expanded. The impact of the journal has also grown exponentially, as evidenced by its current impact factors and the scope of topics that have received wide recognition by the field. The most widely read articles range from current topics such as the nature of learning and teaching (Kirchner & Merriënboer, 2013), working memory (Schwaighofer, Fischer & Bühner, 2015), and motivational mind-sets (Yaeger & Dweck, 2012) to seminal articles on self-efficacy (Bandura, 1993), achievement goals (Elliot, 1999) and cognitive load (Mayer & Moreno, 2003). A focus on special issues that touch on cutting-edge topics and debates in the field has also been a hallmark of past editorships. As editor, I hope to continue this important work by building on these past initiatives.

Throughout the history of the journal, there also have been interesting and thoughtful debates concerning the challenges to the field of educational psychology and its future. In particular, concerns have been voiced about the relevance of the discipline for the larger community of scholars and practitioners interested in educational issues. In addition, there has been a growing recognition in the field that scholars must consider to a greater extent the ecologies of learning and schooling in their work. Although these challenges are driven by many factors, I believe they can be addressed by providing ongoing definition and direction for the field, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogues, and ensuring that the editorial and review process is led by scholars who are sensitive to and capable of facilitating new directions in research. In turn, addressing these concerns has the potential to support further the growth of the journal.

PROVIDING DEFINITION AND DIRECTION

It is clear from the history of Educational Psychologist that educational psychologists consider a broad and diverse set of topics, to include measurement and testing, motivation and self-regulation, subject area classroom learning, teaching and instruction, and cognition and problem solving; these topics are often considered in conjunction with more overarching contextual factors such as race, gender and ethnicity, social interactions, special needs, technology, and organizational climate. To ensure that the journal remains at the forefront in its role of identifying and framing topical issues for the discipline, I encourage submissions that take innovative and novel approaches to well-researched topics that are foundational to educational psychology, and ones that spur interest in new and emerging topics that are of importance from a theoretical, policy, or practical perspective.

Toward this end, Educational Psychologist will also continue its current trend of publishing special issues in which topics are explored in-depth and from multiple perspectives. These compilations are critical for moving the field forward in ways that are theoretically thoughtful, provocative, and rigorous. In addition to accepting field-initiated proposals, I will also initiate special issues designed to highlight and consider work that has the potential to inform our theories and methods in ways that are multidisciplinary, multicultural, developmental in scope, and ecologically valid. These calls will include open invitations to authors both inside and outside the discipline to consider the implications of their work for education and to engage in dialogue with each other.

Inclusion of individual papers on emerging and nontraditional topics also has the potential to provide impetus for new areas of inquiry, actively engage a broader community of scholars, broaden the scope and readership of the journal, and underscore the relevance of Educational Psychologist for those who do not typically read the journal. Scholars who are interested in nontraditional topics as they relate to educational theory, practice, and policy are encouraged to submit their work to the journal. Work in the areas of prevention science, social and emotional development, neuroscience, and social psychology, to name a few, would be appropriate in this regard. Papers that tackle issues and topics that are inherently “messy,” such as those of context, individual differences, and social factors that can influence educational processes and outcomes, are also welcome. Inclusion of these topics in the journal will clearly extend and improve our appreciation and understanding of the complex nature of educational psychology.

ENSURING HIGH-QUALITY SUBMISSIONS

The central job of the editor of Educational Psychologist is to promote and sustain the high quality of scholarship published in the journal. This is currently accomplished in many ways, ranging from clear expectations and guidelines for submissions on the Educational Psychologist website, training and mentoring board members in their roles, and recruiting reviewers who provide high-quality feedback. Ongoing efforts in this area will include monitoring trends in submissions so that the expertise of editorial board members is broad enough to provide multiple perspectives and constructive feedback to authors on current topics. My goal is to maintain a reviewer base and board membership that consists of junior as well as senior scholars and is representative with respect to race, ethnicity, and gender.

Mentoring the next generation of scholars into the editorial and review process is also essential for growing the educational psychology community and for maintaining high standards in years to come. Mentoring also ensures explicit training in what constitutes quality scholarship. Toward this end, I encourage senior scholars to submit reviews collaboratively with graduate students and to include them in the writing and submission of scholarly articles appropriate for Educational Psychologist. Explicit guidelines for reviewers will also be made available on the website.

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS, SPECIAL ISSUES, AND REVIEWERS

Ultimately, the success of Educational Psychologist depends on the educational psychology community at large. With this in mind, please choose Educational Psychologist as an outlet for your very best work. Submissions consistent with the journal's purpose include critical, integrative reviews of research; conceptual or theoretical syntheses or analyses of research; reviews of research relevant to policy and practice; reviews of best practices for research design, analysis, and assessment; and scholarly essays grounded in empirical evidence. Although the journal's central focus is on publishing systematic reviews and essays, we also welcome reports of formal meta-analyses. To be published, these analyses must address ongoing issues and debates in the field and make clear theoretical advances with their findings. All submissions should be guided by clear theoretical or conceptual questions, highlight alternative perspectives on a topic, identify the next phase of research questions and issues that need to be addressed, and be relevant and of general interest to the educational psychology community. Ideas and proposals for special issues are always welcome. Finally, please consider volunteering as a reviewer.

In closing, I look forward to working with all of you to continue to build on the excellence of Educational Psychologist. Feel free to contact me directly if you have questions, concerns, or grand ideas for the journal.