Educational/School Psychology

Students will have the opportunity to choose between two specializations:

• Educational Psychology
• School Psychology

The Educational Psychology specialization is particularly aimed at people who are working as educators or are interested in pursuing a career as an educator. The discipline of Educational Psychology is broadly defined as the study of students, of learning and teaching.

Studies in this discipline can enrich the work of those working or wishing to work as teachers in primary, secondary or higher education, by providing the basic theoretical background to guide their teaching, with the aim of improving student's learning outcomes and being able to help their students progress, both academically and personally.

A successful teacher is able to motivate students, successfully manage the classroom, assess students' prior knowledge, successfully communicate ideas, accommodate students' particular needs, develop appropriate teaching methods and use appropriate assessment methods.

Teachers can develop these skills by understanding and applying relevant psychological and learning theories. The Educational Psychology specialization aims to encourage teachers to see themselves as engaged learners who are constantly considering better ways to help their students to achieve their goals.

The core aim of this specialization is to enrich students' knowledge of the ways in which individual development and individual differences affect learning and the consequences that these parameters may have on teaching. Another sub-objective is to develop critical thinking in the evaluation of different methods of teaching and assessment of learning.

Finally, the programme aims to train students to use methodological and statistical tools for the investigation of contemporary issues in educational psychology.

The School Psychology specialization is addressed to holders of a degree in Psychology who are interested in working in the applied field of educational psychology, known as school psychology. This discipline deals with the identification of barriers to learning (e.g. learning difficulties, socio-emotional or behavioural problems of students) and the implementation of interventions to address them.

A key role of school psychologists as professionals is to provide services to children, young people and families within the school environment in order to create a safe, healthy and supportive learning environment.

School psychologists are trained in the use and evaluation of diagnostic tests (e.g. intelligence tests and academic achievement tests), in the writing of psychoeducational evaluation reports, in the design and implementation of prevention and intervention programmes, and in student counselling.

On this basis, the core aim of this course is to train students in the application of clinical principles and in the use of specific tools for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of behavioural problems, emotional problems and/or learning difficulties in school.

By completing this programme students will be able to:

• Critically evaluate the basic theoretical concepts of educational psychology.
• Estimate the key factors influencing learning and critically evaluate the key findings of contemporary research related to learning and teaching.
• Evaluate the psychological and educational principles that can improve the effectiveness of teaching, as well as critically compare the suitability of different teaching methods in different learning contexts (e.g. individual, group, formal, informal).
• Understand the effects of individual differences on learning (e.g. gender, IQ, personality, cultural diversity).
• Discuss and evaluate the contribution of research in the field of cognitive psychology (on memory, problem solving, perception, attention) in teaching and learning.
• Explain the causes and effects of a variety of learning difficulties and discuss the role of the teacher in the context of special and inclusive education.
• Strengthen their knowledge about the role of the educational psychologist in diagnostic assessment, counselling and the design of educational interventions.
• Summarize the contribution of neuroscience to our understanding of human learning.
• Use quantitative and qualitative methods of research and analysis to investigate various educational questions.
• Explain and critically evaluate research methods used in the field of educational psychology and demonstrate skills in preparing research proposals and conducting original research.

In addition to the learning outcomes listed above, upon completion of the programme, students specializing in School Psychology will be able to:

• Critically evaluate the psychometric principles of various diagnostic tools used in the work of the School Psychologist.
• Demonstrate knowledge in the use of diagnostic tools in a professional manner, following the relevant rules of professional ethics.
• Develop skills in using the methods and principles of Counselling Psychology to deal with a variety of issues that may be of interest to the student, such as family problems, learning problems, interpersonal relationships, career guidance, etc.
• Demonstrate knowledge in the design and use of preventive and intervention methods that aim to promote children's academic and emotional development and well-being in the school setting, always in collaboration with school agencies and families.
• Demonstrate skills in critically considering and evaluating the appropriateness and effectiveness of preventive and intervention methods used.
• Behave in a professional manner, using the ethical rules and legislation of the profession as guidelines and regularly evaluate the quality of their work based on the reflective practitioner model.

Graduates of the programme have a wealth of options regarding employment prospects.

Graduates of the Educational Psychology specialization will gain knowledge that will improve their teaching practice. In addition, obtaining this master's degree will be useful for purposes of promotion and professional development in the field of education.

Graduates of the School Psychology specialisation will acquire knowledge and practical skills:

• in the use and evaluation of diagnostic tests (e.g., intelligence tests and school achievement tests)
• in writing psychoeducational evaluation reports (psychoeducational evaluation reports)
• in the design and implementation of prevention and intervention programmes
• in student counselling

Upon completion of the programme, which includes 1020 hours of supervised Practical Training in schools, graduates will be able to register as professional psychologists at the Register of Psychologists and work in schools or in private practice.