What an educational psychologist does depends very much on where that psychologist lives since there are two potential definitions for the term. In the US, the educational psychologist is concerned, usually at the institutional level (school, college, district) with how well present learning programs are serving the various populations in the school and what can be done to improve these. In the UK, this definition may also apply, but the term can also mean school counselor, which is more generally understood in the United States as a person who counsels individuals at a school.
This difference in definition is important and in the US, some of the main work could be to assess how effectively a school is addressing the needs of a total school population. This could be tracked in numerous ways. These psychologists might test a variety of students for factors like IQ, language learning ability and other matters, or they might study standardized tests administered by a school. They may also identify populations (racial groups, language learners, gifted students, learning disabled children) of a school that don’t seem to be served by present learning strategies.
Given the theories studied on education and the ones most endorsed, the educational psychologist can then look at ways to improve the performance of the school to serve all populations. They make recommendations about implementing new teaching styles, curricula, or ways that a school or a school district could provide greater support to populations that are underserved. Should a school accept the recommendations of the educational psychologist, goal will be to evolve material to give to teachers to create changes in teaching methods, or to actively instruct teachers and other staff on how to implement suggested changes. It should be noted that not all suggestions are accepted, though most schools that hire an educational psychologist do so because they want to improve learning strategies.
There are also instances when an educational psychologist will perform this work on an individual basis, particularly in conjunction with learning disabled students. They might work observing students and administering testing to determine in what areas a student needs greater support. Such information could be presented at a meeting between parents and school administrators along with recommendations on ways the student could be helped to improve. This still wouldn’t be traditional counseling because meetings with the student would be of short duration and have more of an observational bent.
In the UK, educational psychologist can mean school counselor, in which case these psychologists would meet with students and might work for several months or more with individuals to help them on specific issues like school performance, behavioral issues at school, or other problems. Usually in the US this is called a school counselor and the two roles are seen as very different, though with permission, a school counselor might assist in meetings set up to determine individual education plans (IEPs).
There are several different degrees a person might need to become an educational psychologist. This is one instance where people can get a master’s degree in psychology, though they are typically better served if they hold an Ed.D or a PhD in psychology. Bachelor’s level work is good preparation for this field, but usually not enough to justify employment.