Career in Educational Psychology

1. Career in Educational Psychology

2. Who are Educational Psychologists (EP)? • What are their qualifications? • Where do EPs work in Hong Kong? • What do they do? • How to prepare for this career?

3. Who are Educational Psychologists? • They are social scientists who are capable to teach and conduct research in educational psychology. They are also practitioners who can provide psychoeducational services to the public. • They are a group of professional people who apply theories of Educational Psychology to enhance the growth and development of their clients (students, parents, teachers, etc.).

4. Help teachers improve teaching Help students cope with challenges Educational psychology is helpful to students, teachers and parents. Help parents improve parenting Improve school environment

5. What are their qualifications? • a first degree in Psychology • a Master's degree in Educational Psychology (Professional Training)

6. Where do educational psychologists work?

7. Education Bureau • Four regional offices • Subvented Sector • Kindergartens • Primary schools • Secondary schools • Special schools • Tertiary Institutes • Private Practices

8. What do EPs do?

9. Help teachers improve teaching Help students cope with challenges Educational psychology is helpful to students, teachers and parents. Help parents improve parenting Improve school environment

10. What do EPs do to help their clients? • To provide psychoeducational assessment and diagnosis for students. • To provide counselling services to children and adolescents with learning, emotional, or behavioural difficulties.

11. To provide consultation services to parents, teachers, and other professionals so as to help the children and adolescents who are in need of assistance.

12. In collaboration with parents and teachers, to design educational programmes or procedures for children and adolescents with special educational needs. • In collaboration with teachers and school social workers, to develop and implement preventive or developmental programmes in the whole-school-approach to guidance. • To develop and implement professional development programmes for educators. • To assist crisis intervention in the schools and help develop preventive measures and implement treatment.

13. To conduct research on educational psychology so as to help teachers improve their teaching and parents their parenting. The research will also help improve the service quality of the profession.

14. To analyze organizational needs in the schools and provide consultation to the management teams for developing effective measures. • To provide consultation to education policy makers from the perspective of educational psychology.

16. Becoming an Educational Psychologist • Master of Social Sciences Program (Educational Psychology) • Doctor of Philosophy Program (Educational Psychology) • Doctor of Psychology Program (Educational Psychology)

17. How to prepare for this career in your undergraduate study? • Courses: • Introduction to educational psychology • Life-span developmental psychology • Advanced developmental psychology • Introduction to counseling and therapeutic psychology • Research internship • Social innovative internship / Service leadership internship • Voluntary work