The Professionalisation of Educational Psychology

In this paper we discuss the growing professionalisation of educational psychology practice and highlight the need to give further thought to the theory base of educational psychologists’ (EP) practice. We consider the notion of educational psychology as a profession and its relationship with other professional groups. We then describe some of the aspects of EP practice which challenge this notion. The paper presents an account of the knowledge base and the relationship between theory and practice. It concludes by emphasising the importance of a clear knowledge base to future development of the profession.