The Department Educational Psychology is involved in the professional preparation of learning support teachers, school counsellors and educational psychologists.
The department is housed on two campuses – Auckland Park Kingsway and Soweto. The department is involved in all pre-service qualifications in the Foundation, Intermediate, Senior and FET phases and the PGCE.
Our mission is to advance social justice in diverse community educational settings. This we do through caring, transformative, culturally authentic teaching, learning and research practices.
The aims of the Department are to:
- Educate ethically accountable and socially critical educational psychologists, school counsellors, and education specialists
- Nurture innovative educational communities of enquiry
- Develop practices sensitive to diverse abilities and needs
- Promote preventative education that is sensitive to social and community transformation imperatives
- Promote educational and psychological well-being in diverse communities
- Develop and validate indigenous knowledge through relevant research contributions.
The Department is very active at the postgraduate level in the areas of Psychology for Learning, Inclusive Education, Life Orientation, Psychology of Education and Educational Psychology.
About the Department of Educational Psychology
The Department of Educational Psychology consists of 12 full-time staff members who work with the support of a number of tutors, support staff and professional expert practitioners to offer programmes and modules in teacher education and the preparation and development of teachers, professional counsellors, and Educational Psychologists.
We are a well-resourced department with staff and students who are involved in a range of research projects, funded by UJ research committee, NRF, SANPAD, Gauteng Department of Education and the private sector.
Our programme in Educational Psychology has been recognised by our peers as a distinguished programme, and special reference is made to our emphasis on community educational psychology. We take pride in the fact that in 2008, this programme has been rated by the HPCSA as exemplary.
Apart from the educational psychology foundations courses we offer to the teacher education programme of the UJ Faculty of Education, we also offer Masters’ and Doctorate qualifications in all the four areas of our work:
- Educational Psychology professional preparation and specialisation programmes
- Learning, cognition and development
- Inclusive education and learning support
- Life and career orientation
Career opportunities
Inaddition to teacher education, the Faculty also provides a career path in the field of Educational Psychology.
Students can register as:
1) school counsellors after completing and Honours in Educational Psychology and a Board Exam at the HPCSA or
2) educational psychologists after completion of the Master’s in Educational Psychology and passing of a Board Exam at the HPCSA upon completion of an internship.