The lived experiences of trainee educational psychologists in Scotland

Abstract

Across Scottish local authorities, the practice of educational psychologists (EPs) varies, which is impacted by when and where they undertook their training. The experiences of Trainee educational psychologists (TEPs) are highly influenced by services they are placed in and the EPs they interact with. Accordingly, TEPs’ understanding of the EP role may be strongly influenced by the practice they observe on placement and their practice supervisors’ perceptions of the EP role. However, due to a lack of published research, the way in which TEPs experience their training and the impact it has on their lives as well as their professional development, is unclear. The current study aims to address this research gap by considering the lived experiences of TEPs. Interviews were undertaken with a sample of EPs and TEPs from across Scotland who embarked on their EP training between 1980 and 2020. The findings provide a rich interpretation of the contextual nature of EP training, with emergent themes including relationships, stress and ambiguity in the EP role. A suggested model to represent positive experiences of EP training is proposed, encompassing quality supervision; peer support; social relationships within the cohort; motivation and practical learning opportunities with implications for EP training and practice.