Why is Psychopedagogy key to educational success?

"Ah, it's just that since she was a child she has been brilliant", could have been a mother's comment referring to her daughter after she got an A on the last language test and Literature. For his part, the father could have pointed out that his excellent academic performance was due to the fact that his daughter was educated in the educational institutions of the city's greatest prestige, so the cause of her good performance would be the teachers who taught her her knowledge throughout all these years. years. For our part, we cannot deny that the intellectual variables or those linked to teaching themselves influence the educational success of students. students, but the contextual elements are much more important than we colloquially believe when we think of a student successful.

Since we mentioned an erroneous belief, there is a tendency to consider that the figure of the educational psychologist intervenes exclusively in the difficulties of the learning and the development of cognitive abilities, while other of its functions —such as its intervention role in conflicts— tend to become invisible If we take into account that learning does not depend merely on factors intrinsic to the student's abilities, we will be able to notice that

The work of professionals such as educational psychologists is key to ensuring educational success, since they are the ones who intervene in the multiple contexts that challenge the student when it comes to learning. Let's see a little more about it.

• Related article: "The 5 differences between a psychologist and a psychopedagogue"

The role of the educational psychologist in the school

Psychopedagogy is a discipline that, on the one hand, deals with learning problems. Specifically, this implies that educational psychologists are able to understand the processes involved in memory and learning, such as attention, orientation and maintenance, structure and functioning of short-term memory, the passage of information to long-term memory, its recovery, the evolutionary bases of these capacities, among others many. In such a way, As there is a deficit in any of these capacities, you will be able to notice it together with professionals from other disciplines..

However, as we pointed out previously, awarding the educational psychologist only this function is a reductionist way of understanding the work they do to ensure the success of students. One of the fields of intervention of educational psychologists is within schools, since they are professionals who can participate in school guidance teams —also called cabinets— to which many students, teachers or families go due to specific problems in the different contexts that surround the learning. We also mention that the latest scientific research suggests that factors linked to the interaction of different contexts —for example: cultural, family and school- are essential for academic success, even more than the intellectual capacities of the student.

But what happens when there is a conflict between these contexts, when the values ​​acquired during upbringing compete against the values ​​of the institution in which the student learns? And with those that their companions bring with them? What happens in situations of vulnerability that directly interfere not only with learning, but also with remaining in educational centers? Is not intervening on these issues, but educational success? In order to solve these problems, the intervention of a professional psychologist is crucial..

• You may be interested in: "Educational Psychology: Definition, Concepts, and Theories"

The functions of the educational psychologist in educational institutions

Below, we list some of the functions that educational psychologists perform in educational institutions:

• Advise teachers, students and families in relation to concerns or conflicts that may arise in the classroom.

• Act by early detection of situations that could cause conflict, discomfort or need in an educational community.

• Develop communicative skills to facilitate dialogue between the different parties that make up an institution, maintaining an assertive attitude, with a clear willingness to exchange, to listen and be heard.

• Detect situations that require urgent intervention, such as addressing children or adolescents in a situation of social risk or ensuring compliance with socio-educational inclusion programs.

• Promote the incorporation of programs in the institution in which the Technology of the information and communication (TIC).

• Know the particular characteristics of the dynamics that are created in institutions, centers and schools; and actively participate in her intervention.

• Participate in the evaluation and preparation of educational projects and curricula of the study center, as well as other documents such as internal regulations.

• Take an interest in the rapid changes that are occurring in the sociocultural environment and that could directly or indirectly challenge the reality of students or students. Some of them are the processes of migration and globalization, the situations of abuse or violence that some children go through, or the transitions from adolescence to youth. They also have the function of attending to particular situations, such as mourning contexts, for example.

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Student success or educational success?

The fields of intervention of the psychopedagogy professional are wide and of the utmost importance to not only facilitate learning of the students but also to favor the general well-being of the social actors that participate in an educational institution. They also have the function of intervening in conflicts, in potentially problematic or risky situations. Through these actions, educational psychologists who work in educational institutions manage to make transit through these scenarios more enjoyable; also that people can acquire the necessary basic contents in an area that favors this task.

For this reason, returning to the situation of that star student who gave rise to this article, we ask ourselves: is it appropriate to talk about student success or educational success? The term student success seems to emphasize the idea that success in school or university is determined by factors intrinsic to the subject. Could it not have been that, perhaps, the contexts in which he developed during his life made it easier for his passage through school to have been positive? Could it be that certain professionals were involved during her career capable of mediating between the areas in which she lived? Unfortunately, the tendency to individualize success of the student brings with it an inclination for the counterpart of “student failure” to fall on her shoulders. For this reason, perhaps it is better that we start thinking in terms of educational success; the success of the different professionals who manage to integrate the contexts of the subjects who participate in the centers or schools, highlighting among them the professionals of educational psychology.

Do you want to train in Psychopedagogy?

If you are interested in deepening your knowledge in the fascinating field of educational psychology and would like to make a positive difference in education, this Master in Online Psychopedagogical Intervention could be perfect for you. Instituto Serca offers this exhaustive program that covers all aspects of psychopedagogy, from evolutionary development to intervention and diagnosis. Are you ready to take your career to the next level and help students reach their full potential? Click here to learn more and start your journey in this rewarding field.