The normativity of educational psychology practice

Abstract

Abstract This article addresses how the current mental health challenges among children and young people call for new educational psychology perspectives, and even more importantly, how the current challenges also call for normative reflections about the reasons behind the rising mental health issues. In the paper, it is claimed that many of these normative reflections tend to be overlooked in educational psychology practice. The paper further claims that when taking a closer look at educational psychology practice, focus has mainly been on how EPs most effectively can support schools in their everyday work by providing therapeutic interventions or by supporting different educational aims. However, less emphasis has been put on the why of educational psychology practice. Based on empirical evidence, it is shown how EPs often are faced with normative dilemmas. The article concludes by introducing a distinction between an affirmative and a non-affirmative approach to educational psychology practice.