Can educational psychology be harnessed to make changes for the greater good?

Abstract

Abstract As the American Psychological Association and Division 15 committed to addressing systemic racism after the 2020 summer of racial reckoning, orchestrated political attacks that vilify pedagogical approaches aimed at addressing racial injustice have thwarted schools' efforts across the nation. Against this context, the overarching aim of this article is a call to action for educational psychology to contribute to changes for the greater good. To that end, the article contextualizes the field’s lack of engagement in contemporary schooling controversies before turning to a discussion of the contemporary attacks against anti-racist approaches. A concise historiographical review is provided to illustrate the recurring tensions that have consistently thwarted equitable educational efforts. After discussing how growing scholarship focused on anti-racist research approaches in educational psychology can shape educational psychology’s future with a vision toward an anti-racist social purpose of schooling, recommendations and implications for educational psychology are provided.