Educational Psychologist – Kaimāta Hinengaro
“Being an Educational Psychologist means I have a part to play in helping to ‘take care’ of our children through supporting the learning and development needs and goals of tamariki alongside their whānau, kura and hapori“
– Sarika Rona, Educational Psychologist
About this career
Educational Psychologists spend a lot of time with teachers, parents and whānau and other agencies in both the school and home environments. Once involved in a student’s life they become part of a collaborative team to help them progress and succeed in education.
Psychologists within the educational sector:
- work closely with parents and whānau, teachers and other specialists across a range of educational settings (early childhood and school) to help children and young people with special education needs learn and develop
- develop individualised programmes for learners to overcome the challenges they face
- apply psychological knowledge and behaviour and learning theory to assist children and young people as well as the adults around them.
To become an educational psychologist you need:
- a master’s degree in psychology
- a postgraduate diploma in educational psychology (or an equivalent)
- to be registered as a psychologist with the New Zealand Psychologists Board
Career Pathway
Find out more about Educational Psychologist careers here:
There are some study scholarships available from the Ministry of Education. See their website below for further information: https://www.education.govt.nz/school/people-and-employment/principals-and-teachers/scholarships-for-people-working-in-schools/special-education-study-awards-and-scholarships/
Psychologist
Find out more about being a general Psychologist here: https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/health-and-community/community-services/psychologist/
Our Whānau Career Story
Sarika Rona – Educational Psychologist
Where do I work and what do I do?
Ministry of Education, contract mahi, and currently a PhD candidate at Massey University.
What was my career pathway to get where I am / and what led me to this?
My education and learning story can be told in a short or long version and be relatively straightforward or complex depending on the questions being asked and from which lens the answers are heard. I was the ‘why’ kid at home and school, some liked this and some did not. Those who encouraged gave opportunity to learn to be courageous, explore, experiment, query, try and try again and more, and those who suppressed gave opportunity to learn to prioritise, focus, problem-solve, reflect, adapt, and more. At high school I was told many times that I could be a teacher, I did like learning so this was a career option but I was also interested in learning more about ‘psychology’, however no one told me that I could be a Psychologist or do the two together. A TeachNZ scholarship influenced the decision to attend Teacher’s College in Palmerston North. I graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Teaching) and was fortunate to secure a full-time teaching position first year out.
Over the years teaching I wanted to learn more about the various factors which influenced children’s engagement in learning and so I enrolled in a Post Graduate paper at Massey University. I had never heard of an Educational Psychologist before this but became excited when I learned there was an occupation that met my interests around learning and psychology and my passion for working with children and whanau across environments.
A Masters in Educational Psychology, generally two years full time, was the next step in my career. I was still teaching and had children, so this took me four years of part-time study to complete. Next, was the ‘internship’ year which is a year of fulltime study in a recognised course and workplace that leads to registration as a psychologist. I completed my internship with Massey University in Learning Support at Ministry of Education. Since registering as an Educational Psychologist I have worked at Ministry of Education, Massey University, and have contracted to do mahi for other agencies.
“My why” for doing this job and making a difference for Māori
My ‘why’ is our tamariki.
Dame Whina Cooper tells us that we must “Take care of our children. Take care of what they hear, take care of what they see, take care of what they feel. For how the children grow, so will be the shape of Aotearoa”.
An Educational Psychologist’s mahi varies but can involve looking for patterns in behaviour and systems across environments which have impact on what a child feels, sees, and hears, positively and negatively. Being an Educational Psychologist means I have a part to play in helping to ‘take care’ of our children through supporting the learning and development needs and goals of tamariki alongside their whānau, kura and hapori.
