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Profiling the College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists: An Examination of Demographics, Professional Practice, Attitudes and Professional Development Preferences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2012

Janet Fletcher*
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia, Australia. jan@psy.uwa.edu.au
Kimberley Bloor
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Carla Crossman
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Jenna Thornton
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Ellie Briggs
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Tara Hawkins
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Stephanie Sammut
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia, Australia.
Kitri Cardwell
Affiliation:
The University of Western Australia, Australia.
*
*Address for correspondence: Prof Janet Fletcher, School of Psychology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009.
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Abstract

At the request of the National Executive of the APS College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists (CEDP), a survey was carried out with the aim of profiling its membership in order to better describe the nature of college membership when information is sought from its parent body, the APS, and to provide better services for its members. Of the 327 CEDP members contacted by email, 119 completed an online questionnaire providing demographic information and data concerning their professional practice, skills, involvement with the APS and professional development needs and preferences. The data obtained indicates that the CEDP contains an aging, predominantly female, city-based membership. Respondents consider they share many skills and competencies with other psychologists but do have a specialised knowledge base. They collaborate with colleagues from other Colleges but would welcome the opportunity to do this more. While they value the work of the APS they would like increased support by the APS in raising the profile of educational and developmental psychology. While the majority of members could find and access professional development (PD) relevant to their practice, a sizeable minority considered the costs involved excessive. The implications of these data for CEDP policies, especially with regard to recruitment and service provision, are discussed.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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