National action enquiry for educational psychologists

Published 06/08/2019.  Last updated 23/01/2025
sourceKnowledge and research categoryScottish Attainment Challenge categoryInclusion Wellbeing and Equality

Since 2016, educational psychologists from Scotland have been participating in the National Action Enquiry Programmes for Educational Psychologists. This programme ensures research which is completed in Scottish schools is part of the evidence base used to inform local authority and national priorities. 

The profession has been supported by Education Scotland in partnership with the Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP) and the Scottish Division of Educational Psychology (SDEP) to carry out research.

Research

There have been four cohorts and all have used national priorities from the Scottish Attainment Challenge and National Improvement Framework as their focus. 

Cohort 1 (2016 to 2017): Health and wellbeing and numeracy

Cohort 2 (2018 to 2019): Closing the poverty-related attainment gap and achieving equity for all

Cohort 3 (2020 to 2022): The impact of COVID-19 on learners, staff and families

Cohort 4 (2023 to 2025): Educational psychology at the heart of education reform

The research papers and think pieces written can support educational practitioners and leaders to achieve excellence, improving outcomes for children and young people in Scotland, particularly those with additional support needs.

The National Improvement Framework and Scottish Attainment Challenge emphasise the importance of being evidence-informed through data and research.

This is supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)

Improving Schools in Scotland: An OECD perspective' (2015) made a clear recommendation for the use of “research into schools and learning environments that make a significant difference to engagement and achievement of those facing greatest social and educational difficulties".

Education Endowment Fund advises that evidence is a crucial tool to inform senior leaders' decision-making and help them identify 'best bets' for spending. Time and money is too scarce to stick with approaches and programmes which do not make a real difference. The effective use of evidence means strategically abandoning ineffective approaches, as well as implementing new ones with positive evidence behind them.

Educational psychologists are well placed to inform this research base for Scotland's children as research and development is one of their core functions/ roles.

Each year, the Scottish evidence base is added to through research undertaken in Scotland.

This programme ensures research which is completed in Scottish schools by Scottish educational psychologists in partnership with Scottish teachers, children, young people and parents is a vital part of the evidence based being used to inform local authority and national priorities.

Since 2016 forty research papers have been carried out and published. This research tends not to end with the publication of the research and continues to be developed by the educational psychologists within their own services. 

Educational psychologists have developed research questions based around the different foci provided each year.

Some of the research questions asked across the programmes have been:

  1. Do we have mutual vision for what attendance looks like and what it should be? Has this changed since the pandemic?

  2. Impact of COVID-19 and creative learning and teaching solutions?

  3. Impact of interrupted learning, particularly for vulnerable groups?

  4. How could a more robust tracking and monitoring systems for wellbeing begin to address the attainment gap?

  5. Is Glasgow Counts effective in closing the poverty-related attainment gap?

  6. According to National 5 Maths pupils, what are the key factors affecting their numeracy and mathematics skill development in school?

  7. Can a valid, reliable and robust scale be developed to measure wellbeing in families in Scotland?

  8. Following attending nurture principles training, will there be evidence of the implementation of nurture principles in the classroom e.g. awareness of body language, modelling of positive relationships?
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National action enquiry for educational psychologists

Published 06/08/2019.  Last updated 23/01/2025
sourceKnowledge and research categoryScottish Attainment Challenge categoryInclusion Wellbeing and Equality

Since 2016, educational psychologists from Scotland have been participating in the National Action Enquiry Programmes for Educational Psychologists. This programme ensures research which is completed in Scottish schools is part of the evidence base used to inform local authority and national priorities. 

The profession has been supported by Education Scotland in partnership with the Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP) and the Scottish Division of Educational Psychology (SDEP) to carry out research.

Research

There have been four cohorts and all have used national priorities from the Scottish Attainment Challenge and National Improvement Framework as their focus. 

Cohort 1 (2016 to 2017): Health and wellbeing and numeracy

Cohort 2 (2018 to 2019): Closing the poverty-related attainment gap and achieving equity for all

Cohort 3 (2020 to 2022): The impact of COVID-19 on learners, staff and families

Cohort 4 (2023 to 2025): Educational psychology at the heart of education reform

The research papers and think pieces written can support educational practitioners and leaders to achieve excellence, improving outcomes for children and young people in Scotland, particularly those with additional support needs.

The National Improvement Framework and Scottish Attainment Challenge emphasise the importance of being evidence-informed through data and research.

This is supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)

Improving Schools in Scotland: An OECD perspective' (2015) made a clear recommendation for the use of “research into schools and learning environments that make a significant difference to engagement and achievement of those facing greatest social and educational difficulties".

Education Endowment Fund advises that evidence is a crucial tool to inform senior leaders' decision-making and help them identify 'best bets' for spending. Time and money is too scarce to stick with approaches and programmes which do not make a real difference. The effective use of evidence means strategically abandoning ineffective approaches, as well as implementing new ones with positive evidence behind them.

Educational psychologists are well placed to inform this research base for Scotland's children as research and development is one of their core functions/ roles.

Each year, the Scottish evidence base is added to through research undertaken in Scotland.

This programme ensures research which is completed in Scottish schools by Scottish educational psychologists in partnership with Scottish teachers, children, young people and parents is a vital part of the evidence based being used to inform local authority and national priorities.

Since 2016 forty research papers have been carried out and published. This research tends not to end with the publication of the research and continues to be developed by the educational psychologists within their own services. 

Educational psychologists have developed research questions based around the different foci provided each year.

Some of the research questions asked across the programmes have been:

  1. Do we have mutual vision for what attendance looks like and what it should be? Has this changed since the pandemic?

  2. Impact of COVID-19 and creative learning and teaching solutions?

  3. Impact of interrupted learning, particularly for vulnerable groups?

  4. How could a more robust tracking and monitoring systems for wellbeing begin to address the attainment gap?

  5. Is Glasgow Counts effective in closing the poverty-related attainment gap?

  6. According to National 5 Maths pupils, what are the key factors affecting their numeracy and mathematics skill development in school?

  7. Can a valid, reliable and robust scale be developed to measure wellbeing in families in Scotland?

  8. Following attending nurture principles training, will there be evidence of the implementation of nurture principles in the classroom e.g. awareness of body language, modelling of positive relationships?
^ Back to top