Reflective practice groups for black and global majority Trainee EP applicants
Trainee Educational Psychologist’s Initiative for Cultural Change (TEPICC) are a working and knowledge exchange group of trainee educational psychologists (TEPs).
TEPICC’s reflective practice groups for doctoral applicants with an interview
We aim to champion and promote culturally responsive EP practice, with the ambition of improving educational outcomes for children and young people from Black and Global Majority* backgrounds in England.
One of the ways we do this is through supporting and increasing diversity within the doctoral application process itself. Our reflective spaces offer an opportunity for Black and/or Global Majority applicants to deep dive into why reflection is important in EP practice, be introduced to reflective models and have a go at reflecting in real time. It’s hoped this gives applicants structured and containing opportunity to learn more about reflection and be supported to consider the wider contexts of schools, organisations, and young people, whilst holding in mind aspects of their own identity and intersectionality.
Why are they important?
Educational Psychology has a racial history which is rooted in scientific racism (Gutherie, 1998). It has been used as a tool for systemic oppression in which harm has been done to Black and Global Majority children, young people, and families (e.g., Schools for the ‘Educationally Subnormal’). Whiteness and Eurocentricity has continued to ‘haunt’ the present-day training, in which Black and Global Majority practitioners are underrepresented in the profession.
Part of reckoning with the history of complicity and moving toward a more inclusive and liberatory Educational Psychology profession is through increasing diversity and representation within the profession. Recognising that Black and Global Majority young people often face barriers to accessing opportunities afforded to their White peers, even at the undergraduate level, TEPICC is committed to doing its part in increasing visibility and addressing this disparity.
The sessions offer a supportive space for applicants to connect and harness some of their reflective skills to translate their lived and learnt experiences into meaningful practice as a TEP and, hopefully, a future EP. TEPICC acknowledges the clashes between personal, social and cultural values (Jobanputra, 2013, Shah 2013) as well as feelings of isolation within the field (Ashraf, 2013) which can make the application process daunting and anxiety-provoking for individuals from Black and Global Majority backgrounds.
Who are the reflective groups for?
These spaces are for Trainee Educational Psychologist hopefuls who have applied and been offered an interview for the 2025 intake.
To access the space you must have:
- Been formally offered an interview at a UK training provider.
- Identify as being from a Black and Global Majority background.
What you’ll get from the reflective groups
- Access to a supportive and reflective space to provide a supportive and reflective space for Doctorate in Educational Psychology applicants from Black and Global Majority backgrounds
- A foundation to build skills to reflect on clinical, research, professional and personal experiences.
- An opportunity to talk to trainees who have been through the interview process themselves.
- Access to a space in which to share tips and techniques for interview anxiety management.
- To connect with aspiring Educational Psychologists from Black and Global Majority backgrounds.
Signing up for the reflective practice groups
In the interest of fair access we have staggered the dates to support those with earlier or later interviews. If your first (or only) interview date falls ahead of 1st February 2025, you are strongly encouraged to attend the January event. If your interview is after this, please book one of the later dates.
TEPICC look forward to welcoming applicants into the space. If you have any questions or are not sure if the space is for you, please don’t hesitate to give us an email, or reach our on our social media.
*Black and/or Global Majority refers to people who are Black, Asian, Arab, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the Global South, and/or have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’.
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