Abstract
Educational Psychology has a history of perpetuating bias and racial inequality, which
influences how Educational Psychologists (EPs) practice at present. EPs work within
institutionally racist systems that oppress certain groups of children, young people,
and their families. Against this context, this study adopts a CR paradigm to foreground
the socio-political and personal dimensions of anti-racist work.
A mixed-methods design was used to explore, at a national level, the nature of antiracist continuing professional development (CPD) in the EP profession. It aimed to
address the types of anti-racist CPD engaged with at the service level, how EPs
perceive its impact, and the barriers and facilitators to implementation. Forty-two
qualified EPs working within local authorities in England completed an online
questionnaire on the types of service-level anti-racist CPD they had engaged with.
This was then followed up with seven individual semi-structured interviews that
explored experiences of receiving anti-racist CPD and their application to practice.
Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, while qualitative data were analysed
using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.
Findings revealed a variation in the types of anti-racist CPD offered at the service level.
This variation was also noticeable in the frequency and topics covered within taught
training. EPs’ experiences of implementing anti-racist practice generated five themes:
CPD as a catalyst for critical awareness, stronger together, the EP role, factors
influencing CPD implementation, and making change for all. These themes reflect the
potential of CPD as a transformative tool and the complexity of implementing antiracist practice.
This study highlights the need for regular structured CPD within services to support
active and sustained anti-racist practice. Implications for EP practice, service
development, and future research are discussed, contributing to ongoing discussions
about anti-racism, social justice, equity, and transformative systemic change within
educational psychology.