Psychology and education podcast spotlight #1

As EPs and allied professionals working in education, we’re always on the lookout for thought-provoking topics to prompt self-reflection and practical strategies to pass on to the children, families, and education settings we work with.

Podcasts are an ideal medium to facilitate these forms of low commitment CPD. You can listen to podcasts during the commute between schools, as the background to your gym workout, or to accompany you on a leisurely stroll.

In this series, I’m going to spotlight three podcasts per blog (plus one more, for fun!), to illustrate the breadth and quality of information that can be accessed completely free on whichever podcast platform you choose to use. The intention is not to pick out ‘the best’ or ‘the most relevant’ podcasts, but to inspire readers to develop their practice by listening to and learning about something new.

‘Classroom Psychology’ presented by Dr Cora Sargeant

In ‘Classroom Psychology’, Dr Sargeant synthesises research from the field of gender diversity. Dr Sargeant brings sensitive insights, from her personal experience, to bear on her incisive analysis of a vast range of studies conducted across the globe. 

The format of the podcast begins with Dr Sargeant playing an audio clip from a public personality (be it a politician, journalist, or celebrity) typically expressing a narrow and ill-informed opinion about some aspect of gender diversity. Perhaps unsurprisingly, such views are rarely couched in the tentative language we might expect and are instead worded as bold declarations that often shock the listener with their vehemence and even denial of the existence of gender diverse experience. In response, Dr Sargeant, with her endless reserves of compassion, chooses to interpret these bold declarations as questions, and looks to the empirical research literature to see if she can find answers. 

Recent ‘questions’ have included a public figure claiming to have been cyberbullied for asserting that a female Olympic boxer is a ‘biological male’, and a politician claiming it is impossible to change sex and transgender identity can only ever be a ‘feeling’. Dr Sargeant’s ability to reinterpret such inflammatory claims as questions is almost as impressive as her wide-ranging exploration of deeply insightful and diverse scientific literature. Ultimately, Dr Sargeant’s aim is to foster a world where everybody can find a place to belong.

First released in April 2023, ‘Classroom Psychology’ is released roughly once per month and, at the time of writing, has 33 episodes to enjoy and learn from.

‘PsychBites’ hosted by Laura Chapman, Ellyn Berman-Jones, and Lauren Bratton

In ‘PsychBites’, trainee EPs Laura, Ellyn, and Lauren interview EPs and academics about their research and specialisms, offering bite-sized takeaways that are relevant for all education professionals.

A real strength of the podcast is the hosts’ commitment to making their content accessible to non-specialists, by asking their guests to explain acronyms and systemic processes that EPs often take for granted. Doing this is helpful not only for the listener but also for the interviewees, who are encouraged to think carefully about what they’re saying and to define their terms clearly. 

At the same time, the podcast is highly relevant and interesting to EPs and allied professionals, with a range of reports from recently conducted research. The hosts typically invite their interviewees to take the listener on their research journey, from how they first conceptualised their topic, through the process of collecting and analysing data, and end up with the key takeaway findings. A lot gets covered in the 25-50 minute episodes!

Recent episodes have included a conversation with Dr Alyssa Alcorn, a lead researcher on the Learning About Neurodiversity at Schools (LEANS) project. This fascinating initiative aims to educate primary school children about aspects of the neurodiverse experience. Dr Alcorn had so much fascinating information to share that she was given her own 2-part mini-series to convey the full breadth of the project’s impact. Other topics have included motivational interviewing, chronic illness, and Tourette’s Syndrome.

First released in October 2023, ‘PsychBites’ is released roughly twice per month and, at the time of writing, has 18 episodes to enjoy and learn from.

‘The Child Psych Podcast’ hosted by Tammy Schamuhn and Tania Johnson

Featuring interviews with US-based practitioners and academics, ‘The Child Psych Podcast’ is aimed at parents and carers as well as professionals advisors. Hosts Tammy and Tania are psychologists, play therapists, and parents seeking to provide listeners with research insights and practical parenting strategies.

Of particular interest to EPs is an interview with Jonathan and Lynn Greenberg, authors of the children’s story, ‘Robby the Dyslexic Taxi’. Episodes such as this focus on lived experiences of learning and neurodiversity, so they feel relatable and intimate. Sometimes personal stories hit home harder than meta-analyses.

Occasionally, episodes consist of a host reading an entire chapter from a book they have written (‘The parenting handbook’), in the style of an audio book. This content is still informative, but these episodes are less dynamic and can ultimately feel like marketing opportunities for the hosts’ product.

Overall, this podcast has a range of formats and interviewees, a large backlog of episodes, and is released every week, so – if this podcast feels a good fit for you – there’s always something new to discover.

First released in October 2022, ‘The Child Psych Podcast’ is released roughly once per week and, at the time of writing, has 106 episodes to enjoy and learn from.

One for fun! ‘Off Menu’

Because we all need to switch off sometimes… here’s one for fun.

If you’re a regular podcast listener, you’ll undoubtedly have heard of ‘Off Menu’, Ed Gamble and James Acaster’s hit series asking celebrities to choose their dream meal. The simple format works so consistently because food is something we can all relate to, but it sets the guests up to bring in elements of their unique personality, experience, and culture.

Ed and James have an excellent on-air relationship and are experts at getting the best and funniest from their guests, who often sound completely genuine when they say they’ve had a great time at the end of the episode. I can’t recommend enough that you scroll through the back catalogue, pick your favourite celebrities, and find out what they’d love to eat for dinner if a genie waiter could conjure up anything they could possibly want!

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