Lynn Fendler (in press). In P. Smeyers & M. DePaepe (Eds.). The attraction of psychology. Dortrecht: Springer Publications.
Educational psychology is a required element in the curriculum for all accredited teacher preparation programs in the United States, and background knowledge in educational psychology is assessed on examinations for teacher licensure in most jurisdictions. Tranditional university-based teacher certification is under attach from various sectors, and the curriculum for teacher preparation is among the most contested issues. In this paper I examine four possible hypotheses that might be offered to explain the continued presence of educational psychology in the curriculum of U.S. teacher education: efficacy, professionalization, policy/management, and habit.