**5. Conclusions**

field) [32], and characteristics of socio-affectivity, individual and group evolution, socio-cultural guidelines, political and ethical-regulatory impositions, etc., that are clearly evident in the

Complexity must be comprehended from the complex [33], which would imply abandoning certain beliefs and paradigms that have strongly marked the field of educational psychology (such as the focus of the teaching and learning process, individualization, and the pathologisation of behaviors). Therefore, the adoption of critical analysis should also be counted, so that a questioning of the concepts, actions, and meanings of those actions is developed [34].

Educational psychology, from a critical and complex perspective, provides an epistemological framework more in line with the great concerns of today's society, through the development of a disciplinary and professional field that would enable us to collaborate in participative and satisfactory social processes and institutions for professionals of the same area as well as for the community in general, and this certainly would allow us to achieve greater social and

This would be achieved through well-known strategies, dialog, reflection, participation, the willingness of agreements; social tools that can be articulated with other logical (scientific and administrative) and technological (digital means of information and communication) tools. In the complex perspective all these elements have a place and are complementary, as they are

The social-(methodo)logical-technological articulation is carried out through the ethical and social understanding and valuation, which we must give to the educational phenomenon, instead of letting ourselves be caught in traps set by the simplistic view such as the excessive concern for the measurement and evaluation by the quality indicators that have been imposed

Looking for the meaning of education and the actions that generate learning is one of the central features of the socioconstructivist perspective of learning, and this is exactly what a complex and critical educational psychology should promote, as it is precisely in its core that such constructivist perspective is developed. However, it is necessary to recognize, that given the fact that there is a variety of interests and understandings in a society, we could have different meanings when it comes to education; but there is something that should not be forgotten in this twenty-first century, the fact that the imperative of human rights and the preservation of the environment has been established. For this reason, one of the aspects that can mainstream this disparity of interests and senses is the notion of quality of life, which leads to promote healthy and sustainable environments, respectful and reciprocal human

Critical and complex educational psychology must value as an educational purpose the achievement of conditions that ensure a positive and nutritious quality of life for the members of the educational community. In addition, it should promote dialog and democratic consensus among the members of said community, as well as support respect and participation in political and administrative systems. Finally, it should encourage reflection, innovation and adaptation of people, groups and organizations to the incidences of the environment, promot-

political relevance for educational professionals, both for teachers and non-teachers.

school organization.

all products of culture, history and society.

14 Educational Psychology - Between Certitudes and Uncertainties

relations, and self-care behaviors [36, 37].

in the majority of the educational systems in the world [35].

ing change at individual, group and organizational levels.

In light of the above, it can be noted that educational psychology presents a history of respectable tradition, contributing to the development of educational processes for just over 100 years. However, nowadays, a great problem related to the relevance and effectiveness achieved by educational psychologists when trying to contribute to educational improvement has begun to be considered [46].

The foregoing does not imply that this discipline is no longer relevant or obsolete, or that it does not share common topics with education and the school system, but rather that it is restricted by a simplistic and technical view of the person, the community and education in general. This simplistic view specifically emphasizes what is less relevant to society and education: The human being.

For this reason, a way to modify that is to redirect the focus and essence of educational psychology, equipping it with tools such as critical thinking, which will provide spaces for reflection and systematic evaluation in the face of its knowledge and the actions that it undertakes with the purpose of establishing effective and significant changes.

The traditional educational psychology cannot offer the answers that the educational challenges of the twenty-first century demand. Therefore, these answers should be obtained through the construction and evaluation of a critical and complex educational psychology, as the latter values the search of senses, collaboration, participatory reflection, innovation and creativity, etc.

The innovative approach proposed, would offer to the educational system, professionals who understand the mixed nature of the teaching and learning process, which are both individual and collective; value the great imperatives of the twentieth century, such as social participation, the valuation of human and civil rights, the democratization of management spaces, the sustainability of the environment and the impact of the human being in their environment, etc. Concerns that are, in turn, related to the topic of quality of life, which should be one of the central purposes of today's education, as it combines elements of personal well-being, socio-cultural, environmental, etc. [37].

The possibility of generating a critical and complex educational psychology, should be a necessary horizon for this discipline, so that we can move forward with the current challenges and face them with relevant and constructive responses from the society and the human being, which would allow us to lay the foundations for a society that reaches, in the near

A Critical Role of the Psychologist: A Way to Achieve Complexity in Educational Psychology

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80509

17

Educational Science Department, Education and Humanities Faculty, Bio-Bio University,

[1] Arancibia V, Herrera P, Strasser K. Manual de Psicología Educacional. Santiago: Edic.

[2] Coll C, Palacios J, Marchesi A. Desarrollo Psicológico y Educación. Vol. 2. Madrid: Alianza

[4] Colom A. Teoría del caos y práctica educativa. Revista Galega de Ensino. 2005;**13**(47):

[5] Coll C. Enseñar y aprender en el mundo actual: Desafíos y encrucijadas. Pensamiento Iberoamericano. 2010;**7**:44-66. Retrieved from:: http://www.psyed.edu.es/grintie/prod-

[6] Ossa C. Qué es y qué hace el psicólogo educacional. Una Mirada critica para una propuesta compleja. In: Martínez S, Opazo D, Ossa C, Pereira C, Vásquez C, editors. Enfoques Psicosociales Emergentes. Abriendo Rutas Desde lo Local. Concepción: Edic.

[7] Real Academia Española, RAE. Diccionario de lengua española. Edición del tricentena-

[8] Munné F. El retorno de la complejidad y la nueva imagen del ser humano: Hacia una

[9] Ferreira G, De Castro D. Psicologia da Educação: Uma disciplina em crise no pós-construtivismo. Revista Semestral da Associação Brasileira de Psicologia Escolar e Educacional,

psicología compleja. Revista Interamericana de Psicología. 2004;**38**(1):23-31

[3] Morin E. Introducción al Pensamiento Complejo. Barcelona: Gedisa; 2001

Grintie/articulos/CC\_2010\_PensamientoIberoamericano.pdf

rio. 2018. Retrieved from: http://dle.rae.es/?id=BKFoPJO

future, these great ideals that we have today.

Address all correspondence to: cossa@ubiobio.cl

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; 2007

**Author details**

Carlos Ossa-Cornejo

Chillán, Chile

**References**

Editorial; 2001

1325-1343

Universidad del Bio-Bio; 2015

SP. 2012;**16**(1):143-151

This critical and complex educational psychology can support this response relevant to the current educational situation through at least two tools: the first being the institutional metacognition, a tool for school management that, based on reflection and participatory dialog, can contribute to the search of intentional and significant actions in the learning and coexistence of the educational community and school organization [40]; while the second is the role of a critical friend, a performance that educational psychologists can achieve, through advisory instances that seek to promote resignification for change, both on a personal and institutional level [41, 42].

The benefits of this position of critical and complex educational psychology are that, on one hand, there would be conscious and intentional discipline in the achievement of a quality education, while taking care of the development and respect of human values. On the other hand, there would be an innovative educational psychology that promotes an organizational change, so that it would seek to generate instances in order for the community and the educational organization to be able to adapt, in an appropriate way, to the always dynamic sociopolitical and historical environment.

Likewise, elements that have a greater relationship with the social than with the cultural will be reinforced, which would give a space of importance to people rather than, mainly, to knowledge. The promotion of participation, democratization of decisions and critical reflection will enable people to take more informed and respectful decisions regarding the rights of the community.

On the other side, considering the obstacles and disadvantages that may arise, we cannot fail to mention the impact of the paradigm of simplicity that often restricts the development and the potential of the disciplines. Besides, it should be noted that complexity encourages and respects uncertainty and chaos as fundamental parts of the construction of knowledge, and that is exactly what is often not allowed in educational environments.

In relation to the above, it can be projected as a difficulty, the valuation of change in the educational organization, a central element in a critical psychology, as that change is precisely what should give us new answers and development conditions. However, change is an annoying and unpleasant process for many people, and it is a phenomenon that disrupts the continuum of educational institutions, which suggests that educational agents are reluctant to promote and value change as part of the process of human formation.

Finally, we must consider the same construction of educational psychology as a discipline, and the difficulty of modifying the idea that education responds to individual processes, centered on the cognitive and based on logical and orderly sequentialities, issues that have dominated the definition of this field from the traditional perspective.

The possibility of generating a critical and complex educational psychology, should be a necessary horizon for this discipline, so that we can move forward with the current challenges and face them with relevant and constructive responses from the society and the human being, which would allow us to lay the foundations for a society that reaches, in the near future, these great ideals that we have today.

## **Author details**

The innovative approach proposed, would offer to the educational system, professionals who understand the mixed nature of the teaching and learning process, which are both individual and collective; value the great imperatives of the twentieth century, such as social participation, the valuation of human and civil rights, the democratization of management spaces, the sustainability of the environment and the impact of the human being in their environment, etc. Concerns that are, in turn, related to the topic of quality of life, which should be one of the central purposes of today's education, as it combines elements of personal well-being,

This critical and complex educational psychology can support this response relevant to the current educational situation through at least two tools: the first being the institutional metacognition, a tool for school management that, based on reflection and participatory dialog, can contribute to the search of intentional and significant actions in the learning and coexistence of the educational community and school organization [40]; while the second is the role of a critical friend, a performance that educational psychologists can achieve, through advisory instances that seek to promote resignification for change, both on a personal and institutional

The benefits of this position of critical and complex educational psychology are that, on one hand, there would be conscious and intentional discipline in the achievement of a quality education, while taking care of the development and respect of human values. On the other hand, there would be an innovative educational psychology that promotes an organizational change, so that it would seek to generate instances in order for the community and the educational organization to be able to adapt, in an appropriate way, to the always dynamic socio-

Likewise, elements that have a greater relationship with the social than with the cultural will be reinforced, which would give a space of importance to people rather than, mainly, to knowledge. The promotion of participation, democratization of decisions and critical reflection will enable people to take more informed and respectful decisions regarding the rights of the community. On the other side, considering the obstacles and disadvantages that may arise, we cannot fail to mention the impact of the paradigm of simplicity that often restricts the development and the potential of the disciplines. Besides, it should be noted that complexity encourages and respects uncertainty and chaos as fundamental parts of the construction of knowledge, and that

In relation to the above, it can be projected as a difficulty, the valuation of change in the educational organization, a central element in a critical psychology, as that change is precisely what should give us new answers and development conditions. However, change is an annoying and unpleasant process for many people, and it is a phenomenon that disrupts the continuum of educational institutions, which suggests that educational agents are reluctant to promote

Finally, we must consider the same construction of educational psychology as a discipline, and the difficulty of modifying the idea that education responds to individual processes, centered on the cognitive and based on logical and orderly sequentialities, issues that have dominated

socio-cultural, environmental, etc. [37].

16 Educational Psychology - Between Certitudes and Uncertainties

political and historical environment.

is exactly what is often not allowed in educational environments.

and value change as part of the process of human formation.

the definition of this field from the traditional perspective.

level [41, 42].

Carlos Ossa-Cornejo

Address all correspondence to: cossa@ubiobio.cl

Educational Science Department, Education and Humanities Faculty, Bio-Bio University, Chillán, Chile
