Communally engaged educational psychology: A philosophy of engagement

In this article, we provide guidance for educational psychologists who want to advance equity-focused school policies and practices through engaged scholarship. We conceptualize a philosophy of engagement and describe how it can facilitate psychologists' efforts to address the social conditions of people from historically marginalized communities. Using our own philosophy of engagement as a case in point (which we refer to as communally engaged educational psychology), we share stories that showcase opportunities for roles that scholars can play in supporting education decision-makers and community members. Specifically, we illustrate that communal engagement involves building a tribe; identifying pockets of affirmation; establishing communal incubators; and leveraging existing networks to disseminate stories emerging from partnership activities. We then offer a roadmap for putting communal engagement into action by remixing Anderman's (2011) ten challenges for educational psychologists. We conclude with a discussion of the tensions and difficulties scholars may need to navigate when enacting a philosophy of engagement.