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The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the primary professional organization for educational psychologists. Founded in 1916, it is concerned primarily with encouraging and promoting scholarly work, including research and writing, that is associated with the educational process. Another important role that AERA plays is the dissemination of information related to its mission.

The 25,000 members of the organization are a collection of scholars and practitioners from diverse fields, well represented by the 12 divisions that the organization hosts (see the following box for the names of these divisions).

Each of these divisions (and members often belong to more than one) carries on its own activities, including the election of officers, the publication of a newsletter, the granting of awards for outstanding research by graduate students as well as professionals, and a listserv so that members can remain abreast of new developments.

In addition to its 12 divisions, AERA also sponsors special interest groups (SIGs), which are less formal than divisions but serve many of the same purposes. As is apparent by the list (see the following box), SIGs are of a much more specific nature than are divisions. As of 2006–2007, there are 42 SIGs and each SIG has a program of awards as well.

American Educational Research Association Divisions

Administration, Organization, & Leadership (Division A)

Curriculum Studies (Division B)

Learning & Instruction (Division C)

Measurement & Research Methodology (Division D)

Counseling & Human Development (Division E)

History & Historiography (Division F)

Social Context of Education (Division G)

School Evaluation & Program Development (Division H)

Education in the Professions (Division I)

Postsecondary Education (Division J)

Teaching & Teacher Education (Division K)

Educational Policy & Politics (Division L)

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Action Research

Adolescence and Youth Development

Adulthood and Aging

Adult Literacy and Adult Education

Advanced Studies of National Databases

Advanced Technologies for Learning

Arts and Inquiry in the Visual and Performing Arts in Education

Arts and Learning

Arts-Based Educational Research

Associates for Research on Private Education

Bilingual Education Research

Biographical and Documentary Research

Brain, Neurosciences, and Education

Business Education & Computer Information System

Career and Technical Education

Career Development

Chaos & Complexity Theories

Charter School Research and Evaluation

Classroom Assessment

Classroom Management

Classroom Observation

Cognition and Assessment

Communication of Research

Comprehensive School Reform

Computer and Internet Applications in Education

Conflict Resolution and Violence Prevention

Confluent Education

Constructivist Theory, Research, and Practice

Cooperative Learning: Theory, Research and Practice

Critical Educators for Social Justice

Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class and Gender in Education

Critical Issues in Curriculum and Cultural Studies

Critical Perspectives on Early Childhood Education

Cultural Historical Research

Democratic Citizenship in Education

Design and Technology

Disability Studies in Education

Districts in Research and Reform

Doctoral Education across the Disciplines

Early Education and Child Development

Ecological and Environmental Education

Education, Health, and Human Services

Educational Change

Educational Enterprises

Educational Statisticians

Education and Philanthropy

Education and Student Development in Cities

Education and the World Wide Web

Faculty Teaching, Evaluation, and Development

Family, School, Community Partnerships

Fiscal Issues, Policy, and Education Finance

Foucault and Education

Hierarchical Linear Modeling

Hispanic Research Issues

Holistic Education

Home Economics Research

Inclusion & Accommodation in Large-Scale Assessment

Indigenous Peoples of the Americas

Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific

Informal Learning Environments Research

Instructional Technology

International Studies

Invitational Education

Ivan Illich

John Dewey Society

Language and Social Processes

Large Scale Assessment

Law and Education

Leadership for School Improvement

Leadership for Social Justice

Learning and Teaching in Educational

Leadership Learning Environments

Learning Sciences

Literature

Lives of Teachers

Longitudinal Studies

Marxian Analysis of Society, Schools and Education

Measurement Services

Media, Culture, and Curriculum

Mentorship and Mentoring

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