Assessment practices of educational psychologists in Aotearoa/New Zealand: from diagnostic to dialogic ways of working

Abstract

Psychologists working in education in Aotearoa/New Zealand work in diverse educational environments making day-to-day decisions informed by evidence-based practice. As a relatively small professional group with a complex work programme, they contribute to the assessments and decision-making processes of children and young people across multiple settings. This paper explores the results of a small-scale national survey of psychologists working in education through the Ministry of Education. Results showed that these psychologists use at least 25 assessment methods including assessments within behavioural, emotional, social, and cognitive domains. The assessment data are used for three primary reasons: to understand the child, inform decision-making, and contribute to discussions around appropriate interventions. The use of interviews, observation and collaboration were identified as key to their assessment practices, illustrating a preference towards more dialogic and ecological ways of working. While the majority used assessment practices that align with facilitating the learning of the child across contexts, the psychologists reported that ethical dilemmas arose when they were expected to be more diagnostic in their focus.