Professionals providing psychological-pedagogical assistance in schools: experiences and reflections

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Specialists working in school settings provide crucial psychological and pedagogical support to students, teachers and other members of the school community. As the roles played by psychologists, educators, speech therapists and other specialists vary internationally, more needs to be understood about their lived experiences and perceptions of working in particular school systems. Purpose This study, undertaken in Poland, sought to explore specialists’ experiences of supporting teachers in schools and capture their perceptions of their roles. Method A total of 30 online semi-structured interviews were conducted with psychologists, educators, and speech therapists who were working as specialists in schools. The data were analysed qualitatively, using a two-stage coding procedure based on a grounded theory approach. Findings Through in-depth analysis of rich interview data, three thematic areas emerged: (1) specialists’ collaboration with teachers; (2) specialists’ tasks to support teachers in their work with students; and (3) changes that might assist specialists in better supporting teachers. Their tasks included meeting with students’ parents and other institutions outside the school, conducting interventions, collaborating with teachers and managing documentation. The specialists believed that there were insufficient numbers of them working in their institutions to meet all the needs of students, teachers and parents. Conclusions The study highlights the significance and potential of collaboration between specialists and teachers in fostering students’ development, and the need for resources to ensure that appropriate support can be provided.