School Psychology Students Research Articles

School Psychology Students, Faculty, and Practitioners: An Evaluation of Training Experiences, Knowledge, and Comfort with GLBTQ Students

School Psychology Students, Faculty, and Practitioners: An Evaluation of Training Experiences, Knowledge, and Comfort with GLBTQ Students

International Knowledge Displayed by School Psychology Students in the U.S.A.

Psychology isbecoming a global profession whose members are expected to display knowledge ofinternational events and conditions that may impact their discipline. Knowledgeof important international events and conditions seemingly enables professionalpersonnel to more effectively obtain and use global resources and understand andguide global policy. Prior studies found young adults in the U.S.A. generallydisplay less knowledge of international issues than their age peers in otherindustrialized countries ( Cogan,Torney-Purta, & Anderson, 1988 ; Roper ASW, 2002 ; Roper Public Affairs GFK,2006 ; Zhao,Lin, & Hoge, 2007 ). This study examines the degreeof international knowledge displayed by 438 school psychology students in theU.S.A. over six domains: international relations, global demographics, currentevents, international economics, international school psychology, and geography.The students generally display a higher level of international knowledge thanother young adults in the U.S.A., and at a level similar to age peers in otherindustrialized nations. Participants enrolled in doctoral degree programs,males, and those who have traveled more broadly display higher levels ofinternational knowledge.

Teaching Psychological Report Writing

The purpose of this article is to discuss the process of teaching graduate students in school psychology to write psychological reports that teachers and parents find readable and that guide intervention. The consensus from studies across four decades of research is that effective psychological reports connect to the client’s context; have clear links between the referral questions and the answers to these questions; have integrated interpretations; address client strengths and problem areas; have specific, concrete, and feasible recommendations; and are adapted to the language and literacy level of the reader. The Hayes and Flower model of the writing process is the conceptual framework used to describe the process of teaching report writing. This involves a constructivist approach to supervision and the use of specific strategies that may be effective in teaching graduate students to formulate the case, adapt their writing to the language and literacy level of the reader, set goals, and generate and organize the text.

The Relationship between Student Learning Styles and Motivation during Educational Video Game Play

Educational video games allow for a level of intrinsic motivation and engagement that is not found in other forms of learning. This study determines if students found educational video game play to be a motivating experience and if a relationship existed between student learning styles and levels of motivation. High school psychology students played two short online educational video games and, upon completion of the activity, their intrinsic motivation levels were determined using an evaluation questionnaire. The data, as determined by the evaluation questionnaire, revealed that students found playing educational video games to be intrinsically motivating. Further examination revealed no statistically significant differences between the student learning styles and the motivation experienced during educational video game play.

Successful graduate students: The roles of personality traits and emotional intelligence

AbstractGiven the complex role of school psychologists, it is in the interest of stakeholders to identify characteristics related to student success in graduate training, which is suggestive of their effectiveness as practitioners. This study explores the relationship of personality traits and Emotional Intelligence (EI) to graduate students' performance in the classroom and the field. Participants were 63 school psychology students who completed measures of EI and Big Five personality traits. These measures were compared with two outcomes that can be indicators of success: Graduate grade point average (GGPA) and supervisor ratings of student performance at internship upon completion of their studies. EI was significantly correlated with GGPA; personality traits were not. The personality trait Conscientiousness and EI were significantly correlated with internship ratings. The implications and limitations of this preliminary data set for school psychology training programs are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Current Practices and Future Directions in Psychopharmacological Training and Collaboration in School Psychology

School psychologists frequently examine children who are prescribed psychotropic medications. With advanced training in psychological assessment and professional consultation, school psychologists may play an integral role in assisting with children’s psychopharmacological treatment regimens. In this vein, this article discusses various ways for school psychologists to overcome barriers to collaborating with physicians including, strategies to overcoming obstacles related to cross-discipline information sharing time or workload constraints, communication challenges, and professional role expectations. Finally, the article discusses ways for school psychology students or practitioners of school psychology to increase their knowledge of pediatric psychopharmacology relative to their current training or experience.

Journal Coverage of Issues Related to English Language Learners Across Student-Service Professions

.The number of students who are classified as English language learners (ELLs) is increasing within schools across the United States. Thus, it is important that school professionals have access to information regarding research-based assessment, prevention, and intervention practices that reflect the appropriate provision of services to this population. This study examined peer-reviewed articles published between 1995 and 2005 to explore the extent to which issues related to ELL students are examined in school psychology journals as compared to professional counseling, special education, and speech-language journals. Results revealed that each of the journals examined are publishing articles related to ELL students. The number and percentage of articles addressing issues related to ELL students in school psychology is relatively small (n = 113; 6.5%). Furthermore, the majority of the school psychology ELL articles had an incidental focus on ELL issues, and over 50% of these focused on assessment or eligibility issues.

Promoting the Acceptance of Sexual Diversity in a Class of Fifth Grade Boys

A systemic approach was used to modify school climate in a study involving a boy with stereotypically feminine behaviors. School psychology students held a series of group counseling sessions on alternate weeks with a class of four 11-year-old fifth grade boys to promote the acceptance of diversity. At the beginning of the school year, a great deal of bullying and conflict were directed at the youngster who exhibited traditionally feminine behaviors and interests. At the end of the school year, teacher and staff reports were collected and a class focus group was conducted. Students' acceptance of differences and resolution of problems through verbal discussion was evidenced by these qualitative measures. Interviews with school staff the following school year indicated one altercation had occurred but, in general, gains had been maintained.

Doctoral students' beliefs about authorship credit for dissertations.

This study used 8 vignettes to investigate the beliefs of 326 doctoral students in school psychology concerning credit for authorship of an article based on the dissertation. The vignettes varied according to who originated the topic of the dissertation (student or advisor) and who wrote an article based on the dissertation and received credit for authorship on that article. Responses to the vignettes indicated that respondents believed it is more desirable and ethical for a dissertation design to be that of the student rather than of the advisor. Respondents also believed that it is more desirable and ethical for the student to be either sole or first author of an article based on the dissertation, regardless of who (student or advisor) originated the topic.

The March of Remembrance and Hope: Teaching and Learning about Diversity and Social Justice through the Holocaust

Background Experiential learning has been posited as an approach to influencing preservice teachers’ understanding of diversity and social justice. The research reported here examined the impact of a field-based experience in Poland focused on the Holocaust as it pertained to the beliefs and actions of 12 future education professionals. This program, the March of Remembrance and Hope (MRH), took place in Poland in May 2003; the pretrip preparation occurred in January-May 2003 at a large southeastern university. Five of the participants were preservice teachers, and 7 were graduate students in either counseling psychology or school psychology. The MRH is an international interfaith trip to Holocaust sites in Poland, sponsored by the March of the Living, Israel. The MRH educates participants, primarily Gentiles, about the Holocaust and the dangers of intolerance and racism. Purpose of Study The authors are teacher educators committed to multicultural teacher education and teaching about social justice. Thus, we generated the following questions to guide this research: (1) How did the experience of the MRH influence participants’ knowledge of, attitudes about, and actions regarding diversity? (2) How, if at all, did participants connect the MRH experience to issues of social justice? Research Design Three case studies, exemplars of the impact of this experience, are presented and discussed in relation to the literature on effective multicultural teacher education, experiential education, and Holocaust education. Conclusions Results indicated that the MRH had a significant effect on the thinking and actions of students related to diversity and social justice. If the goal of multicultural education is to facilitate changes in future education professionals’ knowledge, beliefs, and actions, then it is important to take note of the aspects of the MRH experience that so affected Silas, Rachel, and Penny, the students described in the case studies. The literature on teacher education for diversity indicates that traditional approaches to multicultural education have minimal long-term impact. By contrast, the effects of the MRH took time to process and, as of this writing, appear not to have faded over time. And, although the academic preparation was critical to their understanding of the Holocaust, the authentic experience of the MRH had the greatest impact on these students’ thinking about diversity and their willingness to take action against social injustice.

School Psychology in Nova Scotia

School psychologists working in Nova Scotia (NS) were surveyed to determine their current practices and preferred future roles. The goals of the study were to: (a) provide insight into the practice of school psychology in NS, (b) compile a valuable resource for potential students entering into the field, (c) provide information for educational programs preparing school psychology students, and (d) encourage interprovincial communication across the Canadian provinces. Results of the surveys indicate that there have been dramatic changes in the practice of school psychology in NS over the past two decades. Along with increasing numbers of positions and more specific training, there has been an increase in time spent in psychoeducational assessment as well as further diversification of roles (intervention, prevention, consultation). There is a strong desire to decrease time spent in the psychoeducational role and increase time in the area of preventative services. Implications for practicing and upcoming school psychologists are discussed.

Preschool Teacher Support Through Class-Wide Intervention

Preparing professionals for class-wide consultation has a significant role in achieving goals associated with recent legislation and reform initiatives. Class-wide interventions are used to target achievement and social learning, are under a teacher's control and responsibility, and build on basic classroom interactions, routines, and resources. However, teachers may require considerable contextual appraisal and support from consultants. The purpose of this paper is to describe a teacher- support program evolving from Head Start consultations by school psychology students. Implications for training and practice are discussed.

School psychology students' perceptions of their practicum experiences

We surveyed a national sample of 139 school psychology students to better understand their perceptions of their practicum experiences. Specifically, we examined the students' reports of the types of activities in which they engage during practicum experiences and their perceptions of their school-based supervisors' activities. This information is potentially important as school psychology engages in a paradigm shift. Although most school psychology programs may teach students the proposed new and expanded roles, it is unclear whether field-based experiences are congruent with such university-based training. Results indicate that students spent the majority of their practicum time in assessment-related activities. They were generally satisfied with their practicum experience and supervisor, although many knew little about the range of their supervisor's activities. Most field-based practicum supervisors appeared to provide limited modeling of new and expanded roles. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 727–736, 2006.

Implications of Technology for Social and Emotional Communication

Communication technologies are transforming school psychology training and professional practices. To determine the effect of various communication technologies, this exploratory study contrasted three different communication modalities, including the receipt of messages via video, audio, and text. School psychology students were randomly assigned to those three conditions and asked to interpret the emotional intensity of a message conveyed in a case study concerning sexual and psychological abuse. Results showed different response patterns under the various conditions. Members of the group reading a text of the case study rated the emotional intensity as more extreme than did the members of the video and audio groups, both of whom had nonverbal affective information available to them. Practical implications for training and practice are discussed.

Achieving ethnic minority parity in school psychology

AbstractThe article addresses the demographic characteristics of students in school psychology programs nationwide with respect to providing a rationale for the importance of increasing the proportion of minority school psychologists who are underrepresented. Emphasis on training culturally competent psychologists is reviewed within a historical context. Barriers impeding the graduate training of minority students in school psychology are delineated. Feasible strategies to recruit minority students and faculty are presented. The implications for training and practice are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 443–450, 2004.

Learning to Consult and Collaborate in the High School: A Two-Year Study of Perceptions from University Student Team Members

Collaboration in the schools is an important intervention for providing services to students and staff members. The majority of studies regarding collaborative consultation between school psychologists and teachers have been conducted at the elementary and middle school levels. Further, little has been written about teaching collaborative consultation at the university level to preservice educators.This article describes a two-year project designed to teach collaboration at the university level to two groups of high school teacher interns and school psychology students enrolled in separate courses. Teacher trainees identified problems within their classrooms with which they needed assistance and school psychology students collaborated with them to find appropriate interventions. The process was examined at the end of each spring semester for two years through focus groups led by the two university professors. Analysis of the group interactions indicated similarities and differences between the two student groups. First-year students spent a great deal of time and energy establishing a relationship with their partners and supporting this positive interaction, however, specific, practical interventions were neglected. Students in the second-year group were better able to collaborate on the implementation of actual interventions. This was attributed to additional structure and accountability measures added to the courses. Recommendations for future collaboration training experiences are outlined by the authors.

PREDOCTORAL PSYCHOLOGY INTERN SELECTION: DOES PROGRAM TYPE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the type of program (school psychology, clinical psychology or counseling psychology) is a factor in the predoctoral psychology internship selection process. Simulated application materials describing a prospective intern, identical in all respects except for the doctoral program type, were randomly sent to 535 directors of Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) internship sites. One-third of the sites each received application materials that indicated that the student's training was in an APA-accredited clinical psychology program, an APA-accred- ited counseling psychology program, or an APA-accredited school psychology program. Internship directors or intern selection committee members from 302 APPIC-listed internship sites responded, resulting in a 58% response rate.There is a pattern of greater acceptance for students from clinical psychology programs, with students from counseling psychology programs accepted somewhat less frequently, and stu- dents from school psychology programs being most often rejected. The results suggest that internship selectors may use a judgment heuristic that clinical psychology students are more suited to internships than are counseling and – especially – school psychology students during initial screening of internship applicants, even though there is no empirical evidence to support the heuristic. Internship selectors are advised to become more aware of potential biases toward students from counseling and school psychology programs.

School Psychology Students' Beliefs About Their Preparation and Concern With Ethical Issues

This study investigated school psychology doctoral students' beliefs concerning their preparation for, and concern about, dealing with 12 ethical issues based on year in graduate school and whether they had taken an ethics course. Two hundred thirty-three doctoral students from 18 of the 44 American Psychological Association accredited programs in school psychology listed in the December 1996 issue of the American Psychologist completed ethical issues surveys. Results showed that students who had taken an ethics course and those with more years of graduate education said they felt more prepared to deal with ethical issues than students who had not taken an ethics course and who had fewer years of graduate education. Participants believed they were least prepared to deal with ethical issues involving child custody cases, possible ethical violations by colleagues, and potentially violent clients. Participants' concern about dealing with ethical issues was negatively related to their number of internship hours.

Learning Consultation: An Ethnographic Analysis

An ethnographic study of the experiences of people learning to consult revealed three primary themes. Content analysis and subsequent structural corroboration of three data sets (consultation logs, individual papers articulating consultation guidelines, and the instructor’s written responses to sequential submissions of consultation logs) indicated participants’ (a) application of procedures, (b) awareness of professional perspectives, and (c) emphasis on attending to relationships. Participants were 8 graduate students in school psychology randomly selected from 32 volunteers over 4 years. This study is reported as a contribution to the empirical knowledge base of consultation and as a demonstration of how ethnographic research methods may be applied for extending scientific understandings in school psychology.

The effect of positive or negative frame on the choices of students in school psychology and educational administration.

The effect of positive or negative frame on the choices of students in school psychology and educational administration.