Applied psychology and the case for individual casework: some reflections on the role of the educational psychologist

The authors consider the changing role of educational psychology in the current era and emphasise the importance of casework‐based interventions not only for influencing systemic work but also for maintaining credibility within the educational marketplace. With in‐school counselling and intervention becoming more popular, the natural providers of this service should be educational psychologists but this may not be the case in many local authorities. The authors consider the possibility of the profession becoming obsolete if there is a continuation of the move away from individual interventions to a more consultative based approach.     

成为真实的自我:罗杰斯心理治疗理念的逻辑指向

罗杰斯首创"来访者中心"心理治疗模式,认为来访者在有条件积极关注下被放逐的自我可以藉由心理治疗师营造的助益性人际关系得以修复。罗杰斯认为人性在本质上是积极向上的,人们生活的最高目标是成为真实的自我。在罗杰斯"来访者中心"心理治疗体系中,"自我"处于奠基性的地位。"成为真实的自我"则是罗杰斯心理治疗理念的逻辑指向。     

注重道德接受心理研究 提高学校道德教育效果

在阐述注重道德接受心理研究的理论及现实依据的基础上,提出了注重道德接受心理研究才能有效提高学校道德教育效果的新思路,并提出了道德接受心理研究的3个主要研究方向：即注重接受主体“前在性”的道德接受心理倾向、道德接受心理障碍以及道德接受心理优化研究。     

A review of interventions for adolescents with insomnia and the role of the educational and child psychologist: when sleep does not come easily

The role of an educational and child psychologist involves the promotion of mental health and wellbeing. While adolescents who have insomnia are usually referred to Primary Healthcare services, it might be argued that insomnia can be seen as a barometer of psychological wellbeing and should warrant a psychological intervention. A search of PSYCHINFO and Medline revealed that interventions carried out thus far with adolescents who have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining quality sleep include Sleep Hygiene and Sleep Education, Cognitive Behavioural and Multi Component interventions. In this review it will be posited that using multi-modal approaches which are tailored to specific needs may have the most positive outcomes in the treatment of insomnia, by helping adolescents to develop a sense of self-efficacy and emotional regulation in the context of family and peer support. Educational and child psychologists are ideally placed to offer this type of input to adolescents with insomnia.     

Decision-oriented educational research in school districts: The role of dissemination processes

This article addresses the broad issue of how research information can be integrated into the policy and decision processes of educational systems. Our specific foci here is on one type of educational system -- school districts; on research designed to answer specific questions for that district; and, on one major element of the research process -- dissemination. This paper draws heavily upon our experiences in a large, urban American school district, where we work on the problem of how to improve the system's evaluation research capability. This work began in 1978 and continues today. This article has four major section. Background is provided on the nature of the collaboration with the school district. Then, basic strategies for conducting decision-oriented educational research that have emerged from the work are described briefly. This is followed by a discussion of the broad issue of research use. The final section is a detailed review of what we have learned about the relationship between dissemination and utilization.     

关于阅读疗法对促进大学生心理健康作用探析

当前,阅读疗法已经得到了越来越广泛的应用。本文针对阅读疗法在大学生心理健康中所发挥的重要作用进行分析和研究。     

Perceptions of the educational counsellor's role in Kuwaiti secondary schools

The counselling literature has frequently reported problems of conflict and ambiguity within the counsellor's role, and its possible dysfunctional effects. Early studies in Kuwaiti secondary schools have suggested that conflicting perceptions of the educational counsellor's role may exist, which need to be addressed if the guidance programme is to be improved. This study examined differences in perceptions of the role of educational counsellors held by students, teachers and counsellors themselves. Questionnaires were completed by a sample of 300 students, 300 teachers and 30 educational counsellors located across Kuwait's five educational zones. Their ratings of the importance of 20 counsellor activities revealed differences in perceptions between the three groups of respondents, indicating that role conflict and ambiguity may indeed be a problem. Possible reasons for this, with specific reference to the Kuwaiti context, are discussed.     

Exploring the role of assistant educational psychologists within local authority educational psychology services in England

Following consistently high demands for educational psychology services (EPSs) and recent influences upon the delivery of EPSs, the contribution of assistant educational psychologists (EPs) was explored via a multiple case study design. Participants included assistant psychologists, EPs and senior/principal psychologists from two local authority EPSs in England. Recorded focus groups and interviews were transcribed and a thematic analysis was conducted to produce a cross case analysis. It was found that the assistant EP role emerged from EP recruitment difficulties and that assistants work in diverse ways to enhance and extend the EPS offer to schools to improve outcomes for children; however, the role did not reduce EP workloads. Challenges to the successful deployment of assistant EPs were highlighted along with implications for their practice and future research. Benefits for the assistants themselves included career progression experience.     

The literature of educational psychology and the literature used by writers in educational psychology

Using Psychological Abstracts as the source of the original sample (“first-level”), various characteristics of the literature of educational psychology are compared with the characteristics of a “second-level” literature (defined as the literature that the first level cites). In particular, the scatter (dispersion) of periodical articles over periodical titles is looked at for both levels. The journals most cited within the literature of educational psychology are identified.     

Facilitating the social participation of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools: A review of school-based interventions

Inclusive education of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has become a global trend. However, a considerable number of studies have shown that mere enrolment in mainstream classrooms is not enough to support the social participation of pupils with SEN. These children are at risk of experiencing difficulties in their involvement with peers at school. Thus, the question arises of how social participation can be fostered in mainstream classrooms. A systematic review of 35 studies was conducted to investigate which interventions are effective in inclusive mainstream preschool and elementary classrooms. Teaching interaction strategies to typically developing pupils, group activities in the academic context (cooperative learning and peer-tutoring), support groups for pupils with SEN, and training paraprofessionals to facilitate social interactions, were found to improve the social participation of pupils with SEN in general education classrooms. Nevertheless, there is need for more intervention studies implementing a variety of strategies and including different groups of pupils with SEN.     

Creativity beyond the formal curriculum: arts-based interventions in post-disaster trauma settings

ABSTRACT

Schools regularly find themselves dealing with the aftermath of family, community and national tragedies. In this article, two university-based educators share their experiences of working with schools to engage children in arts-based activities to support the processing of the traumatic events they endured. In both cases, children in local schools had been traumatised by natural disasters and needed support to enable them to make sense of what had happened and to begin to absorb these events into their own personal histories.

The article summarises the relevant literature on the importance of post-traumatic processing and the use of arts-based methods for this purpose. The two case studies, one from the 2010–2011 New Zealand earthquakes and the other from the 2009 Samoan tsunami, are described separately before common themes are drawn from both cases. The joint findings are discussed using a framework that brings arts-based interventions and post-trauma processing together. The article concludes with the lessons learned from these experiences that might have broader applicability in other pastoral care contexts.     

Developing and sustaining provision for children with motor skills difficulties in schools: the role of educational psychologists

The current paper outlines a three-year action research project with 39 schools in one inner city local authority. A local need to improve provision for children with motor skills difficulties resulted in a team of educational psychologists (EPs) and specialist teachers developing the Manchester Motor Skills Intervention (MMSI), which is a flexible package of support for primary schools. Support provided ranged from staff training and resources aimed to improve universal provision through to motor skills groups for targeted children. A mixed method evaluation was undertaken which aimed to establish which aspects of the MMSI schools found most useful and whether the programme was sustainable. The evaluation involved interviews at the end of the two-year project and school provision audits one year after the project had ceased. Participants valued the contribution of the research team to the development of a targeted intervention programme and the provision of ongoing support, while evidence suggests that the whole-school element of the MMSI requires further development. Some barriers and facilitators to sustainability are identified and discussed.     

The professional role and exercise of the role of educational assistance professionals in schools with School Integration Programs in Chile

The incorporation of health professionals into inclusive schools is increasingly necessary. However, the work of these professionals has not yet been studied globally. This qualitative research analyses the perceptions of speech therapists, psychologists, physical therapists and occupational therapists on the role that educational policy defines for working in schools with School Integration Programmes in Chile. Through chain sampling, 52 professionals were interviewed. The data were analysed inductively through thematic analysis. The results show that the role defined by policies for professionals is not in line with the needs of schools and the aspirations of the inclusive approach. The exercise of the role emerges as a distinct entity from the defined role that seems to be more responsive to the needs of schools and students. Interviewees described tensions related to the role in schools, professional training, working conditions and contextual features that would permeate the role that the policy mandates them to play. The findings of the study promote new research horizons related to the role of professional assistants, where research is still incipient worldwide, and invite reflection on the importance of designing education policies with a bottom-up approach to capture the needs presented by learners and professional teams.     

Investigating the effect of school‐wide positive behavioral interventions and supports on student learning and behavioral problems in elementary and middle schools

Many states have scaled up School‐Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW‐PBIS) with the goal of improving student behavior and academic outcomes. Although the effects of SW‐PBIS on behavioral and discipline outcomes have been promising, the findings for academic achievement have been inconclusive and are often limited to cross‐sectional data. This paper examined the longitudinal effect of SW‐PBIS on student behavioral problems and academic achievement growth in elementary and middle schools using propensity score matching. We found no statistically significant longitudinal effects of SW‐PBIS on either student behavior problems or academic achievement among elementary and middle schools in this quasi‐experimental design, even though the positive direction of longitudinal changes would be identified. The result raised questions about the efficacy of SW‐PBIS using a statewide achievement test when scaled up to a state level. Additional research is needed to better understand the impact of SW‐PBIS using rigorous scale‐up designs.     

浅谈教育科研在农村中小学的重要作用

教育科研是以教育科学理论为武器 ,以教育领域中发生的现象为研究对象 ,以探索教育规律为目的的创造性的认识活动。它是一种有目的、有计划、系统的、连续的探索活动。广大的教育工作者为了适应新世纪的挑战 ,要培养出大批创新人才 ,就必须积极参加教育科研 ,用科学教育理论来武装自己 ,不断探索新的管理方法和教学方法 ,不断发展教育教学理论 ,创造性地完成教育教学任务。教育科研是广大教师的一项群体性研究活动 ,它关系着教育事业的发展 ,关系着学校的兴旺 ,关系着教师的成长 ,关系着创新人才的成批培养 ,在农村中小学起着举足轻重的作用…     

合理情绪疗法在大学生择业心理调适中的应用

面对日益激烈的就业竞争,大学生在择业时往往容易产生压力过大、焦虑、退缩等心理问题。在指导学生进行心理疏导或调适时,合理情绪疗法是较易操作也是较为常见的心理咨询方法。文章介绍了合理情绪疗法的基本原理,结合大学生择业时常见的心理问题,探讨运用合理情绪疗法调适大学生择业心理问题的实施办法。     

英语教学中心理学的运用探讨

心理学观点认为大学英语中学生自身的动力与自觉性对教学的影响丝毫不逊于教材、课程对学生的影响程度。学生拥有健康的心理状态,在英语的学习中才能实现较高的学习效率。教师在教学中应关注学生的心理状态,针对学生学习英语的关键心理因素特征,制定相应的教学策略以激发学生的学习动力,增其自信心,养成良好的英语学习习惯,提升英语的学习和创造能力。