Examining school psychology trainees' perceptions regarding school psychologists' key role and function is important because inaccurate perceptions may lead to unmet professional expectations, reduced job satisfaction, and burnout. One hundred and eighty two first‐year school psychology graduate students enrolled in National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) approved and/or American Psychological Association accredited school psychology specialist and/or doctoral training programs were surveyed regarding their perceptions of how school psychologists spend their time. Responses were compared to results from the 2010 NASP survey of school psychologists, in which NASP members reported the percentage of time engaged in various school psychology functions. Respondents in the current sample underestimated time spent conducting special education evaluations t(399.54) = 12.2, p < 0.000, d = 0.76 and overestimated time spent providing individual student counseling, t(465.27) = 2.94, p < 0.001, d = 0.17 and student groups t(444.74) = 5.42, p < 0.001, d = 0.409, η2 = 0.04. A positive correlation between prior professional public school experience and time estimates for special education evaluations was found, r(175) = 0.14, p = 0.03. Implications for the field of school psychology are discussed, including the provision of updated information on key role and function to applicants along with screening to assess knowledge of the field.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.