Correlates of vocational practice among school psychologists

Abstract

This study surveyed 362 school psychologists to: (a) identify the percentages of school psychologists who have had some involvement in the practices of vocational assessment, vocational counseling, consultation with vocational education teachers, and vocational program or curriculum development, and (b) identify factors that are associated with such vocational involvement. Results indicated that 30-40% of those school psychologists surveyed reported some involvement in vocational assessment, vocational counseling, and consultation with vocational education teachers, while only 12% indicated involvement with vocational program or curriculum development. Sex, experience, salary, perceived control over role functioning, and involvement in practices other than traditional assessment were found to be associated with increased involvement in vocational activities. Results also indicated that school psychologists who were certified guidance counselors, and who were members of the American Association of Counseling and Development, were more likely to be involved in vocational practices than were school psychologists who were not so certified or affiliated. Results are discussed in terms of their implication for involving greater numbers of school psychologists in vocational practices.

Technical and professional education.

“…Shepard and Hohenshil (1983) surveyed 218 practicing school psychologists and found i,hat 75% of the respondents applied 3% or less of their time to vocational responsibilities, and that 91% felt unprepared to provide effective vocational services, despite perceiving these activities to be important. Levinson (1988), in a study of Pennsylvania school psychologists, found that 66% had no involvement in vocational assessment, 61% had no involvement in vocational counseling, 59% had not consulted with vocational instructors, and 87% had no involvement in vocational program development. Similarly, Carey (1995), in a national study of school psychologists, found that less than I% of time was spent in vocational assessment.…”

“…In the last 15 years, much has been written about the school psychologist's involvement in vocational ed-ucation, most comnionly with regard to the provision of vocational assessment and the transition from school to work services (Levinson, 1993(Levinson, , 1998. The fact that five major publications of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) all include a chapter relevant to vocational/career development, vocational assessment.…”