Teachers' perceptions of the role of the school psychologist and the utilization of psychological services in one southeastern suburban high school

This qualitative research study investigated high school teachers' perceptions of the role of the school psychologist and how they utilized psychological services to improve the educational outcomes of their students. A descriptive, multiple case study design were used to describe the results. The participants included ten teachers from the general education curriculum, which had never requested psychological services from the researcher, prior to this study. The in-depth interviews were conducted at one suburban high school, located in the southeast. The study sought to examine the following information: (1) teachers' knowledge of the role and functions of the school psychologist; (2) how teachers have utilized psychological services to improve the educational outcomes of their students; (3) what services teachers desire from school psychologists which would provide the most support to teachers, staff members, and students; and (4) whether teachers can differentiate the services between school psychologists, social workers, and guidance counselors.;The results suggested that most teachers had limited knowledge of the role and functions of the school psychologist, and perceived their predominant role as performing psycho-educational assessments for special education placement. Some of the teachers utilized consultation services from the school psychologist, as a result of collaborating with them during Student Support Team (SST) meetings. Many teachers indicated that the most beneficial service from the school psychologist consisted of providing classroom strategies and student interventions. Most of the teachers confused the roles of the school psychologist with those of social workers and guidance counselors. Primarily, teachers made student referrals to guidance counselors, and assumed they would contact the proper service provider if necessary. Most of the teachers suggested that the school psychologist should give a presentation during a faculty meeting, informing staff members of psychological services available in this high school, including their contact information. Further investigation of the perceptions of school personnel is suggested to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological services provided in the schools.