M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The pressure exerted on schools in South Africa to provide student support is ever increasing. This is directly attributable to the lack of support in the child’s home, often with both parents being absent due to work obligations. As a result, the growing need for classroom support rests solely upon the teacher. Teachers are finding themselves in a very difficult position, firstly to find the time with already full schedules looking after the curriculum and extramural activities, and secondly feeling incompetent to adequately provide the learner with the required support. The need for inter-professional collaboration between the teacher and the educational psychologist is clear. The educational psychologist is adequately trained to provide the necessary learner support, albeit facing a logistical problem of reaching all the learners in the school. To overcome this problem, the help of the teacher is vitally important. The question that arises and which is investigated further in this study, is: What is the nature of this inter-professional collaboration between the teacher and educational psychologist that is required to address the learner’s need for classroom support? To fully grasp and understand this concept of collaboration, the analysis has been applied within the framework of the existing interaction model which classifies it into two dimensions, one being relationship interaction and the other the interaction with the organisational milieu. The research methodology used in this study can be described as a qualitative study. The study took place within an interpretative paradigm with participants being chosen using a goal-orientated sample. The participants were selected from a single school within the Gauteng educational system, to ensure the study remains focused. The data were collected from research journals, semi-structured individual interviews and uncompleted questionnaires. Finally, the data was analysed by making use of a qualitative content analysis method.

The current literature suggests an increasing need for mental health services for school-age children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999; Friedman, Katz-Levey, Manderschied, and Sondhiemer 1996; Costello, Mustillo, Erkanli, Keeler, and Angold, 2003; Kataoka, Zhang, and Wells 2002 and Kessler, Berglund, Demier, Jin, Merkangas, and Walters, 2005). Research indicates that the schools may be the ideal place for children to receive such services. Studies have found that school psychologists do spend some of their time providing counseling, however the time spent on these services is significantly limited (Curtis et al, 1999; Bramlett et al 2002; Yates 2003; and Villarin,2005; and Curtis et al, 2008). While other studies have examined the provision of individual and group counseling by school psychologists, they have not provided operational definitions of what constitutes mental health services. Moreover, a review of mental health services provided by school psychologists has not been conducted since the reauthorization of IDEA in 2004, which may have impacted the amount of time school psychologists have to provide various services in schools. The purpose of this study was to examine if school psychologists currently provide mental health services. In addition this study examined if school psychologists perceived providing mental health services as their role, and their level of satisfaction with their current role and function. A sample of 118 of 1,000 school psychologists from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) listserv completed the survey. The results indicated that, the majority (83.3%) of school psychologists reported being satisfied with their current role and function. The majority (75.2%) of school psychologists also perceived the provision of mental health services as part of their role. While the majority of school psychologists indicated that they provided mental health service, the amount of time dedicated to the provision of services was less than 10% of time per week. The most frequent barriers to providing mental health services were limited time, and the need for additional training. The most frequent barriers for provision of services, by participants not currently providing services were employer policies and procedures and limited time. Determinates of provision of mental health services included training, and employment in areas using Non-categorical classification. Overall, the participants indicated that they did not see any significant changes in the provision of mental health services they provide, since the reauthorization of IDEA in 2004.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, French brain and mind scientists filled publications with “case studies” – written works of varying lengths on individual patients or human subjects. This dissertation shows the clinical and conceptual labor that brain and mind scientists employed to transform individual cases into epistemologically meaningful case studies. More specifically, it tracks the rise, fall and afterlife of a model of the case study that emerged in the Salpêtrière in the 1870s and ultimately fell out of scientific favor in the 1890s. In this model, neurologists, psychiatrists and psychologists had a common goal of presenting case study subjects as simple representatives of diseases or faculties of mind, but the strategies they used to attain that goal transformed. Clinicians’ literary strategies for presenting cases as simple gave way to an increasing emphasis on the selection of cases perceived to be inherently simple, particularly in the case studies of neurologist J.M. Charcot and his students. Meanwhile, psychologist Alfred Binet created procedures for generating simplicity experimentally that would impact early intelligence tests, challenging the stability of the distinction between case studies and statistical methods in the brain and mind sciences.

Bibliography: pages 78-83. / The application of systemic principles to a consultancy model was explored, using the systemic problem-solving methodologies developed in Britain by Burden (1978, 1981, 1983) and Checkland (1981). It is argued that, in addition to the traditional role of the educational psychologist as a child and family psychologist, the role of the educational psychologist should be extended to include a function as a consultant to social systems. The focus of the intervention was the children in the junior-primary section of a boarding-school. A team of consultants was formed for the duration of the intervention. The team comprised of key members from the system and the novice educational psychologist, with the academic supervisor acting as an outside consultant. The analysis focused on rules and patterns. Patterns of communication, support, isolation and problem-solving were highlighted. The intervention focused on structural changes. Structural changes, attitudinal changes and the process itself were evaluated. Agreement by consensus was used as a measure of change. Consensus was reached that the model had impacted positively on the problem-solving skills of the team and the previous isolation of team members. However limited news of difference was found in relation to the children. This was connected to the fact that many of the changes had not been implemented fully or for a sufficient period of time.

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The role and function of school psychologists and changes in such since Public Law 94-142 have been the subject of research by numerous authors. However, more speculation than empirical data exists on the topic. Although speculation in the profession has suggested about equally that the role and function of the school psychologist has changed and has not changed since Public Law 94-142, studies have failed to substantiate such speculation one way or the other. The population of school psychologists in Virginia was chosen for the present study because of existing research using this population conducted by Murray in 1975, before Public Law 94-142 came into full effect. The study was designed to answer the following eight research questions: (1) What expectations do school psychologists have for attributes? (2) What is the relative degree of importance that school psychologists attach to participations in various professional activities? (3) What is the relative degree of importance that school psychologists attach to the various functions of their present position? (4) What is the relative frequency with which school psychologists perform the various functions of their present position? (5) What is the relative degree of importance that school psychologists attach to the various functions of their present position compared to the relative frequency with which they actually perform those same functions? (6) What are school psychologists' expectations for their performances of specific functions? (7) What is the influence of selected demographic variables on school psychologists' expectations for their performances of specific functions? (8) What is the degree of consensus between the results obtained in this study and those obtained in Murray’s study relative to the areas outlined above? Data were collected via mailed surveys using a personal data form, to gain demographic information, and a modified form of the questionnaire used by Murray (1975). Three hundred nineteen members of the Virginia Association of School Psychologists were mailed survey materials, and a response rate of 80.5% was obtained. Of this total, one hundred seventy-six met the requirements necessary to be included in the data analysis. Demographic information was obtained and frequency counts of modified questionnaire responses revealed information relative to school psychologists’ expectations for attributes, participations in professional activities, and performances of functions, as well as importance attached to, and frequency of performance of, various functions. One-way ANOVA procedures were used to determine the relationship between overall expectations for performances of various functions scores and demographic variables. No significant differences were found among demographic variables. Chi-square procedures were used to compare the present expectations for role and function with those of Murray (1975). Results indicated that many specific aspects of the Virginia school psychologist's expectations for role and function have changed since 1975 and new roles have emerged. Changes were seen in expectations for attributes, participation in professional activities, and performance of various functions yet these specific changes in expectations have not led to changes in importance attached to, or actual frequency of performance of, functions. Several implications were drawn from the results of the present study leading to recommendations for school psychologists and trainers, and employers of school psychologists, as well as professional school psychology organizations. The recommendations focused on training for school psychologists and topics for further research. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The importance of delivering psychological services, particularly in disadvantaged communities is acknowledged by policy makers. Yet, little information exists about how communities view psychologists and psychological services. This study explores how key informants and primary health care service users in a peri-urban community in the Western Cape perceive psychologists and their profession. Focus groups were conducted with primary health care service users and in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants. Results were content analysed. These results indicate that this community’s conceptualisation of psychology incorporates both Western and indigenous notions and concepts which are utilised simultaneously. Psychology is viewed positively as a profession that can aid individuals and groups in dealing with and resolving intra- and interpersonal problems and conflicts. Those with mental health problems are still subject to a great deal of stigmatisation. The fear of being labelled makes the utilisation of the services of a psychologist or other mental health professional highly unlikely in several instances. This problem is exacerbated by issues related to the availability of and access to such services, as well as the quality of available care. Nonetheless, these participants state that psychologists themselves can make a positive contribution to addressing these issues, starting with active involvement in communities and providing information regarding the nature and value of the work they do. This information is critical if we are to design and implement comprehensive intervention strategies that allow for meaningful and informed participation within communities.