Teachers' perceptions of the work of psychologists in schools

Abstract

The paper reports the results of a survey carried out in Western Australia to ascertain how teachers and principals view the work of psychologists (guidance officers) in schools. A representative sample of teachers in primary and secondary schools rated the frequency of a wide range of activities they perceived being carried out by psychologists, how well these activities were carried out, and whether they would like to see more or less of them. Perceptions of the process and quality of service delivery and the qualifications and experience of guidance officers were also sampled. The results indicated that traditional child-centred activities were still rated by most school staff as occurring more frequently than newer, system-centred ones. There were significant differences in the perception of the quantity and qualities of services received between teachers and principals and between those with most contact with psychologists versus those with least. Implications of the results for education-based psychological services are discussed.