School Psychologists' Sense of Self-Efficacy for Consultation

Abstract

The Consultation Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) was developed and validated to assess school psychologists' perceptions of self-efficacy for engaging in school-based consultation. A pilot study with graduate students (N = 92) indicated high internal consistency (α = .99) and provided evidence of discriminant validity, as a group with more consultation experience had significantly higher total self-efficacy scores (M = 512.25) than a moderately experienced group (M = 437.35). Subsequently, a sample of 347 practicing school psychologists completed a revised CSES, consistently endorsing moderate to high levels of consultation self-efficacy (M = 404.08, SD = 51.73). Although consultation self-efficacy was hypothesized to be a multidimensional construct, exploratory factor analysis indicated a single-factor structure. Construct validity of the instrument was supported by significant correlations between school psychologists' consultation self-efficacy ratings and perceptions of their ability to respond to hypothetical consultation referral problems (r = .69, p < .01), and regression analysis found that years of experience and time spent consulting with teachers predicted psychologists' self-efficacy scores.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Meaghan C. Guiney

Meaghan C. Guiney, PhD, is a clinical assistant professor with the School of Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her research focuses on the development of school-based consultants. She teaches courses on ethics and professional issues in school psychology, behavior assessment and intervention, and administration and supervision of school psychologists.

Abigail Harris

Abigail Harris, PhD, is an associate professor and director of the School Psychology Program in the Division of Psychological and Educational Services at Fordham University Graduate School of Education. She teaches courses and conducts research on school-based consultation. She is also engaged in projects aimed at assessing and improving educational systems in Third World countries in Latin America and Africa.

Akane Zusho

Akane Zusho, PhD, is an associate professor of Educational Psychology at Fordham University Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on examining the intersection of culture, achievement motivation, and self-regulation. The overarching goal of her research is to develop informed, less prescriptive, culturally sensitive theories of motivation and self-regulated learning that take into consideration the academic and motivational processes of urban youth from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Anthony Cancelli

Anthony Cancelli, EdD, is a full professor of school psychology in the Division of Psychological and Educational Services in the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University. He teaches on a variety of topics including role and function of the school psychologist, applied behavior analysis, nonbiased assessment, and evaluation.

Note: The authors report that to the best of their knowledge neither they nor their affiliated institutions have financial or personal relationships or affiliations that could influence or bias the opinions, decisions, or work presented in this article.