Victorian school staff perceptions of the role of the state school psychologist

This study investigated the conflicting interests of the different client groups of Victorian school psychologists. A questionnaire on the role of the school psychologist was constructed and administered to 97 Victorian State school staff from two primary schools and two secondary schools. Fifteen role activities undertaken by psychologists were analysed according to their perceived importance, effectiveness and desirability. Traditional role activities were compared with innovative role activities that were being encouraged by Victorian Government policy. School staff perceived traditional role activities as significantly more important, effectively undertaken and more desired than innovative role activities. Perceptions of the effectiveness of the school psychologist were affected by the position that responding staff held within schools. Furthermore, the more frequently the reported interaction between psychologists and service users occurred, the more school psychologists were perceived as effective. Primary school staff differed from secondary school staff in their perceptions of desired role activities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the management of different client needs, communication with school staff about role discrepancies, and future directions.