This paper explores the evolving role of educational psychologists (EPs) in Ireland, where recent training and employment reforms have expanded the scope of practice beyond education into health-based services. Using Engestrom's activity theory framework and the British Psychological Society's core competencies, this qualitative study examined how EPs conceptualise and enact their role across education and healthcare settings. Twenty practitioner EPs participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using template analysis. The findings presented here are drawn from a larger doctoral research study that utilised Engestrom's second generation activity theory to explore the domains of interest, including subject (whose perspective), object (what are they working on) and outcome (to achieve what?). Findings highlight how EPs draw on systemic, relational, and evidence-informed approaches to support children, families, and professionals in complex service contexts. Participants described their professional identity as rooted in psychological formulation, collaboration, and capacity-building, often positioning themselves as "scientist practitioners" working flexibly across disciplines. While education-based EPs emphasised preventative and school-wide interventions, health-based EPs highlighted diagnostic, and inter-professional work. Despite these contextual differences, common values such as holistic and systemic approaches to casework, ethical awareness, reflective practice, and a commitment to child advocacy were evident.
There are growing calls for educational psychologists (EPs) to adopt social justice as an approach through which to develop their practice and service delivery. Several emerging frameworks for integrating social justice have recently been published but are yet to be empirically examined. This paper describes a cycle of participatory action research (PAR) with one English educational psychology service (EPS) exploring its initial use of a social justice reflective resource (SJRR) and how this could inform service development. Transcripts of research group meetings were examined through content analysis. Findings demonstrate that the use of the SJRR enabled a structured process for reflection around existing areas of strength and directions for future development towards embedding social justice. Starting with reflections on positionality instigated the development of a values statement and informed policy writing for the EPS. Participants described how, following initial experiences of discomfort, they were supported to put "espoused theories" into action across the levels of EP service delivery from individual practice through to wider systemic change. Future research should prioritise the inclusion of diverse perspectives to ensure the impact of the SJRR is valued by those most affected by social injustice.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common childhood physical disability in the United Kingdom (UK), affecting 1 in 400 births. This study explored the experiences of young adults with CP and the support they received throughout their educational journeys. A qualitative design was employed through reflexive thematic and interpretative phenomenological analyses. Through purposive sampling, nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults aged 18-25 years old with a diagnosis of CP, living in England. Key themes were identified and explored, including family support, social support, prejudice and stigma, accessibility, educational settings and independence. Findings suggest the influence of others on participants' perception of their disability, as well as the impact of societal and political structures negatively affected their educational experiences. Consensus within individual interviews indicate that support from educational psychologists (EPs) has been sparse. Implications for this research include the role of EPs during times of key transition as well as providing psychoeducation for meaningful inclusion.
This article presents findings from a study commissioned by a local authority virtual school exploring the perspectives of secondary school staff on the attendance, suspension, and exclusion rates of children with a social worker (CWSW) within a mainstream setting. Fifty-three self-report questionnaires and four focus group interviews were carried out. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis and four key themes were identified including attendance monitoring systems, collaborative working, key adult support and young people's sense of safety and belonging. The findings suggest that most staff perceived the support and processes in place for CWSW were effective; however, there were inconsistencies in staff awareness and understanding of the needs, barriers and access to education for this cohort. Staff identified that parental engagement, person-centred approaches, interdepartmental communication and the implementation of the "key adult" role in school would help to improve attendance rates and reduce the risk of suspensions and exclusions. Implications for educational psychologists and future directions are discussed.
School-based stress management programmes are increasingly implemented to support children's mental health, yet limited research has examined how such interventions are experienced and evaluated by children. Intervention acceptability is a key outcome, particularly for universal programmes delivered within compulsory school settings. This qualitative study explored children's acceptability of Safe Place, a universal school-based stress management programme delivered by school psychologists in Germany. Four focus groups were conducted with 21 children aged 9-11 years, analysed using thematic analysis and interpreted in light of the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. Overall, Safe Place was perceived as acceptable, while children's accounts revealed a nuanced pattern of both positive and challenging experiences across multiple dimensions. Themes reflected children's emotional responses to the programme, their understanding of its purpose and content, perceived effort associated with participation, and sensitivity to contextual trade-offs within the school day. Perceptions of the programme's usefulness and children's confidence in applying stress-management strategies varied across individuals and situations. Ethical considerations, particularly comfort, voluntariness, and feeling safe, also emerged as important. In addition, children highlighted social and relational effects at the class level and provided suggestions for improving programme delivery.
This paper explores the application of personal construct psychology (PCP) within educational psychology (EP) practice. PCP offers a constructivist framework for understanding how individuals make sense of their experiences through personal systems of meaning. The paper outlines the core principles of PCP and considers their relevance for EPs, focusing on construing, the organisation of constructs, and the "individual-as-scientist" metaphor. It then examines key considerations for EPs using PCP with children and young people, including the balance between individual meaning-making and contextual influences, and the integration of emotion within construing. Practical applications are reviewed such as Drawing the Ideal Self, the Salmon Line, Children's Exploratory Drawings, and the Self-Image Profile. Finally, PCP's contribution to research for EPs is explored, particularly with regards to how the repertory grid method and triads can be used as an epistemological and methodological technique for qualitative inquiry. The paper concludes by reflecting on the continued relevance of PCP for promoting curiosity, collaboration, and reflexivity within EP practice.
This phenomenological case study offers an understanding of selective mutism (SM) by examining the perspectives and experiences of a selectively mute individual (E.) and the people closely involved in their educational life in T & uuml;rkiye. While most existing research focuses on the aetiology or treatment of SM, this study centres on the relational and pedagogical dimensions of SM by documenting the narratives of a graduate student (E.), diagnosed with SM in early childhood, alongside those of their family members, a close friend, a classmate, and a faculty member. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using a thematic approach. The findings suggest that intellectual autonomy, emotional sensitivity, and situational selectivity may characterise the experience of SM, and that participation may occur through alternative forms of engagement rather than verbal contribution alone. As a context-dependent phenomenon, E'.s SM appeared to intensify with uncompromising people and in environments characterised by insensitivity, misunderstanding, and inflexible educational expectations. Conversely, supportive relationships with educators and peers, together with differentiated instructional practices, were associated with meaningful engagement and academic participation. These findings highlight the importance of increased awareness of SM within teacher education and the value of relationally responsive and inclusive pedagogical practices.
Ethical practice is foundational to the work of educational psychologists (EPs), yet it remains a lacuna in the current literature. This study examined the ethical experiences of EPs in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom to address this gap. Informed by a critical realist paradigm, using Fulford's Values Based Practice as a framework, a 46-item survey was developed to investigate the ethical experiences of a sample of 198 EPs working in both jurisdictions. Psychologists completed an online survey of their ethical experiences, hosted on Qualtrics. The aims of this study were to explore the ethical experiences of EPs, to examine the ethical issues impacting on their practice, and to identify their professional development needs in this area. This study provides empirical evidence of the ethical challenges and professional development needs of EPs. Psychologists disclosed concerns arising from unethical assessment practices, voluminous caseloads, witnessing unethical behaviour and practising while impaired. Implications arising from the findings and psychologists' training needs in ethical practice are discussed.
Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) is common and widespread in United Kingdom (UK) schools. It impacts negatively on children and young people (CYP) who display HSB, as well as on those who are harmed. Although educational psychologists (EPs) may play a role in school and local authority (LA) responses to HSB, little is currently known about their practice in this area. Using a critical realist paradigm, this qualitative research focused on the nature of EPs' work in relation to HSB. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight practising EPs from across the UK, and data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants described offering consultation, assessment, action planning and, less frequently, intervention in relation to HSB. Three themes capture the challenges of this work: the emotional reactions and discomfort evoked by the sexual nature of the problem, the risk inherent within the work, and the need to challenge narratives and actions. Three themes detail supportive factors for EPs: access to specialist knowledge, opportunities for multiagency collaboration and supervision, and drawing on professional values. Recommendations for practice to support EPs and educational psychology services when responding to HSB are discussed.
This sequential mixed methods study explored experiences and perceptions of perfectionism in a sample of secondary aged children and adolescents. Phase 1 assessed the relationship between different domains of perfectionism and depression and anxiety in 114 pupils reporting high levels of perfectionism aged between 11-15 years (M = 12.73) attending six secondary schools in two English counties. Phase 2 employed thematic analysis (TA) to explore factors pupils perceived as drivers of their perfectionism. Six participants (four females, two males) participated in this qualitative phase (M = 13 years old). For phase 1, multiple regressions showed that self-oriented perfectionism-critical (SOP-C) contributed significantly to depression and anxiety. Socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) contributed significantly to depression, whereas self-oriented perfectionism-striving (SOP-S) did not significantly contribute to either. For phase 2, factors perceived to impact on pupils' perfectionism were represented by seven themes. Findings build our understanding of childhood perfectionism, what children and young people (CYP) perceive the sources of perfectionism to be, helping explain links between perfectionism and negative outcomes with greater precision. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.
