Psychologists at work in Belgium: A national study into the field of work of School and Educational Psychology

This report is a synthesis of a national study into the work field of school and educational psychology. Basic but essential questions were asked: who is working in the field, what are they doing, how competent are they, which challenges do they face, and how are they engaged in professional development? In addition, it was examined how many psychologists in the work field are registered by the Commission of Psychologists and are acquainted with the Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Respondents were professionals in the domain of psychology and educational sciences who completed an online survey. A total of 939 professionals were identified as employed in the work field of school and educational psychology, which was 16% of the total sample8. The results provide an overview of the educational level, employment settings, tasks, expertise, and challenges in the field. The results indicate that school and educational psychologists are generalists with a primary focus on the delivery of (preventive) first-line care (e.g., through prevention, assessment, counseling, and guidance) and a function as gatekeeper to second-line care (e.g., through diagnostics). Consistent with bioecological models of development, they provide their services both at the level of the individual (student) and at the system level (parents, teachers, and schools). Five focus areas for improvement were identified: cultural responsiveness, professional identity, scientist-practitioner skills, continuing professional development , and recognition of the position of psychologists in regular schools. ispartof: pages:1-115 status: published