| Summary: | The Educational Psychologists (EPs) role involves working with Children and Young People (CYP), their families and professionals from a variety of cultural backgrounds. As with many school-based practices, a lack of cultural responsiveness can contribute to adverse outcomes for students from diverse backgrounds (McKenney, Mann, Brown, & Jewell, 2017). It has been argued that existing educational psychology assessment tools may be biased due to their lack of familiarity and cultural context, producing inaccurate results (Ardila, 2007; Reynolds & Suzuki, 2013). EPs are therefore responsible for participating in and developing culturally responsive practices to ensure the best possible outcomes for the society in which they provide services to.
The current study aimed to explore how Educational Psychologists (EPs) conceptualise and respond to culture within the consultative model of service delivery. An exploratory, qualitative approach was taken utilising semi-structured interviews to gather participant data and Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) was used to interpret patterned meaning across the accounts provided. The themes generated suggest that EPs perceive consultation to be a form of culturally responsive assessment and intervention, with various interpersonal processes used to support the delivery when working alongside consultees with a range different cultural backgrounds and experiences.
EPs conceptualised ‘culture’ as complex and dynamic, with focus placed on the environment rather than within-child formulations. This was particularly important as it has implications for where support is then provided, viewing each individual context as unique. Various barriers were highlighted, with focus placed on the current climate and systems in place, as well as supportive factors related to professional development and relationships which hold implications for education and psychology practice more broadly. Limitations and implications for practice and research are discussed.
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