Relative frequency of consultee lack of knowledge,skills, confidence,and objectivity in school settings

Caplan (1963, 1970) specifies consultee lack of knowledge, skills, confidence, and objectivity as the “four common reasons for the work difficulties that underlie the need for consultation” (p. 127). Although Caplan hypothesizes that the majority of consultation cases result from consultee lack of objectivity, there has been no empirical examination of the relative frequency with which consulting school psychologists encounter each type of consultee difficulty. To assess this, ten school psychology consultants rated the primary consultee problem for each consulation case they had. Contrary to Caplan's assumption, data analyses indicated that significantly more consultation cases resulted from colsultee lack of knowledge, skills, and confidence than from consultee lack of objectivity, which accounted for only 7% of the cases. These findings call into question the practical utility of psychodynamically oriented Caplanian techniques for consulting school psychologists. Because the preponderance of consultation cases develop from consultee lack of knowledge, skills, and confidence, school psychologists would be best advised to focus primarily upon the development and utilization of problem solving, behavior analysis, and sophisticated communication skills as their principal consultative strategies.     

The identification of resources and constraints influencing plan design in consultation

The present study investigated the effects of consultant verbalizations on consultee verbalizations reflecting consultee resources that might be used in plan implementation and constraints potentially limiting the nature of plans implemented in consultation. Interviews of 50 consultants trained in behavioral consultation and participating in a field experience with public school teachers were analyzed. Plan-tactic-elicitors verbalized by consultants were shown to have a positive effect on the incidence of resources as opposed to responses not reflecting resources or constraints. Other types of consultant elicitors all had a negative impact on resource incidence when compared to the incidence of other types of consultee responses.     

Training teachers in behavioral consultation and therapy: An analysis of verbal behaviors

This study evaluated the relative effectiveness of two teacher-training packages under two analogue consultation conditions in a 2 × 2 completely randomized factorial design. The subjects were 56 elementary school teachers in an urban school district in Arizona. The conditions included a training package of classroom behavior modification and consultation, a training package of consultative service procedures, and general multidisciplinary team processes (a nonspecific control). The consultation conditions included one variant in which very specific consultant questions were presented, and a second in which much more general, somewhat vague, consultant elicitors were presented to subjects in problem-identification, problem-analysis, and problem-evaluation behavioral consultation analogue interviews. The effectiveness of these training packages was evaluated in respect to knowledge of behavior modification principles and concepts, and the frequency of specific categories of consultee verbal behaviors. The results indicated that the experimental training package was effective in increasing teachers' knowledge of behavioral procedures and in increasing the frequency of teacher verbalization regarding overt child behaviors and behavioral intervention plans during the problem identification and problem analysis phases of consultation. It was also found that even after training, specific consultant questions were important in eliciting consultee statements related to environmental conditions surrounding behavior. The use of more general consultant verbal behaviors resulted in significantly more vague, unspecified, and irrelevant types of consultee verbalizations. Implications for future research are discussed.     

The relationship of selected consultant/teacher characteristics to consultation outcomes

This study examined the relationship of teacher life position, teacher dogmatism, perceived consultant facilitativeness, years of teacher teaching experience and number of consultations per year to the consultation outcomes of teacher satisfaction, teacher strength, and problem resolution. A number of significant findings resulted, with the consultant's perceived facilitativeness being the main predictor of the desirable consultation outcomes. These results are consistent with some earlier findings. Some results that are inconsistent with other studies also are discussed.     

Barriers to treatment success in behavioral consultation: Current limitations and future directions

Behavioral consultation is a prominent indirect service model in the practice of psychology in the schools. Despite some empirical support for the use of behavioral consultation strategies, consultants frequently face a number of barriers to implementation of treatment in practice. This article outlines a number of these barriers in behavioral consultation, including the lack of standardization of consultation, lack of specific training of consultants, little or no consultee (teacher) training, problems surrounding target behavior identification, and external constraints to consultation. Each of these areas is described along several dimensions that need to be addressed in future research.     

Teacher attitudes toward stuttering

Attitudes of 100 elementary school teachers toward stuttering were studied using the Teacher Attitudes Toward Stuttering (TATS) Inventory. Teacher attitudes, as indicated by TATS Inventory scores, were compared with teacher knowledge of stuttering, age of teacher, number of years teaching experience, educational level, and whether the teacher had personal experience with a stutterer. Results indicated that significant positive correlations existed between teacher attitudes toward and knowledge of stuttering. Significant negative correlations were demonstrated between teacher attitudes/knowledge of stuttering and the presence of a stuttering child in the classroom. The applicability of the TATS Inventory as a clinical instrument in its current form and the research needed to enhance its flexibility are discussed.     

The analysis of verbal interactions occurring during consultation

This article describes a consultation analysis technique for coding conversion between a consultant (e.g., psychologist) and a consultee (e.g., teacher) serving a client (e.g., student). Consultation analysis classifies the topics discussed in consultation, the verbal processes exhibited during consultation, and the extent to which one participant in consultation controls the kinds of things which another participant says. Uses of consultation analysis in training and research are discussed.     

The Use of Consultation in Psychological Practice: Ethical,Legal, and Clinical Considerations

The importance of consulting with other professionals to maintain acceptable standards of care is well documented in many health care professions. However, evidence indicates that many psychologists fail to utilize consultation when needed, and that consultation use varies along dimensions such as the education and training of the consultee, the type of setting, number of years in practice, and proximity to available consultants. In this article, we review the research on the use of consultation by psychologists as well as other health care professionals. We discuss the clinical, ethical, and legal implications of seeking consultation as a professional psychologist. Finally, a detailed and practical model for the regular use of consultation is given to improve the routine use of consultation in clinical practice.     

The use of consultation in psychological practice: ethical, legal, and clinical considerations

The importance of consulting with other professionals to maintain acceptable standards of care is well documented in many health care professions. However, evidence indicates that many psychologists fail to utilize consultation when needed, and that consultation use varies along dimensions such as the education and training of the consultee, the type of setting, number of years in practice, and proximity to available consultants. In this article, we review the research on the use of consultation by psychologists as well as other health care professionals. We discuss the clinical, ethical, and legal implications of seeking consultation as a professional psychologist. Finally, a detailed and practical model for the regular use of consultation is given to improve the routine use of consultation in clinical practice.     

Resistance,reactance, and consultation

A review of techniques for dealing with consultee resistance is presented, with the limitations of these techniques. The social psychological theory of reactance is offered as a useful conceptual framework for considering resistance in consultation. Examples of the application of reactance theory to both minimizing consultee resistance and to utilizing consultee resistance for beneficial change are provided. Variables that predict the likely effectiveness of a reactance utilization intervention are described. Finally, ethical issues involved in the application of reactance techniques are discussed.     

Resistance to Consultation: A Synthesis for Counselor-Consultants

The authors list and describe a number of types of consultee resistance that commonly occur during consultation and discuss methods and techniques for dealing with each. The article concludes with suggestions for empirical research to determine the effectiveness of various strategies for dealing with consultee resistance.     

How effective is school consultation?: A review of recent research

This paper reviews the results of 29 studies on the effectiveness of school consultation published between 1972 and 1977. Twenty-two of the studies reviewed (76%) reported at least one or more positive effects resulting from consultation interventions. Behavioral consultation was found to be particularly effective. Several methodological limitations of the studies which reduce the generality of their findings are discussed. These include lack of appropriate experimental control procedures, failure to control for individual consultant and consultee characteristics, infrequent use of multiple dependent measures assessing both attitudinal and behavioral changes, and the absence of follow-up data. Despite the problems entailed in measuring consultation outcomes, the practice does appear to be effective. Further research investigating the influence of specific consultation models and processes is recommended.     

Preparation of school psychologists for school-based consultation: A training activity and a service to community schools

Presents a set of training experiences to develop school-based consultation skills in preservice school psychologists and discusses problems in implementing this model of service. Based on their experience in training school psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, the authors report on preparing students to deal with teacher and principal expectations. Also discussed are methods for mobilizing teachers to plan more precisely to meet the needs of individual pupils in the classroom. A distinction is made in the paper between school-based and community-based mental health consultation.     

A conceptual overview of selected consultation models

Because of their current popularity and utility 4 consultation models have been selected for analysis: consultee centered, group process, social action, and ecological (exemplified by Gerald Caplan, Ronald Lippitt, Saul Alinsky, and James Kelly, respectively). The process of consultation as outlined by these models is described along the following dimensions: definitions of consultation, self-perceptions of the consultant, target populations, motivation of the client system, entry, goals, diagnosis, techniques, termination, and evaluation. The discussion focuses on criteria for selecting an appropriate consultation model.     

Effects of behavioral and medical models of consultation on teacher expectancies and instruction of a hypothetical child

Sixty first- and second-grade teachers were randomly assigned to one of four conditions representing variations in consultation where they were required to teach a hypothetical child to add. The first condition involved face-to-face behavioral consultation in which the consultant cued a teacher to verbalize antecedent and consequent conditions that might affect learning and prompted the teacher to specify the kinds of capabilities that the child would need in order to master the academic task targeted for instruction. In the second type of behavioral consultation, face-to-face consultation was augmented by a task analysis report specifying prerequisite skills. The third type, medical model consultation, involved face-to-face consultation focusing on temporally remote environmental circumstances accompanied by a traditional psychological report specifying that the child was of low ability. The control group was asked general questions about the school. Results suggested that behavioral consultation with task analysis was associated with significantly more teaching success than was control, medical model, and behavioral consultation without task analysis. Moreover, behavioral consultation without task analysis was better than medical model consultation. Implications for psychoeducational assessment are discussed within the context of teacher expectations and instruction.     

Rates and Types of Student Aggression against Teachers: A Comparative Analysis of U.S. Elementary,Middle, and High Schools

Student perpetrated violence against teachers is widespread, yet few studies differentiate teacher experiences of violence by school level (i.e., elementary, middle, and high school). This study, based upon 2,558 pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade teacher survey responses, revealed differences in types of student aggression against teachers by school level. Middle and high school teachers were more likely to report verbal harassment compared to elementary school teachers. Middle school teachers were most likely to report property offenses. Elementary and middle school teachers were more likely to report physical aggression than high school teachers. Demographic predictors of teacher-directed violence were also examined at each school level. Across all school levels, urban teachers had a greater probability of experiencing a violent incident. For elementary teachers, race/ethnicity and teaching experience were also significant risk factors. Future research, policy, and practice implications and recommendations are discussed.

     

A psychologist grows in Brooklyn: reflections from the past

In this autobiography, I begin by describing how I made many important decisions in my life without much conscious or verbalized thought. I cover information about my parents, grandparents, early school experiences, and both college and graduate school. The autobiography also includes a detailed discussion of my 41 years of teaching at the University of Tennessee. I discuss important experiences that helped me to become a clinical psychologist and a teacher. I conclude the article with a personal experience concerning the death of my mother and an early memory.     

中小学教师心理健康状况的调查研究

采用SCL-90对566名教师的心理健康受损情况的调查研究表明：总均分≥2者,占教师总人数的14.2%。从单项因子看,依因子分大于2者所占百分数由少至多依次是精神病性、恐怖、焦虑、躯体化、人际敏感、抑郁、偏执、敌对等,有30.6%的教师有强迫症状。男性教师与女性教师、中学教师与小学教师、任课教师与行政人员的心理健康水平大体相当。乡村教师心理健康水平远远低于城市教师,1~10年教龄的教师远远低于10年以上教龄的教师。     

Expository Texts in First-Grade Classroom Libraries: Issues in Teacher Selection

Abstract

In 2010, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were adopted by most states in the US. The authors of these standards called for a shift from previous standards by recommending that young children experience a 50-50 balance between informational and literary reading. For this mixed-methods study, researchers examined the contents of 23 first-grade classroom libraries 8?years after the implementation of the CCSS to determine the percentage of expository texts found in these libraries and if these percentages differed based on the SES of the school or the number of years a teacher had been teaching. In addition, researchers interviewed twelve selected classroom teachers to gain an understanding of how they selected books for their libraries and what influenced their decisions. Results indicated that 22.8% of the texts found in first-grade classroom libraries were expository and there was no difference based on SES of the school or years a teacher had been in the classroom. Teacher interviews indicated that book cost, reading level, student interest, and genre (both narrative and expository/nonfiction) influenced their library text selections. Only two teachers indicated that the CCSS impacted their book choices.