Methods for addressing publication bias in school psychology journals: A descriptive review of meta-analyses from 1980 to 2019

Although meta-analyses are often used to inform practitioners and researchers, the resulting effect sizes can be artificially inflated due to publication bias. There are a number of methods to protect against, detect, and correct for publication bias. Currently, it is unknown to what extent scholars publishing meta-analyses within school psychology journals use these methods to address publication bias and whether more recently published meta-analyses more frequently utilize these methods. A historical review of every meta-analysis published to date within the most prominent school psychology journals (N = 10) revealed that 88 meta-analyses were published from 1980 to early 2019. Exactly half of them included grey literature, and 60% utilized methods to detect and correct for publication bias. The most common methods were visual analysis of a funnel plot, Orwin's failsafe N, Egger's regression, and the trim and fill procedure. None of these methods were used in more than 20% of the studies. About half of the studies incorporated one method, 20% incorporated two methods, 7% incorporated three methods, and none incorporated all four methods. These methods were most evident in studies published recently. Similar to other fields, the true estimates of effects from meta-analyses published in school psychology journals may not be available, and practitioners may be utilizing interventions that are, in fact, not as strong as believed. Practitioners, researchers employing meta-analysis techniques, education programs, and editors and peer reviewers in school psychology should continue to guard against publication bias using these methods.     

Unintended consequences: ventures and misadventures in the education of professional psychologists

Increasing professionalization of psychology, accelerated by expansion of professional schools, has evoked concern among critics, who claim that many practitioners ignore scientific research and engage in practices that are demonstrably useless or harmful. Recent data on admissions to professional schools and performance of professional school graduates show cause for concerns of the critics. If psychology is to maintain its stature as a profession, exclusionary controls as well as hortatory requirements for the practice of psychology and the education of practitioners must be established and enforced. Before more stringent standards can be imposed, convincing means for evaluating competence in professional work and quality in professional education must be developed. Local and institutional actions to advance those aims are proposed.     

Needs versus deeds: The unfulfilled research potential in school psychology

A nationwide sample of school psychology practitioners and one of authors of recent journal articles, from three main school psychology journals, were asked to rate the importance of the types of needed research in school psychology. Close agreement was found between the priorities assigned by the two groups. Prevention of school-related problems and improvement in the functioning of non-referred populations were the areas identified as most in need of research by both authors and practitioners. A comparison of the priorities for needed research with a previously published study of types of articles actually published in the school psychology press revealed little agreement between perceived needs and actual publications. The results are discussed in terms of implications for collaborative research between field-based practitioners and researchers, and possible actions by journal editorial boards and professional organizations that would facilitate greater research productivity in areas of great need.     

Group decision making in the planning team process: Myth or reality?

Based upon theories from organizational psychology, this study assessed the relationships among school staff role, participation, and satisfaction during planning Team meetings which decide special education placements and programming. A strong positive relationship was found between staff role and participation. Regular education teachers were lowest in participation and satisfaction whereas school psychologists were ranked the highest on both variables. Other staff roles did not necessarily show a one-to-one relationship between participation and satisfaction levels, yet within roles, the level of satisfaction increased with higher levels of participation. These findings were discussed in the context of interdisciplinary decision making and implementation of the placement team decision.     

Students' perceptions of their future professional behavior

Doctoral students from university-based clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs responded to items that asked how willing they would be to engage in various professional activities and the reasons for their choices. The data were factor analyzed; five subscales resulted that were analyzed in a one-way MANOVA. Results indicated similarities between clinical and counseling for therapy and medically related disorders (Subscale 1) and specialized assessments and techniques (Subscale 4); and similarities among all three specialties on academic activities (Subscale 5). Traditional differences were also found: school students were more likely to endorse activities related to children and schools (Subscale 2); whereas counseling students were more likely to endorse activities related to consultation, educational—vocational counseling, and evaluation (Subscale 3). The results support current similarities and historical differences among the specialties and raise questions regarding education of and future career opportunities for psychologists.     

Quantitative dogmatism in character assessment and its implications for education: A case study of grit

In a recent decade, research linking personality and character traits with educational and professional attainment led to a push for incorporating character and personality assessments into school curricula. This trend is exemplified in the partnership between positive psychology and character education, where grit, a personality/character trait denoting perseverance and passion for long‐term goals, represents one of the rapidly accepted, yet controversial, concepts. In this paper, the author conducts a critical literature review of grit, situating the construct in a larger historical context of personality testing and character education reform. The author argues that the construct validation practices employed by grit researchers create an epistemological climate where character studies and character education threaten to become yet another population sorting mechanism instead of advancing human agency.     

Is the Role of the School Psychologist in Early Childhood Truly Expanding? A National Survey Examining School Psychologists' Practices and Training Experiences

Historically, the role of school psychologists in early childhood settings has been limited to the identification and evaluation of children who may be in need of special education services under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It has been suggested that the role should reflect a more proactive model; specifically, it should continue to expand to include involvement in school readiness and early intervention for all students. The purpose of this study was to examine the present role of school psychologists in early childhood settings and investigate the graduate-level training provided to school psychology graduate students. Results of the survey found that a significant percentage of school psychologist practitioners continue to spend a substantial portion of their professional time completing special education evaluations. Furthermore, respondents reported minimal to moderate graduate training in the area of early childhood populations. Implications for school psychology practitioners and school psychology graduate training programs are discussed.     

Self-actualization from an Eastern Perspective—A Preliminary Exploration

Growth of the branches of humanistic and positive psychology has brought in a paradigm shift in the understanding of human nature and behavior from the reductionistic and mechanistic perspectives. Emphasis on the study of the self necessitates greater use of a qualitative subjective methodological framework. In this respect, the current Western approach falls short in front of the Eastern philosophy, which has an array of such procedures and methodologies, which practitioners of humanistic and positive psychology are now exploring. The Indian systems of thought elaborate on the means to realizing or knowing the true nature of the self within, through the multi-faceted and individualized process of Yoga. Alternative systems of Yoga are provided that could be practiced by individuals based on their subjective preferences and suitability. The major alternatives that have been identified are Bhakti, Jnana, Karma and Raja Yoga. In this context, the present study is a pilot attempt to explore self-actualization among practitioners of two paths of Yoga i.e. Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga. The opinions and beliefs of the practitioners on variables related to the self and its actualization, as also their world-views are explored. Implications on personality, distinguishing characteristics and the functioning of self are proposed, to enable an individual to adopt a suitable path.     

Interpersonal psychological well-being among coach-athlete-sport psychology practitioner triads

The importance of psychological well-being (PWB) is widely acknowledged in global policy and has important ramifications for health, performance, and engagement among sport performers. Despite this compelling knowledge, little is known about PWB in close sport relationships. We aimed to explore the interpersonal antecedents, transfer mechanisms, and outcomes of PWB within and among athletes, coaches, and sport psychology practitioners (SPPs). Underpinned by an interpretative paradigm, we conducted individual and triadic interviews with three coach-athlete-SPP triads from individual sports and analyzed data using abductive reasoning applied to reflexive thematic analysis. The themes we constructed relating to antecedents of PWB were situational properties of stressors, factors relating to the organization, shared values and characteristics, and interpersonal resilience. PWB was transferred among the triad via interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, and social appraising. PWB was cyclic in nature and, thus, we constructed themes (i.e., psychological safety, meaningful experiences of growth and development, and relational dynamics), which represented those factors that acted as both antecedents and outcomes. Our findings transcend individual understandings of PWB in sport by representing the first interpersonal examination of PWB among coach-athlete-SPP triads. This shift is crucial for informing how performers can collectively evaluate and manage PWB in the context of their close sport relationships. These findings implicate two primary recommendations: first, we recommend that researchers extend conceptual understanding of PWB among those in close sport relationships. Second, organizations and practitioners are encouraged to consider how mentoring and relationship-building schemes can be tailored within wider education and support programs to bolster PWB among athletes, coaches, and practitioners.     

Informant discrepancies in assessments of psychosocial functioning in school-based services and research: Review and directions for future research

Psychosocial functioning plays a key role in students' wellbeing and performance inside and outside of school. As such, techniques designed to measure and improve psychosocial functioning factor prominently in school-based service delivery and research. Given that the different contexts (e.g., school, home, community) in which students exist vary in the degree to which they influence psychosocial functioning, educators and researchers often rely on multiple informants to characterize intervention targets, monitor intervention progress, and inform the selection of evidence-based services. These informants include teachers, students, and parents. Across research teams, domains, and measurement methodologies, researchers commonly observe discrepancies among informants' reports. We review theory and research—occurring largely outside of school-based service delivery and research—that demonstrates how patterns of informant discrepancies represent meaningful differences that can inform our understanding of psychosocial functioning. In turn, we advance a research agenda to improve use and interpretation of informant discrepancies in school-based services and research.     

What Does it Mean to be Autistic? Inter-state Variation in Special Education Criteria for Autism Services

The prevalence of Autism and other Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) has increased dramatically in recent years. The criterion for a clinical diagnosis of Autism, however, is independent from the special education eligibility requirements for Autism services. While the DSM-IV-TR provides a nationally-accepted definition for Autism and ASD, under federal law, the special education criteria for Autism services can vary from state to state. By analyzing federal, special education child-count data as well as each state’s legal code, this study examines and compares eligibility criteria in all 50 states and Washington DC. Our results reveal inter-state variability in Autism eligibility requirements within special education, and this variability can have an impact on prevalence rates. Implications and recommendations for researchers and practitioners in clinical psychology, public health, education, pediatrics, and public policy are discussed.     

Synthesizing Single-Case Research to Identify Evidence-Based Practices: Some Brief Reflections

The purposes of this paper are to (a) propose an operational standard for defining a ??practice,?? (b) encourage development of professional standards for visual and statistical analysis of single-case research, and (c) propose a standard for using single-case research results to identify practices that are ??evidence-based.?? These topics are not new for behavioral researchers, but they become critical for the larger conversations now occurring among researchers, policy makers, and educators working to implement effective practices in psychology and education.     

State departments of education and behavior modification

This is an investigation of the views held by senior state department of education administrators responsible for school psychology services relevant to the acceptance or rejection of behavior modification procedures in the states by educators, parents, and school psychologists. Significant results support that there is a relationship between the administrators' preferences and the perceived functioning of school psychologists and that school psychologists are believed to be different from educators and parents in views toward behavior modification.     

An introduction to association rule mining: An application in counseling and help-seeking behavior of adolescents

Association rule mining (ARM) is a technique used to discover relationships among a large set of variables in a data set. It has been applied to a variety of industry settings and disciplines but has, to date, not been widely used in the social sciences, especially in education, counseling, and associated disciplines. This article thus introduces ARM and presents aspects of existing work that will be relevant and useful to researchers practitioners in the social sciences. Definitions and concepts are presented, and examples of ARM applications are highlighted to strengthen these ideas. We also discuss an example from our existing research to show that ARM can be used to investigate help-seeking behavior in a sample of secondary school students in Singapore. We also present some guidelines and recommendations for using ARM.     

Communicating evidence‐based mental health care to service users

There is a significant gap between evidence‐based mental health care and patients, their family members and carers. To inform preventative mental health care among existing and potential service users, this review identifies effective methods for communicating evidence. A systematic review located 14 publications that met search criteria. Several methods can effect behavioural and/or intermediary change among existing and/or potential service users: namely, mass media; health warning labels; policy change; community interventions; school‐based programs; parent programs; and psychoeducation. Robust evidence, however, is lacking. Although effective approaches are likely to be founded on several factors, the review concludes with a discussion of a research agenda, and appropriate methodologies that could strengthen the knowledge base that guides the communication of evidence‐based mental health care to service users. This agenda has important implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers, which are also discussed.     

Beyond statistical significance: Five principles for the new era of data analysis and reporting

A crisis of confidence in research findings in consumer psychology and other academic disciplines has led to various proposals to abandon, replace, strengthen, or supplement the null hypothesis significance testing paradigm. The proliferation of such proposals, and their often-conflicting recommendations, can increase confusion among researchers. We aim to bring some clarity by proposing five simple principles for the new era of data analysis and reporting of research in consumer psychology. We avoid adding to researchers' confusion and proposing more onerous or rigid standards. Our goal is to offer straightforward practical principles that are easy for researchers to keep in mind while analyzing their data and reporting their findings. These principles involve (1) interpreting p-values as continuous measures of the strength of evidence, (2) being aware of assumptions that determine whether one can rely on p-values, (3) using theory to establish the applicability of findings to new settings, (4) employing multiple measures of evidence and various processes to obtain them, but assigning special privilege to none, and (5) reporting procedures and findings transparently and completely. We hope that these principles provide researchers with some guidance and help to strengthen the reliability of the conclusions derived from their data, analyses, and findings.     

Stress in physical education teachers in Qatar

Stress is an area of interest among researchers and practitioners in many fields – including teaching. Much of the research on causes of stress for teachers has focused on teachers in general; only a few studies have focused on physical education teachers. Although there have been a few studies of causes of stress for physical education teachers in the Middle East, no studies have been conducted on physical education teachers in Qatar. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify causes of stress for physical education teachers in Qatar at the beginning and end of the school year as well as any changes over the course of the year. A second purpose was to try to explain any differences in causes of stress according to: gender, nationality, type of school, and amount of experience. Results showed that there were different causes of stress for different groups of teachers which could be related to different backgrounds and experiences and different roles and responsibilities in society as a result of different cultural and social expectations and environmental factors.