Chinese teachers’ perceptions of the roles and functions of school psychological service providers in Beijing

Abstract

This study used a semi-structured interview with 94 teachers from 92 elementary and secondary schools in Beijing, China, to explore their perceptions of the roles, training, and challenges of school psychological service providers (SPs) as well as teachers’ satisfaction with the services provided by SPs. Results indicated that the SP to student ratio was 1:1360. Only 32 (34.8%) schools had SPs who were certified as mental health counselors or who had degrees in psychology, and 18 (19.6%) schools did not have SPs. Based on teacher report, SPs’ roles mainly focused on services for students (teaching mental health classes, counseling, consultation), with a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention. About half of the teachers were satisfied with SPs’ work, but others had no contact with SPs or were dissatisfied with their work partially due to SPs’ lack of training and skills. The results suggest a severe shortage of training for SPs in Beijing, China. Other challenges for SPs include low status, lack of training and skills, and work-related stress. The results provide valuable information about school psychology practice in Beijing, China, and important implications for both research and policy making in school psychology in China and other Asian countries.

School climate, victimization, and mental health outcomes among elementary school students in China

“…In recent decades, China has experienced dramatic social and economic changes resulting in increased divorce rates, larger income gaps, and more migrant children attending schools in cities. Children from these diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., lower income, divorced families) may be marginalized at school and perceived as different (Wang, Ni, Ding, & Yi, 2015). School psychologists and teachers should hold class meetings to discuss how to accept and appreciate individual differences among peers in order to promote respect towards diversity and reduce bullying.…”

“…School staff should also foster positive psychology traits among students, such as gratitude and optimism, in addition to preventing mental illness. Because many Chinese school psychological service providers teach mental health classes, they should incorporate school climate interventions and positive psychology interventions into those classes (Wang et al., 2015). They can engage students in class meetings to identify the best way to foster positive school climate and discuss difficult topics related to bullying, such as dominance and popularity (Wang et al., 2013).…”

Roles of the School Psychologist–Current versus Preferred Roles in the Greek Schools: A Case Study from the Island of Crete

“…In a qualitative study [29] it was found that school psychologists may have an indirect role in enabling teachers' resilience by mitigating the school-related challenges faced by teachers. The need for counseling support for teachers was also recognized by another study [30], where approximately half of the participants reported that the school psychologists provided them with support/consultation approximately once a week. In general, this type of support includes, for instance, the following activities: (i) general counseling, (ii) teachers' development workshops, (iii) job stress management and (iv) addressing personal issues.…”

Correlates of the School-Based Guidance Program to Freshman Students in Guangdong Province, China: Basis for Enhanced Guidance Program

“…Wang et al studied the role of guidance counselors in universities and colleges in China and stated that guidance counselors and teachers played an essential role in channeling students toward guidance and counseling services. However, insufficient research efforts are known whether students in universities of China are using guidance services accurately [3] . A study concluded that a lack of understanding of counseling is prevalent in the Chinese college environment; even the most knowledgeable populations in China, college professors, have limited knowledge of counseling services; as a result, professional counselors still have a long way to go in developing and promoting their mental health services [4] .…”