Field of study of school and educational psychology.

School psychology is a dynamic and rapidly evolving field in Belgium and other countries. There are notable changes in the society including a growing globalization and (cultural) diversity, and a vastly increased use of internet and social media (especially among children and youth) together with an increased need for mental health support. In addition, there are substantial changes in the organization of school psychology services in Belgium driven by new and intended legislation (e.g., for the Flemish speaking community: Integrale Jeugdhulp 2015, M-decreet 2015, ontwerpdecreet leerlingenbegeleiding 2017; for the German speaking community: Kaleido-Ostbelgien 2014, M-Dekret 2014). To advocate the profession of school psychologists to legislative bodies and governmental agencies, it is essential for professional organizations to know who is working in the field, what they are doing, and which challenges they face. To date, however, such data specific to school psychology are not available in Belgium. Building on previous work on the profession of psychologists in Belgium, initiated by the Commission of Psychologists (Hansez et al., 2008), the current project seeks to advance insight in the profession of the school psychologist.   

The overarching goal of this project therefore is to conduct a national study among psychologists in education, investigating 1) demographic characteristics and employment settings, 2) professional practices and roles, 3) perceived competence, needs, and challenges, 4) and continued professional development (CPD). The study will identify links between issues 1 to 4, in order to provide an empirically-based understanding of strengths and weakness in the field. The results will be disseminated to stakeholders who can learn from the results to better meet the professional needs of practicing school psychologists in different settings and communities.

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