School psychologists and their role taking

This thesis explores role taking of the school psychologists as a social process. The aim of the study is to understand and explain what kind of roles the school psychologist are assigned, when a teacher asks her for help with apupil he cannot handle. Grounded theory has been used as a research method and the description and interpretation of the method is an integrated part of the thesis. Data have been collected from qualitative interviews with psychologists, who have experience of being a co-worker or a team member in school. In 23 qualitative interviews, 20 psychologists describe a typical case in which they have been involved. The taped interviews are transcribed and analysed according to the principles ofgrounded theory. The role taking is regarded as a social process including and integrating different role concepts from different role theories. From these different points of view role taking is seen as either a formal or an interactionistic process or a psychological process. Handing over and handling emerge as two grounded concepts in the empirical study. The process of role taking starts when a teacher is handing over a problem and the psychologist becomes the one who is expected to do something. The problem is supposed to be handed over as a question, a task or an affect and the psychologist is handling it by returning, retaining or referral. The way of handling depends on the picture of the problem the psychologist figures out in her mind. The psychologist is calculating in which way it is possible to take the next step in order to get the problem solved. With different roles it is possible to choose different ways. Four different kinds of role taking are discovered, based on four different levels of calculated involvement or participation of the psychologist and the teacher. The teaching role, in which the psychologist is returning the problem and the teacher is supposed to take a learning role. A pilot role, where the psychologist is retaining the problem for a time and then returning it to the teacher, who is supposed to take a co operating role. A carrying role, in which the psychologist is retaining the problem and finally a bridging role, in which the psychologist is referring the problem to other specialists outside the school. In this turntaking process the role is the result of an interactionistic process and like a dance depending on the psychologists image of the teacher as a dancing partner