ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AS PERCEIVED BY THAI HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AS PERCEIVED BY THAI HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond 1 Chulalongkorn University, Thailand Abstract. The purpose of the present study was to examine Thai high school students perceptions on roles/functions of school psychologists. Participants were 1,614 high school students from four regions of Thailand. Methods. The survey of Thai High School Students on the Profession of School Psychology was used to collect the data. Results, conclusions. It was found that male and female students, as well as junior and senior high school students were not statistically significant (p >.05 and p >.05, respectively) in rating the importance of the various roles and functions of school psychologists. However, it was found that there were statistically significant differences among the ratings of various roles/functions of school psychologists (p <.01). It was also found that the interaction effect between group (junior vs. senior high school students) and role/function of school psychologists (assessment, counseling students, intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents) was statistically significant (p <.01). Junior high school students viewed counseling students as important as their senior counterparts did. However, senior high school students rated intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents as being more important than junior high school students did. The results on who should perform the various roles and functions of the unavailable school psychologists in Thailand were also discussed. Keywords: Role, Function, School psychologist. Educators and researchers have studied the roles and functions of school psychologists in the past 26 years (Johnson, 1990 cited in Hagemeier, Bishcoff, Jacobs, & Osmon, 1998). Violato, Rattan, Gornall, and Perks (1981) studied the perceptions of the general public on the role of Cana- 1 Address for correspondence: Dept. of Educational Research and Psychology,Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Phyathai Rd., Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand 10330; Tel. +(66) 22182582; Fax +(66) 22182578; e-mail: tkamonwan@hotmail.com 71

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond dian school psychologists. It was indicated that, overall, respondents had a fairly accurate sense of the roles of school psychologists. Hagemeier et al. (1998) studied the role perceptions of the school psychologists by school personnel. It was found that most school staff members regarded consultation with parents and teachers, and intervention as an important role of school psychologists. Watkins, Crosby, and Pearson (2001) also investigated the role perceptions of school psychologists by school staff. It was revealed that they gave very high ratings to six services, i.e. assessment, special education input, consultation, counseling, intervention, and behavior management. Teacher s views of school psychologists in eight countries, i.e. Cyprus, Denmark, England, Estonia, Greece, South Africa, Turkey, and the United States, were examined by Farrell, Jimerson, Kalambouka, and Benoit (2005). It was indicated that in most countries, the teachers would like school psychologists to spend more time working with parents, as well as training and advising them on the development of new curriculum materials and less time working with individual children. Poulou (2003) examined the reflections of school psychology students on the role of school psychologists. The results indicated that the majority of students attributed the role of leader to the school psychologist in relation to school personnel. It was also found that the school psychologists were expected to work on providing prevention, implementing treatment for children s problems, and facilitating teachers tasks. Furthermore, Trice (2007) found that advanced psychology students viewed assessment as the chief role of school psychologists to the exclusion of other roles, i.e., consultation, counseling, and research. Jimerson, Graydon, Curtis, and Staskal (2007) surveyed school psychologists in 11 countries around the world. It was found that the most preferred role of school psychologists perceived by school psychologists varied from country to country (psycho-educational evaluations, counseling students, providing primary prevention programs, and consultation with teachers/staff). However, administrative responsibility was unanimously rated as the least desirable role of school psychologists. Recently, Archwamety, McFarland, and Tangdhanakanond (in press) did a study on American vs. Thai college students on roles/functions of school psychologists. It was found that while Thai students rated the assessment role/function higher than their U.S. counterparts, they rated the other 72

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. roles/functions lower except for counseling. Thai students expected their parents and older siblings, as well as their teachers, to fill in the school psychologist roles more than their U.S. counterparts did. Finally, Farrell, Jimerson, and Oakland (2007) synthesized the studies of school psychology in 43 countries around the world. It was indicated that the core services of school psychologists generally included direct services (e.g., counseling, assessment, and assistance with academic work) and indirect services (e.g., consultation with teachers, consultation with parents, implementing interventions) to help students deal with their behavioral, educational, and mental problems. They also indicated that the relative amount of time invested in school psychologists various services varied considerably between countries. Although many research studies on the perception of roles and functions of school psychologists have been conducted in many countries, no research study has examined the perceptions of Thai high school students, clients of school psychologists, on this matter. The profession of school psychologists in Thailand is still at the very beginning stage and it would be interesting to find out what Thai high school students think of this profession. The purpose of the present study was therefore to investigate Thai high school students perceptions on roles and functions of school psychologists. More specifically, four research questions were asked: (a) Do male high school students differ significantly from female high school students in rating the importance of the five roles of school psychologists (assessment, counseling students, intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents)? (b) Do junior high school students differ significantly from senior high school students in rating the importance of those five roles of school psychologists? (c) Do male students differ significantly from female students in specifying who should serve the functions of school psychologists in the absence of school psychologists? (d) Do junior high school students differ significantly from senior high school students in specifying who should serve the functions of school psychologists in the absence of school psychologists? Fungard (1998) as well as Grossman and Grossman (1994) found that female students tended to seek the assistance of adults more than boys do. This led to the hypothesis that female students are more likely to rate the importance of the roles of school psychologists higher than male students do. In addition, according to the fact that females are 73

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond more likely to share their thoughts and feelings with their parents and family (Chan-aim, 1993; Grossman & Grossman, 1994), the researcher also hypothesized that female students are more likely to choose senior members in the family to assume some functions (such as counseling and consultation) in the absence of school psychologists than their male counterparts. It was also hypothesized that junior high school students differ from senior high school students in viewing the importance of the roles of school psychologists and in specifying who should serve the functions of school psychologists in the absence of school psychologists. This was predicted from the psychosocial development of adolescence (early and middle adolescence), which indicates the difference in relationship with people. (See Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2001; Slee, 1996). 74 Method Participants The participants included in this research were 1,614 high school students (726 male and 888 female students) in high schools from all regions (north, middle, northeast and south) of Thailand selected by multistage random sampling. This number of students was comprised of 754 junior high school students (234, 195, and 325 seventh, eighth and ninth graders, respectively) and 860 senior high school students (258, 254, and 348 tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders, respectively). Instrument The survey questionnaire, Survey of Thai High School Students on the Profession of School Psychology, was utilized in this research. The survey was divided into two parts. In part one, student status, gender, age, and school location were asked as the respondents demographic information. In addition, the respondents were asked to rate their familiarity with the profession of school psychology on a seven-point semantic differential scale. In part two, the respondents were asked to specify who should serve the five functions of school psychologists (assessment, counseling students, intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents) if school psychologists are not available. The respondents were

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. also asked to rate the importance of each of those functions on a sevenpoint semantic differential scale. The assessment function was divided into (a) the administration of standardized achievement tests, and (b) the administration of standardized psychological scales (i.e., IQ test, scholastic aptitude test, and personality test). Each of the other functions (counseling students, intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents functions) was divided into three categories (a) behavioral problems, (b) educational problems, and (c) mental health problems (Farrell, Jimerson, & Oakland, 2007). The reliability of this questionnaire was 0.92 as determined by the Cronbach s alpha coefficient. Procedure The questionnaires were randomly mailed to 2,160 respondents- 1,080 junior and 1,080 senior high school students from all regions (north, middle, northeast, and south) of Thailand in a month. One thousand six hundred twenty-one questionnaires were returned. The 1,614 completed returned questionnaires were then selected to be analyzed. Results The ratings on the importance of the various roles and functions of school psychologists by male and female students, as well as by junior and senior high school students were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations). A two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures on one factor was also employed to compare male and female students on the perceived importance of the various roles and functions of school psychologists. The independent factor was group (male vs. female students), and the repeated-measure factor was role/function of school psychologists (assessment, counseling students, intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents). The mean ratings of various roles/functions of school psychologists by male students and female students and standard deviations were as shown in Table1 and Figure1. It was found that the overall mean ratings of the various roles/functions of school psychologists by male and female students were not statistically significant, F(1,1612) = 0.69, p >.05. However, it was found that there were statistically significant difference among the mean ratings 75

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond of various roles/functions of school psychologists, F (18, 29016) = 18.87, p <.01. As a whole, students (male and female students combined) reported that counseling students was the most important role/function of school psychologists (M = 5.92, SD = 1.23), followed by consultation with parents (M = 5.90, SD = 1.25), intervention (M = 5.87, SD = 1.24), consultation with teachers (M = 5.81, SD = 1.29), and assessment (M = 5.65, SD = 1.37), respectively. It was also found that the interaction effect between group (male vs. female students) and role/function of school psychologists (assessment, counseling students, intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents) was not statistically significant, F (18, 29016) = 0.70, p >.05 (see Figure 1 for the absence of interaction between the group of students and the role/function of school psychologists). Table 1. Mean Ratings (1=low, 7=high) of Various Roles/Functions of School Psychologists by Male and Female High School Students, and Standard Deviations Roles/Functions Male Female Combined M SD M SD M SD 1. Assessment 5.61 1.35 5.67 1.39 5.65 1.37 1.1 Test 5.60 1.46 5.67 1.50 5.64 1.48 1.2 Scale 5.63 1.54 5.67 1.53 5.65 1.53 2. Counseling students 5.85 1.24 5.98 1.22 5.92 1.23 2.1 Behavior problem 5.81 1.44 6.01 1.34 5.92 1.39 2.2 Educational problem 5.98 1.29 6.03 1.37 6.01 1.33 2.3 Mental problem 5.76 1.48 5.89 1.42 5.84 1.45 3. Intervention 5.84 1.21 5.89 1.26 5.87 1.24 3.1 Behavior problem 5.80 1.36 5.78 1.47 5.79 1.42 3.2 Educational problem 5.98 1.30 6.03 1.31 6.01 1.30 3.3 Mental problem 5.75 1.42 5.85 1.41 5.81 1.41 4. Consultation with teachers 5.74 1.30 5.86 1.27 5.81 1.29 4.1 Behavior problem 5.76 1.45 5.85 1.39 5.81 1.42 4.2 Educational problem 5.78 1.43 5.96 1.29 5.88 1.36 4.3 Mental problem 5.69 1.44 5.76 1.52 5.73 1.49 5. Consultation with parents 5.83 1.27 5.95 1.23 5.90 1.25 5.1 Behavior problem 5.81 1.41 5.92 1.36 5.87 1.39 5.2 Educational problem 5.88 1.35 5.98 1.36 5.94 1.36 5.3 Mental problem 5.80 1.43 5.94 1.30 5.88 1.39 Combined 5.78 1.14 5.84 1.12 5.83 1.13 76

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. Importance 6 5.9 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.5 Male Female 5.4 Assess CnslngStu Intervene CnsltTchr CnsltPar Roles/Functions Figure 1. Roles and functions importance rating of male high school students compared with roles and functions importance rating of female high school students A two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures on one factor was also performed to compare junior and senior high school students on the perceived importance of the various roles and functions of school psychologists. The independent factor was group (juniors vs. seniors), and the repeated-measure factor was role/function of school psychologists (assessment, counseling students, intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents). Table 2 and Figure 2 show the mean ratings and standard deviations of various roles/functions of school psychologists by junior and senior high school students. It was found that the overall mean ratings of the various roles/functions of school psychologists by junior and senior high school students were not statistically significantly different, F(1,1612) = 0.34, p >.05. However, there were statistically significant differences among the mean ratings of various roles/functions of school psychologists, F (18, 29016) = 18.72, p <.01. As a whole, students (junior and senior combined) reported that counseling students was the most important roles/functions of school psychologists (M = 5.92, SD = 1.23), followed by consultation with parents (M = 5.90, SD = 1.25), intervention (M = 5.87, SD = 1.24), consultation with teachers (M = 5.81, SD = 1.29), and assessment (M = 5.65, SD = 1.37), respectively. However, it was also found that the interaction effect between group (junior vs. senior high school students) and role/function of school psychologists (assessment, counseling students, intervention, 77

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents) was statistically significant, F (18, 29016) = 2.39, p <.01 (see Figure 2 for the interaction between the group of students and the role/function of school psychologists). Figure 2 revealed that assessment role rated by junior high school students was more important than that rated by their senior counterparts. Junior high school students viewed counseling students as important as their senior counterparts did. However, seniors rated intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents more important than juniors did. Table 2. Mean Ratings (1=low, 7=high) of Various Roles/Functions of School Psychologists by Junior and Senior High School Students, and Standard Deviations Roles/Functions Junior Senior Combined M SD M SD M SD 1. Assessment 5.67 1.41 5.63 1.34 5.65 1.37 1.1 Test 5.66 1.54 5.62 1.43 5.64 1.48 1.2 Scale 5.67 1.55 5.64 1.51 1.65 1.53 2. Counseling students 5.92 1.23 5.92 1.23 5.92 1.23 2.1 Behavior problem 5.94 1.38 5.90 1.39 5.92 1.39 2.2 Educational problem 5.98 1.35 6.03 1.32 6.01 1.33 2.3 Mental problem 5.85 1.43 5.82 1.47 5.84 1.45 6 5.9 Importance 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.5 Junior Senior 5.4 Assess CnslngStu Intervene CnsltTchr CnsltPar Roles/Functions Figure 2. Roles and functions importance rating of junior high school students compared with roles and functions importance rating of senior high school students 78

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. It is also revealed in Table 1 and Table 2 that students (male and female students combined, as well as junior and senior high school students combined) rated assessment on administration of standardized achievement tests and administration of standardized psychological scales at about the same level of importance (M = 5.64, SD = 1.48, and M = 5.65, SD = 1.53, respectively). They also rated educational problems as the most important issue to be concerned with in each role/function of school psychologists, i.e., counseling students (M = 6.01, SD = 1.33), intervention (M = 6.01, SD = 1.30), consultation with teachers (M = 5.88, SD = 1.36), and consultation with parents (M = 5.94, SD = 1.36) when compared with behavior problems and mental problems. The results on who should perform the various roles and functions of school psychologists in Thailand were as shown in Table 3 and Table 4. Note that in Table 3, female students specified their parents to fill in the role of school psychologists in counseling to solve students problems in all aspects (i.e., behavior, educational, and mental aspects) significantly (p <.01, p <.05, and p <.01, respectively) more than their male counterparts did. Female students also expected older sisters or brothers to perform the counseling student activities to solve their behavioral problems significantly (p <.01) more than male students did. In addition, female students viewed that guidance teacher should serve in the consultation with teacher role to help students solve educational problems significantly (p <.05) more than their male counterparts did. Females also indicated that teachers should serve consultation with parent activities to help students who have behavioral and educational problems significantly (p <.05) more than the male students did. On the other hand, the male students expected priests or ministers to perform the counseling student activities in the absence of school psychologists to solve their problems in all aspects (i.e., behavior problem, education problem, and mental problem) significantly (p <.01, p <.01, and p <.01, respectively) more than their female counterparts did. It was also found that male students specified their school principals to perform the counseling student activities to help students in behavioral and educational aspects significantly (p <.05 and p <.05, respectively) more than female students did. Moreover, male students viewed that 79

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond school principals should serve intervention function to solve their behavioral problems significantly (p <.05) more than their female counterparts did. Male students also expected school principals and university educational professors, as well as teachers to perform the consultation with teacher activities to solve their behavioral and mental problems significantly (p <.05, p <.05, and p <.05, respectively) more than their female students did. Table 3. Frequency Count and Percentage of Male and Female High School Students on the Perceptions of Who Should Perform the Various Roles and Functions of School Psychologists Roles/functions Male Female Person Freq (Total) % Freq (Total) % χ 2 1. Assessment 1.1 Test school principal 244 (726) 33.61 290 (888) 32.66.10 teacher 564 (726) 77.69 687 (888) 77.36.00 guidance teacher 339 (726) 46.69 411 (888) 46.28.01 1.2 Scale school principal 158 (726) 21.76 184 (888) 20.72.18 teacher 548 (726) 75.48 686 (888) 77.25.74 guidance teacher 360 (726) 49.59 442 (888) 49.77.01 2. Counseling students 2.1 Behavior problem school principal 181 (726) 24.93 167 (888) 18.81 8.59* teacher 528 (726) 72.73 679 (888) 76.46 2.76 guidance teacher 366 (726) 50.41 413 (888) 46.51 2.29 parents 536 (726) 73.83 741 (888) 83.45 21.78** older sister or brother 222 (726) 30.58 338 (888) 38.06 9.55** monk, priest, or minister 106 (726) 14.60 83 (888) 9.35 10.23** 2.2 Educational problem school principal 180 (726) 24.79 181 (888) 20.38 4.18* teacher 646 (726) 88.98 800 (888) 90.09.90 guidance teacher 368 (726) 50.69 461 (888) 51.91.19 parents 404 (726) 55.65 541 (888) 60.92 4.37* older sister or brother 199 (726) 27.41 262 (888) 29.50.76 monk, priest, or minister 93 (726) 12.81 52 (888) 5.86 22.78** * p<.05, ** p<.01 80

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. Table 3 (continued) Roles/functions Person Male Female Freq (Total) % Freq (Total) % 2.3 Mental problem school principal 106 (726) 14.60 106 (888) 11.94 2.26 teacher 382 (726) 52.62 485 (888) 54.62.57 guidance teacher 270 (726) 37.19 314 (888) 35.36.50 parents 432 (726) 59.50 593 (888) 66.78 8.61** older sister or brother 153 (726) 21.07 219 (888) 24.66 2.7 monk, priest, or minister 200 (726) 27.55 155 (888) 17.45 23.13** 3. Intervention 3.1 Behavioral problem school principal 263 (726) 36.23 255 (888) 28.72 9.80** teacher 528 (726) 72.73 644 (888) 72.52.91 guidance teacher 348 (726) 47.93 437 (888) 49.21.26 other students 178 (726) 24.52 212 (888) 23.87.05 parents 347 (726) 47.80 430 (888) 48.42.06 older sister or brother 95 (726) 13.09 128 (888) 14.41.51 3.2 Educational problem school principal 261 (726) 35.95 284 (888) 31.98 2.54 teacher 609 (726) 83.88 742 (888) 83.56.00 guidance teacher 372 (726) 51.24 474 (888) 53.38.73 other students 161 (726) 22.18 214 (888) 24.10.77 parents 297 (726) 40.91 377 (888) 42.45.38 older sister or brother 112 (726) 15.43 136 (888) 15.32.00 3.3 Mental problem school principal 157 (726) 21.63 177 (888) 19.93.56 teacher 457 (726) 62.95 540 (888) 60.81.59 guidance teacher 304 (726) 41.87 354 (888) 39.86.53 other students 139 (726) 19.15 165 (888) 18.58.04 parents 389 (726) 53.58 464 (888) 52.25.19 older sister or brother 118 (726) 16.25 145 (888) 16.33.00 4. Consultation with teachers 4.1 Behavioral problem school principal 318 (726) 43.80 340 (888) 38.29 4.72* teacher 335 (726) 46.14 366 (888) 41.22 3.40* guidance teacher 397 (726) 54.68 512 (888) 57.66 1.38 university educational professor 143 (726) 19.70 139 (888) 15.65 4.21* official from ministry of education 119 (726) 16.39 146 (888) 16.44.00 * p<.05, ** p<.01 χ 2 81

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond Table 3 (continued) Roles/functions Person Male Female Freq (Total) % Freq (Total) % χ 2 4.2 Educational problem school principal 336 (726) 46.28 377 (888) 42.45 2.23 teacher 353 (726) 48.62 399 (888) 44.93 1.92 guidance teacher 417 (726) 57.44 559 (888) 62.95 4.69* university educational professor 176 (726) 24.24 209 (888) 23.54.07 official from ministry of education 146 (726) 20.11 164 (888) 18.47.58 4.3 Mental problem school principal 289 (726) 39.81 301 (888) 33.90 5.69* teacher 300 (726) 41.32 323 (888) 36.37 3.85* guidance teacher 388 (726) 53.44 500 (888) 56.31 1.27 university educational professor 145 (726) 19.97 138 (888) 15.54 5.08* official from ministry of education 111 (726) 15.29 116 (888) 13.06 1.44 5. Consultation with parents 5.1 Behavioral problem school principal 258 (726) 35.54 320 (888) 36.04.02 teacher 594 (726) 81.82 764 (888) 86.04 5.01* guidance teacher 358 (726) 49.31 471 (888) 53.04 2.08 5.2 Educational problem school principal 267 (726) 36.78 322 (888) 36.26.03 teacher 612 (726) 84.30 779 (888) 87.73 3.66* guidance teacher 399 (726) 54.96 369 (888) 41.55.66 5.3 Mental problem school principal 230 (726) 31.68 248 (888) 27.93 2.52 teacher 544 (726) 74.93 698 (888) 78.60 2.83 guidance teacher 362 (726) 49.86 463 (888) 52.14.74 * p<.05, ** p<.01 Note in Table 4 that junior high school students expected their teacher to perform the assessment activities (both the administration of standardized achievement tests and standardized psychological 82

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. scales) significantly (p <.01 and p <.05, respectively) more than their senior counterparts did, whereas senior high school students expected their guidance teacher to perform assessment activities (both the administration of standardized achievement tests and standardized scales) significantly (p <.01 and p <.05, respectively) more than junior high school students did. Junior high school students also indicated that their school principals should serve the intervention function in solving students behavioral problems significantly (p <.05) more than their senior counterparts did. On the other hand, senior high school students specified their guidance teachers to fill in the role of school psychologists in counseling to solve students problems in all aspects (i.e., behavior, educational, and mental aspects) significantly (p <.05, p <.01, and p <.01, respectively) more than their junior counterparts did. In addition, senior high school students expected their older sisters or brothers to take up counseling role in solving students problems in behavioral and educational aspects significantly (p <.05 and p <.05, respectively) more than their junior counterparts did. It was also found that seniors needed monks, priests, or ministers to help them in behavioral aspect significantly (p <.05) more than their junior counterparts did. Senior high school students specified other students (their friends) to perform intervention function to solve their behavioral, educational and mental problems significantly (p <.01, p <.05, and p <.05, respectively) more than junior high school students. Seniors also expected their older sisters or brothers to serve the intervention function to solve their behavioral problems and expected their guidance teachers to conduct intervention activities to solve their mental problems significantly more than juniors (p <.05 and p <.05, respectively). Seniors viewed that university educational professors should perform consultation with teacher function in all aspects (i.e., behavioral, educational, and mental aspects) significantly (p <.05, p <.01, and p <.01, respectively) more than juniors. Seniors expected guidance teachers to perform consultation with teacher function in educational matter significantly (p <.05) more than juniors. Finally, it was indicated in the Table 4 that significant difference did not occur (p >.01) between junior and senior high school students regarding the opinion of who should serve consultation with parent functions. 83

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond 84 Table 4. Frequency Count and Percentage of Junior High School Students and Senior High School Students on the Perceptions of Who Should Perform the Various Roles and Functions of School Psychologists Roles/functions Junior Senior Person Freq (Total) % Freq (Total) % χ 2 1. Assessment 1.1 Test school principal 255 (754) 33.82 279 (860) 32.44.25 teacher 612 (754) 81.17 639 (860) 74.30 9.96** guidance teacher 319 (754) 42.31 431 (860) 50.12 9.82** 1.2 Scale school principal 593 (754) 78.65 641 (860) 74.53 3.25 teacher 177 (754) 23.47 165 (860) 19.19 4.07* guidance teacher 351 (754) 46.55 451 (860) 52.44 5.57* 2. Counseling students 2.1 Behavior problem school principal 172 (754) 22.81 176 (860) 20.47 1.15 teacher 556 (754) 73.74 651 (860) 75.70.72 guidance teacher 339 (754) 44.96 440 (860) 51.16 5.94* parents 587 (754) 77.85 690 (860) 80.23 1.24 older sister or brother 239 (754) 31.70 321 (860) 37.33 5.37* monk, priest, or minister 75 (754) 9.95 114 (860) 13.26 3.97* 2.2 Educational problem school principal 171 (754) 22.68 190 (860) 22.09.04 teacher 667 (754) 88.46 783 (860) 91.05 2.66 guidance teacher 357 (754) 47.35 472 (860) 54.88 8.84** parents 455 (754) 60.34 490 (860) 56.98 1.74 older sister or brother 195 (754) 25.86 266 (860) 30.93 4.81* monk, priest, or minister 65 (754) 8.62 80 (860) 9.30.15 2.3 Mental problem school principal 89 (754) 11.80 123 (860) 14.30 1.99 teacher 420 (754) 55.70 447 (860) 51.98 2.10 guidance teacher 235 (754) 31.17 349 (860) 40.58 15.02** parents 495 (754) 65.65 530 (860) 61.63 2.54 older sister or brother 174 (754) 23.08 198 (860) 23.02.00 monk, priest, or minister 165 (754) 21.88 190 (860) 22.09.00 * p<.05, ** p<.01

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. Table 4 (continued) Roles/functions Junior Senior Person Freq (Total) % Freq (Total) % χ 2 3. Intervention 3.1 Behavioral problem school principal 261 (754) 34.62 257 (860) 29.88 3.92* teacher 545 (754) 72.28 647 (860) 75.23 1.65 guidance teacher 350 (754) 46.42 435 (860) 50.58 2.62 other students 141 (754) 18.70 249 (860) 28.95 22.48** parents 371 (754) 49.20 406 (860) 47.21.57 older sister or brother 90 (754) 11.94 133 (860) 15.47 3.91* 3.2 Educational problem school principal 253 (754) 33.55 292 (860) 33.95.01 teacher 634 (754) 84.08 717 (860) 83.37.08 guidance teacher 378 (754) 50.13 468 (860) 54.42 2.78 other students 156 (754) 20.69 219 (860) 25.47 4.87* parents 314 (754) 41.64 360 (860) 41.86.00 older sister or brother 104 (754) 13.79 144 (860) 16.74 2.47 3.3 Mental problem school principal 169 (754) 22.41 165 (860) 19.19 2.36 teacher 484 (754) 64.19 513 (860) 59.65 3.34 guidance teacher 283 (754) 37.53 375 (860) 43.60 5.88* other students 122 (754) 16.18 182 (860) 21.16 6.20* parents 411 (754) 54.51 442 (860) 51.40 1.45 older sister or brother 119 (754) 15.78 144 (860) 16.74.21 4. Consultation with teachers 4.1 Behavioral problem school principal 325 (754) 43.10 333 (860) 38.72 3.10 teacher 329 (754) 43.63 371 (860) 43.14.04 guidance teacher 407 (754) 53.98 502 (860) 58.37 2.88 university educational professor 113 (754) 14.99 169 (860) 19.65 5.69* official from ministry of education 124 (754) 16.45 141 (860) 16.40.00 4.2 Educational problem school principal 349 (754) 46.29 364 (860) 42.33 2.41 teacher 345 (754) 45.76 407 (860) 47.33.33 guidance teacher 436 (754) 57.82 540 (860) 62.79 3.81* university educational professor 132 (754) 17.51 253 (860) 29.42 30.58** official from ministry of education 133 (754) 17.64 177 (860) 20.58 2.02 * p<.05, ** p<.01 85

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond Table 4 (continued) Roles/functions Junior Senior Person Freq (Total) % Freq (Total) % χ 2 4.3 Mental problem school principal 279 (754) 37.00 311 (860) 36.16.10 teacher 285 (754) 37.80 338 (860) 39.30.30 guidance teacher 417 (754) 55.31 471 (860) 54.77.04 university educational professor 105 (754) 13.93 178 (860) 20.70 12.20** official from ministry of education 106 (754) 14.06 121 (860) 14.07.00 5. Consultation with parents 5.1 Behavioral problem school principal 282 (754) 37.40 296 (860) 34.42 1.43 teacher 634 (754) 84.08 724 (860) 84.19.00 guidance teacher 382 (754) 50.66 447 (860) 51.98.23 5.2 Educational problem school principal 270 (754) 35.81 319 (860) 37.09.23 teacher 650 (754) 86.21 741 (860) 86.16.00 guidance teacher 388 (754) 51.46 480 (860) 55.81 2.89 5.3 Mental problem school principal 225 (754) 29.84 253 (860) 29.42.02 teacher 578 (754) 76.66 664 (860) 77.21.04 guidance teacher 377 (754) 50.00 448 (860) 52.09.62 * p<.05, ** p<.01 86 Discussion Students Perceptions of Importance of the Various Roles and Functions of School Psychologists The results of this study indicated that the perception of male and female students, as well as junior and senior high school students, in regards to the importance of the various roles and functions served by school psychologists were not different. Those findings rejected the hypothesis posted earlier. However, these are relevant to the findings of previous research studies. For example, it has been found by Malaiman (1993) that male and female students were not statistically significant different in their needs for guidance service which is similar to services provided by school psychologists. Sangkaphet (1994) also found that there were

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. not statistically significant differences on the attitude of the different sex and educational level of students. Note in Table 1 and Table 2 that as a whole Thai high school students (male and female students combined, as well as junior and senior high school students combined) rated counseling students as the most important role. This should not be surprising considering similar findings from other researchers. For example, it has been found that Thai high school students needed a counseling service in a high level, especially on their educational problems (Punhoon, 2006; Sangkaphets, 1994). Table 1 and Table 2 also reveal that Thai high school students perceived the assessment role as the least important role of school psychologists. This is relevant to the findings of previous research of Tangdhanakanond and Archwamety (2008) that reported Thai college students rated the assessment role as the least important role of school psychologists. That may be because Thai guidance teachers (whose roles and functions are helping students overcome psychological and social problems in schools) are not authorized to administer the psychological tests. In general, they send students suspected of having learning difficulties to a psychiatrist for diagnosis by psychological tests. For this reason, students may think that assessment is the role of psychiatrists, not the role of school psychologists. This could result in their evaluating the assessment role of school psychologists as lowest in importance. Interestingly, there was an interaction effect between group (junior vs. senior high school students) and role/function of school psychologists (assessment, counseling students, intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents). It was found in Figure 2 that assessment role rated by junior high school students was more important than that rated by their senior counterparts. On the other hand, seniors rated intervention, consultation with teachers, and consultation with parents more important than juniors did. This is probably because the assessment using general standardized achievement tests and standardized psychological scales were mentioned in this study. Senior high school students in Thailand mainly give their attention to entrance examination. Therefore, they rated assessment role less important comparing to junior high school students did. It was also revealed in Figure 2 that junior high school students viewed counseling students as important as their senior counterparts did. This is relevant to the findings of previous research studies of Panhoon (2006) and Sangkaphets (1994). 87

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond Students Perceptions of Who Should Perform School Psychologists Functions of the Unavailable School Psychologists It was shown in Table 3 that female students specified their parents to fill in the role of school psychologists in the counseling to solve students problems in all aspects i.e., behavior, educational, and mental aspects more than their male counterparts. Female students also expected older sisters or brothers to perform the counseling student activities to solve their behavioral problems more than male students. On the other hand, the male students expected their priests or ministers to perform the counseling student activities in the absence of school psychologists to solve students problems in all aspects more than their female counterparts. That may be because in socio-cultural context, females are more likely to share their thoughts and feelings with their parents than their male counterparts (Chan-aim, 1993; Grossman & Grossman, 1994). Note interestingly in Table 4 that seniors expected their guidance teacher to perform assessment activities more than junior high school students did. They specified their guidance teachers to fill in the school psychologist role in counseling to solve students problems in all aspects (i.e., behavior, educational, and mental aspects) more than their junior counterparts did. Moreover, seniors needed guidance teachers to perform consultation with teacher function in educational aspect more than juniors did. This should not be surprising considering the fact that presently, in Thailand there are guidance teachers who perform the roles/ functions of school counselors and Thai senior high school students spend more time seeing their guidance teachers to get their advises, especially in education, more than Thai junior high school students do. This may account for the present study s finding that senior high school students needed their guidance teachers to implement such activities more than their junior counterparts did. Further Consideration There is a plan in Thailand to establish the school psychology profession in the near future. It would be interesting to do a further study on the changes of the perceptions of Thai students on roles and functions of school psychologists as the school psychology profession in Thailand matures. The comparison of Thai students on roles and functions 88

International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2009, 3, 71 90 p. of school psychologists at the initial and mature stages should also be included in the next study. References Archwamety, T., McFarland, M., & Tangdhanakanond, K. (in press). How important are roles/functions of school psychologists and who should substitute them in their absence? Comparing Thai and American students perception. School Psychology International. Chan-aim, S. (1993). Developmental Psychology (3th ed.). Bangkok, Thailand: Thaiwattanapanich. Farrell, P., Jimerson, S. R., Kalambouka, A., & Benoit, J. (2005). Teachers perceptions of school psychologists in different countries. School Psychology International, 26(5), 525 544. Farrell, P. T., Jimerson, S. R., & Oakland, T. D. (2007). School psychology internationally: A synthesis of findings. In S. R. Jimerson, T. D. Oakland, & P. T. Farrell. (Eds.), The handbook of international school psychology (pp.501-509). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Fungard, W. (1998). The needs for guidance services of students in the educational opportunity expanding schools under the Office of Kamphangphet Provincial Primary Education. Unpublished master thesis, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. Grossman, H., & Grossman, S. H. (1994). Gender issues in education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Hagemeier, C., Bischoff, L., Jacobs, J., & Osmon, W. (1998). Role perceptions of the school psychologist by school personnel. Paper presented at the Annual National Convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Orlando, FL, April 1998. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 420 023). Jimerson, S. R., Graydon, K., Curtis, M., & Staskal, R. (2007). The international school psychology survey: Insights from school psychologists around the world. In S. R. Jimerson, T. D. Oakland, & P. T. Farrell. (Eds.), The handbook of international school psychology (pp. 481 500). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Malaiman, C. (1993). The needs in guidance services of prathomsuksa 6 students in educational service area 7 under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Private Education Commission. Unpublished master thesis, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. Panhoon, K. (2006). Teachers roles and students needs concerning guidance service in schools under the Office of Muang Pan District Primary Education, Lampang province. Unpublished master thesis Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldman, R. D. (2001). Human development (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Poulou, M. (2003). Reflections of pre-service psychologists on the role of the school psychologist. School Psychology International, 24(4), 378 393. 89

Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond Sangkaphet, W. (1994). The attitude of mathayomsuksa 3 and mathayomsuksa 6 students toward guidance services in Kaennakhon Witthayalai School. Unpublished master thesis, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand. Slee, P. T. (1996). Child, adolescence and family development. London: Harcourt Brase. Tangdhanakanond, K., & Archwamety, T. (2008). Thai college students perceptions on roles and functions of school psychologists (manuscript). Trice, A. (2007). Psychology majors knowledge of school psychology. Paper presented at National Association of School Psychologists Conference, NY, March, 2007. Violato, C., Rattan, G., Gornall, M., & Perks, B. (1981). The role of Canadian school psychologists: Perceptions of a sample from the general public. Journal of School Psychology, 19(3), 222 225. Watkins, M. W., Crosby, E. G., & Pearson, J. L. (2001). Role of the School Psychologist: Perceptions of School Staff. School Psychology International, 22(1), 64 73. Author s Note The researcher would like to thank Professor Teara Archwamety, Ph.D. of the University of Nebraska at Kearney who was the mentor of this study. This study was supported by the Ratchadapiseksompotch Research Fund of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. 90 TAILANDO VYRESNIŲJŲ KLASIŲ MOKINIŲ POŽIŪRIS Į MOKYKLOS PSICHOLOGO VAIDMENIS IR FUNKCIJAS Kamonwan Tangdhanakanond Santrauka. Tyrimo tikslas. Šio tyrimo tikslas nustatyti, kaip mokyklos psichologo vaidmenis ir funkcijas suvokia vyresniųjų klasių mokiniai Tailande. Metodai. Tyrime dalyvavo 1614 vyresniųjų klasių mokinių iš keturių Tailando regionų. Tyrimui naudota Tajų vyresniųjų klasių mokinių požiūrio į mokyklos psichologo profesiją apklausa. Rezultatai, išvados: Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad berniukai ir mergaitės, taip pat kaip jaunesni ir vyresni mokiniai, nesiskiria atskirų mokyklos psichologo vaidmenų ir funkcijų svarbos vertinimu. Tačiau mokyklos psichologo vaidmenis ir funkcijas mokiniai laikė skirtingai svarbiomis. Tyrimu taip pat nustatytos statistiškai reikšmingos mokinių amžiaus (vyresni / jaunesni) ir mokyklos psichologo vaidmenų / funkcijų (psichologinio įvertinimo, mokinių konsultavimo, intervencijų, mokytojų konsultavimo, tėvų konsultavimo) tarpgrupinės sąsajos. Jaunesni mokiniai mokinių konsultavimo svarbą vertinio taip kaip vyresni. Tačiau vyresni mokiniai, labiau nei jaunesni, pabrėžė intervencijų, mokytojų ir tėvų konsultavimo svarbą mokyklos psichologo darbe. Straipsnyje aptariama, kas galėtų atlikti mokyklos psichologo funkcijas ir teikti mokyklos psichologo paslaugas, kurios Tailande neteikiamos. Pagrindiniai žodžiai: mokyklos psichologas, vaidmuo, funkcija. Received 27 March, 2009 Accepted 4 April, 2009