A Descriptive Study of Psychological Service Delivery in Selected Rural School Settings

Abstract

This investigation utilized qualitative methods to provide in-depth information regarding the nature and scope of problems faced by rural school psychologists in a diverse array of settings. Interviews were conducted with a total of fifty psychologists who practiced at ten sites in five states to determine problem areas and procedures used to deal with these problems. The results indicate that difficulties exist in particular settings in overcoming resistance to change and suspicion from school staff and parents; traveling to widely scattered schools or over hazardous terrain; working with the constraint of insufficient resources; and working with children from low SES, educationally deprived backgrounds. Specific approaches used to overcome these problems are suggested. In sum, if psychological service delivery is to be efficiently, effectively achieved, the role of the school psychologist must be adapted to fit the unique ecology of a given rural setting.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bogdan, R.C. and Biklen, S.K. (1982) Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Fagan, T.K. (1981) 'School Psychology in Rural Areas', Communique 9(1):5-5.

Hamblin, A.G. (1981) 'Current Practices of Rural and Non-Rural School Psychologists: A Survey', unpublished doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

Helge, D. (1981) 'Problems in Implementing Comprehensive Special Education Programming in Rural Areas', Exceptional Children 47:514-520.

Hughes, J.N. and Clark, R.D. (1981) 'Differences Between Urban and Rural School Psychology: Training Implications', Psychology in the Schools 18:191-196.

Kramer, J.J. and Peters, G.J. (1986) 'Service Delivery to Rural Schools: Conceptual and Logistical Hurdles', in S.N. Elliott and J.C. Witt (eds) The Delivery of Psychological Services in the Schools: Concepts, Processes and Issues, pp.203-225. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Lincoln, Y.S. and Guba, E.G. (1985) Natura!istic Inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

McLeskey, J. , Cummings, J.A. and Huebner, E.S. (1988) 'Characteristics of Rural America and Their Interface with School Psychology', in T. Kratochwill (ed.) Advances in School Psychology, Vol.6. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

McLeskey, J. , Huebner, E.S. and Cummings, J.A. (1984) 'Issues in the Delivery of Psychological Services in Rural School Settings', Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 15:579-589.

10.

Meacham, M.L. and Peckham, P.D. (1978) 'School Psychologists at Three-quarters Century: Congruence Between Training, Practice, Preferred Role and Competence', Journal of School Psychology 16:195-206.

11.

Rogers, E.M. and Burdge, RJ. (1972) Social Change in Rural Societies, 2nd edn. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

12.

Smith, T.L. and Zopf, P.E. (1970) Principles of Inductive Rural Sociology. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

13.

Trenary, D. (1980) 'The Unique Problems of Rural School Psychologists', The School Psychologist 23:13-13.

14.

Wilkinson, K.D. (1982) 'Rural Community Change', in T.R. Ford (ed.) Rural USA: Persistence and Change, pp.115-125. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.