Moore, Amy;
(2022)
Exploring the Role of the Educational Psychologist during the COVID-19 Pandemic. How has Service Delivery Adapted to Online Working Practices?
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This research explored the impact that the move to online working has had on the service delivery of Educational Psychology services. Educational Psychologists (EPs) have made significant changes and adaptations to their working practices since March 2020, which have been necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research offers a critique of these new ways of working and explores the impact it has had on the profession. Within a mixed methods design, the study explored the perceived differences between online and in-person consultations; the type of work that EPs and their professional colleagues found most acceptable and useful online, and the losses and gains associated with delivering an EP service online. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with EPs or EPs in training and data were thematically analysed. Questionnaires were developed and completed by n=63 participants to provide an insight into the differences between EP service delivery when delivered online and in person. Findings identify changes to EP working practices since the first national lockdown. EPs are making decisions about which work can be carried out online and which needs to be completed in person based on their experiences of working through the pandemic. Findings show that where relationships have been established and the systemic context understood, online working can provide convenience and accessibility to support follow-up work. Losses associated with working online were identified as not seeing children and young people in context; EPs feeling less confident applying psychological concepts online and connecting at a distance meant that the online interactions were not always given full attention by those involved. Gains were identified as online spaces providing a more equitable or neutral space that offers convenience and ease. Results indicate that EP practice is likely to have changed following the necessitated move online with EP services moving towards a blended approach to service delivery. It is argued that online working should be seen as an addition to the EP toolkit and not as a replacement for in person service delivery. Implications for EP practice and further research are discussed.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Exploring the Role of the Educational Psychologist during the COVID-19 Pandemic. How has Service Delivery Adapted to Online Working Practices? |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10152960 |
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