From 3 to 6 July, researchers from the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) and the Faculty's Research Centre for Human Development (CEDH) travelled to Riga (Latvia) to participate in the 45th Annual Conference of the International School Psychology Association (ISPA). At this conference, they presented two posters with important reflections on the role of school psychologists in Portugal.
One of the posters presented at the event focused on Portuguese school psychologists' knowledge of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model, an important tool for improving safety and inclusion in schools, and preventing behaviours such as student aggression, acting-out behaviours, withdrawal, and insubordination.
Titled "When I don't know my school: Reflections about psychologists role in PBIS team", the study assessed the knowledge of 375 Portuguese school psychologists about this model and concluded that the majority had little or no knowledge about PBIS and its characteristics.
"In view of these results, and given the crucial role of school psychologists in the successful implementation of PBIS in schools, this paper presents some recommendations and reflections on their role in teams responsible for promoting positive behaviour and preventing indiscipline in schools", says Marisa Carvalho, a faculty at the FEP-UCP and a researcher at the CEDH.
The leadership role of school psychologists
The other poster presented focused on the leadership characteristics of school psychologists. In this poster, the researchers explored how these professionals balance traditional tasks such as assessment and individual intervention with new responsibilities such as teleconsultation, interdisciplinary collaboration and taking on leadership roles.
Through interviews with three school psychologists, the poster, entitled “The hidden role of school psychologists: Informal Leadership”, revealed that although often not formally recognised, the leadership skills and practices of school psychologists are essential for the improvement of educational institutions and the well-being of students.
The participation of CEDH researchers in this conference underlined the importance of the role of school psychologists in creating positive and inclusive educational environments and highlighted the need for greater recognition and support for their leadership roles.
It should be noted that the poster "When I don't know my school: Reflections about the role of psychologists in the PBIS team" was developed as part of the "PBIS in Portuguese Schools" project, in which Marisa Carvalho, Lurdes Veríssimo and Rosário Serrão from FEP-UCP and CEDH participated, as well as Helena Azevedo from the University of Maia and Joana Cruz from the University of Lusíada Porto.
The poster "The hidden role of school psychologists: Informal leadership" was created as part of the "School Psychologists Leadership" project, with the participation of Marisa Carvalho, Rosário Serrão, Bárbara Nobre and Nuno Silva, from FEP-UCP and CEDH, as well as Helena Azevedo, from the University of Maia, and Mireia Tintoré, from the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya.