School needs and service delivery models in school psychology. A mixed methods study.

Need. Currently, the limited available data about the prevalence and conditions of school psychologists in Italy and political interest in developing organizations, structures, and regulations to represent and govern these services establish a critical need to further explore, document, and describe and especially improve the Italian school psychologists’ roles, functions and service delivery models. Although existing research indicates that psychologists are at least minimally present in many schools (Cornoldi & Molinari, 2019; Coyne & Trombetta, 2006; Matteucci & Coyne, 2017; Matteucci & Farrell, 2018), school psychology services are not provided regularly and a framework for broad-based service delivery model is still lacking. Aims. The study aims to investigate: a) stakeholders’s needs in terms of psychological service delivery model in school, and b) service delivery interventions and practices of psychologists who actually work in schools in order to identify a service-delivery model that best meets the needs of all students while also supporting teachers. Final aim will be to identify best procedures and practical guidelines concerning service-delivery practices to be provided to psychologists. Methodologies/Activities. Because neither quantitative nor qualitative methods alone are sufficient to capture the complexity of the SP service delivery in Italy, we propose conducting a sequential exploratory strategy mixed-method study (Creswell, 2003) of psychological service-providers who work in schools. Thus, the three research units will realize the following integrated activities: (a) a survey addressed to principals, teachers and students of primary, middle and secondary schools and (b) interviews with school psychology practitioners through an elicitation method aimed at identifying school psychology work practices. The survey and the interviews will be conducted in Emilia-Romagna, Abruzzo e Campania. While the three research units (RUs) will operate together by sharing the whole project and by synergistically carrying on the research design, the data collection and the data analysis, each RU will take the responsibility to lead one strategic action. Expected outcomes. The main outcomes will be: a) to identify school needs in terms of school psychology service delivery model that would best meet their needs; b) to map the theoretical and methodological foundations behind the psychological interventions implemented in the past years or still ongoing; c) guidelines about a service-delivery model that may provide a framework for broad-based service delivery. We expect the project to have social impact as by providing Italian school psychologists with a multidimensional and comprehensive model of intervention and service-delivery strategies, we will contribute to the promotion of a full range of services to improve outcomes for students, families, and schools.