Psychoeducators’ Assessment of Behavioural Disorders Practices in Quebec Elementary Schools: An Overview
In school settings, the psychoeducator plays a key role in assessing students with adaptation difficulties, as well as social, emotional and behavioral problems. At present, little information is available on what psychoeducators specifically do when assessing students with behavioral problems. Therefore, this descriptive study aims to present the evaluative practice of psychoeducators in primary schools in Quebec taking into account their level of education (bachelor vs master degree) and region (urban vs rural). The mixed methods design of research combines data from six focus groups (n total of participants = 34), telephone interviews (n = 21) and questionnaires (N = 159). The results indicate that the evaluative practice of psychoeducators is homogeneous considering their level of education and their region. In addition, the results show that psychoeducators report having an assessment practice that closely matches the recommendations of practice in the field of assessment in the school setting. Finally, the results highlight the needs of the psychoeducators and the constraints they face when performing assessments, the latter being perhaps caused by professional identity issues.