PSYCHOLOGIST FACILITATIVENESS, TEACHER/PSYCHOLOGIST RELATIONSHIP AND REASON FOR SEEKING CONSULTATION: CORRELATES OF TEACHER PREFERENCE FOR CONSULTANT STYLE
Abstract
Teacher preference for consultant style, conceptualized as a choice between expert consultation and interpersonal consultation was investigated. Teacher preference for consultant style was related to two relationship variables and to the teacher's reason for seeking consultation. Psychologist facilitativeness and the status of the teacher/psychologist relationship were the relationship variables. Reason for seeking consultation was conceptualized in terms of the work difficulties that underlie requests for consultation and included: lack of information, lack of skill, lack of confidence and lack of objectivity. Five school psychologists and 64 teachers in seven middle class elementary schools participated in the study. Data were collected from both psychologists and teachers regarding teacher/psychologist consultation relationships. Teachers responded to vignettes depicting 10 children in potential problem situations. Teachers were asked to indicate their reason for seeking consultation and their preference for consultant style in each of the 10 situations. Chi-Square correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Teachers showed a significant preference for expert consultation in 5 of the 10 situations and a preference for interpersonal consultation in 1 of 10 situations. A significant relationship was found between psychologist facilitativeness and the status of the work relationship. Significant but weak relationships were found between teacher preference for consultant style and psychologist facilitativeness. Significant but weak relationships were also found between teacher preference for consultant style and the status of the work relationship and three of the four reasons for seeking consultation. Significant multiple correlations ranging from .41 to .50 were found, in 5 of 10 situations, between teacher preference for consultant style and some combination of psychologist facilitativeness, the status of the work relationship and the four reasons for seeking consultation. Consultation is a comprehensive, helping relationship that has interpersonal, human relation aspects as well as skill building aspects. A combination of relationship and reason for seeking consultation variables, acting together, accounted for between 16% and 25% of the variance in teacher preference for consultant style. Relationship factors, especially psychologist facilitativeness, seem to be better predictors of teacher preference for consultant style than do reasons for seeking consultation.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
GRANELLI, BRYAN FRANCIS, "PSYCHOLOGIST FACILITATIVENESS, TEACHER/PSYCHOLOGIST RELATIONSHIP AND REASON FOR SEEKING CONSULTATION: CORRELATES OF TEACHER PREFERENCE FOR CONSULTANT STYLE" (1982). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8223602.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8223602
