School Psychologists’ Continuing Professional Development Preferences and Practices
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-16-2013
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
http://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21684
Abstract
This study investigated school psychologists’ continuing professional development (CPD) activities, topics, needs, motivations, financial expenditures, and opinions, as well as relationships between select demographic characteristics and certain CPD practices and preferences. A survey was mailed to 1,000 randomly selected Regular Members of the National Association of School Psychologists, resulting in the return of 510 completed surveys, a 51% response rate. Respondents expressed opinions about CPD that were positive, optimistic, and consistent with their high levels of engagement and investments of both time and financial resources. Most respondents reported engaging in 25 or more hours of CPD during the previous year. CPD topics in which they engaged most frequently were response to intervention and academic, behavioral, and social–emotional interventions, and academic screening and progress monitoring. Respondents reported a high level of need for more CPD in those same topic areas, but a low level of need for offerings in standardized assessment. Older school psychologists were less likely to have engaged in CPD relating to contemporary assessment practices and interventions and more likely to have engaged in activities related to standardized assessment. Almost half of the respondents had engaged in CPD through an online activity and reported a desire for more online opportunities. No relationship was found between age and usage of, or positive opinions about, online CPD.
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Psychology in the Schools, v. 50, issue 4, p. 415-432.
Scholar Commons Citation
Armistead, Leigh D.; Castillo, Jose M.; Curtis, Michael J.; Chappel, Ashley; and Cunningham, Jennifer M., "School Psychologists’ Continuing Professional Development Preferences and Practices" (2013). Educational and Psychological Studies Faculty Publications. 29.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/esf_facpub/29
