The changing roles of educational psychologists in Hong Kong

Abstract

This is a study of the roles and functions of educational psychologists in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 21 Hong Kong educational psychologists in spring 1997. The purposes of the survey were to investigate how much time Hong Kong educational psychologists use in various services and with various clients, what difficulties they encountered in their work, what skills and knowledge they perceived as important to their practices, and how frequently they work with other professionals. The results of the survey indicated that Hong Kong educational psychologists have gone beyond the traditional role of psychometricians or gatekeepers of special education. Their services ranged from remediation to prevention, case work to systems work, and direct services to indirect services. Reflecting a universal trend, Hong Kong educational psychologists function in an advanced model of service delivery which is proactive and systems-oriented. However, they are still faced with many difficulties in their work. These difficulties include lack of government planning, a poor ratio between educational psychologists and students, and poor promotion prospects in their careers. On the basis of the survey findings, implications for training and the future development of the profession are discussed.