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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1501080
This article is part of the Research Topic Integrating Health Psychology in Practice: Enhancing Well-being and Improving Health Outcomes Across Diverse Contexts View all 5 articles
The Quest for Systematization in Educational Psychology Practice -The Case of SDQ
Provisionally accepted- Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Introduction: The field of Educational Psychology (EP) practice is currently shaped by debates on the balance between systematized and situated approaches. This study explores these debates through the lens of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Methods: Utilizing data from a current research project, the application of the SDQ in EP practice was analyzed. The study involved analyses of SDQ responses and psychoeducational reports and interviews with educational psychologists who used the SDQ in their assessments. Results: The findings indicate that the participating educational psychologists were generally satisfied with the use of the SDQ. Additionally, a significant portion of the SDQ responses suggested that many of the examined children exhibited symptoms warranting further investigation for ADHD. Discussion: The article concludes with a discussion on the dual perspectives regarding the systematic use of the SDQ. On one hand, there are arguments for its systematic application On the other hand, while a standardized use of the SDQ ensures systematic information, the questionnaire also contributes to a specific framing of the issue. It is crucial to recognize that the SDQ, originally developed by a child psychiatrist and not specifically designed for EP practice, frames the understanding of issues in a predominantly psychiatric manner. This can lead to a narrow focus on diagnosing and treating perceived deficiencies, potentially overlooking the broader educational and contextual factors that influence student well-being.
Keywords: Educational psychology practice, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), situated knowledge, Systematic knowledge, assessment, Normative validity
Received: 24 Sep 2024; Accepted: 03 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Szulevicz and Arnfred. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Thomas Szulevicz, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
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