The Implementation of Problem-Solving Consultation: An Analysis of Problem Conceptualization in a Multiracial Context

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze how school psychologists engage racial/cultural diversity when conceptualizing problems during consultation in a multiracial context. Four school psychologists were recruited to engage in computer-simulated problem-solving consultation. Each school psychologist was presented with three fictional consultation cases. The participants then used a computer-simulated school environment to interact with fictional teachers in a school-based setting to complete the consultation cases. Three themes emerged: (a) limited use of ecological approach, (b) lack of cultural responsiveness, and (c) divergent approaches to problem identification for African American versus European American referrals. Implications for using problem-solving consultation in a multiracial environment are discussed.