School-based motivation and self-regulation assessments: An examination of school psychologist beliefs and practices

One hundred eight practicing school psychologists participated in an online survey designed to examine the need for school-based self-regulation and motivation assessments, the frequency with which they engage in these assessment practices, and the nature of this apparent gap in school psychology practice. In general, results showed that even though school psychologists frequently encounter student referrals involving motivation and self-regulation deficits and recognize the importance and value of assessing these processes, they rarely conduct these types of evaluations. Although many factors may contribute to this phenomenon, it appears that school psychologists have insufficient knowledge and familiarity with motivation and self-regulation assessment methods as well as limited training in working with youth exhibiting these types of difficulties. Implications for practice and future research are highlighted and discussed.