Educational psychologists' report-writing: acts of justice?. Issue 9 (1st September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Attard, Sunaina; Mercieca, Daniela; Mercieca, Duncan P.
• Is Part Of: International journal of inclusive education. Volume 20:Issue 9(2016)
• Page Start: 962
• Page End: 974
• Publication Date: 2016-09-01
• Subjects: Education psychologist -- report-writing -- gifts and exchanges -- justices and ethics; Inclusive education -- Periodicals; Mainstreaming in education -- Periodicals; 371.9
• DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2016.1139194
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-3116

Abstract

ABSTRACT: One of the major tasks of educational psychologists is the writing of reports. Often, all involvement, assessment and intervention culminate in the production of a report. This paper explores critically the tensions involved in writing reports which are closed down in their conformity to requirements of different bodies, while looking for possibilities of openings in this closure. We acknowledge that report-writing is caught in the economies of exchange and the impossibility of gift-giving, based on the writing of Jacques Derrida. This paper will draw upon a small qualitative study of seven experienced school psychologists, and using a Derridian framework, it makes the familiar strange and the strange familiar [Biesta, G., J. Allan, and R. Edwards. 2011. "The Theory Question in Research Capacity Building in Education: Towards an Agenda for Research and Practice." British Journal of Educational Studies, 59 (3): 225–239.] on the process of report-writing.