Presenter(s)

• Robyn Rinehart, University of Kentucky

Abstract

Despite students’ strong interest in mental health careers, psychology faces significant workforce shortages, especially in school psychology (American Psychological Association [APA], 2016; National Association of School Psychologists [NASP], 2024). In addition, the school psychology workforce consists of a racial and gender gap, as most practitioners are White and women (Farmer et al., 2021; McNamara et al., 2019; NASP, 2024). Research has also shown that college students are less exposed to school psychology than clinical or counseling psychology, which may contribute to continued recruitment challenges (Bocanegra et al., 2015). The intention of this study was to determine if undergraduate psychology students have an interest in the job responsibilities of school psychologists and whether those interests are associated with intent to enter graduate school. In addition, gender differences in declared interest in the various role functions of school psychologists were analyzed. Participants were undergraduate students attending psychology classes at a rural university in the southeastern United States. Students were recruited through classroom presentations and flyer distribution to complete an online survey. Results obtained from 91 students, including 29% Black students and 21% male students, revealed no gender differences in intent to go to graduate school for psychology or vocational interest in school psychology roles. In addition, all students were most interested in mental and behavioral health services, testing and assessment, and crisis intervention. These findings support that men in psychology are equally interested in school psychology, yet other variables likely explain the lack of diversity in the field. Determining these differences, or lack thereof, may help address workforce shortages, support gender diversity, and guide recruitment strategies for school psychology programs.