School Psychologists Perspectives on Cultural Humility

Cultural biases within school psychology practices can lead to misdiagnosis and ineffective interventions, which negatively impact a student’s academic success, social-emotional development, and future opportunities. To support student well-being, school psychologists can recognize and address cultural biases by adopting a stance of cultural humility: reflecting on their own biases, engaging in continuous learning, and adapting practices to be more culturally responsive. The aim of this study is to understand school psychologists’ perspectives of their own culturally responsive practices in order to create trainings that address gaps in knowledge and better support their professional development. Through the framework of cultural humility, we analyzed previously collected data that was part of a larger study based on interviews of school psychologists. Results from thematic analysis and structural coding of the interview transcripts revealed the complex relationship between cultural knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, and skills related to cultural humility. Some participants also focused primarily on language differences, emphasizing language as the sole cultural marker while overlooking more nuanced aspects of cultural identity. Overall, participants demonstrated an open, positive attitude when approaching learning about culturally responsive practices; nonetheless, even with a strong desire to address cultural disparities, the framework and structure in which they operate may not provide the depth of knowledge, time, or tools needed to fully implement these practices, leading to efforts that remain surface-level. This study can inform future research on school psychology training related to culturally responsive practices to support K-12 student well-being.