“Cross” professionalism in educational psychological services (PPR)

Meanings of how professionalism is both the foundation and contradiction of interdisciplinarity

Abstract

A study commissioned by the Ministry of Children and Education shows how educational psychological services (PPR) suffers from overload and a lack of resources, and describes cross-disciplinary collaboration as a solution. Cross-disciplinary collaboration viewed as a simple positive contribution to problem solving is common. Based on our master's thesis written in the spring of 2024, we outline how professionalism is the foundation of cross-disciplinary collaboration and at the same time is in an opposing relationship to it. Inspired by practice research (Højholt 2005) and critical psychological understanding of conflict (Højholt & Røn-Larsen, 2016)(Axel, 2011)(Dreier, 1979), cross-disciplinary collaborative practice is empirically examined through interviews and observations of different professionals in two “cross-disciplinary meetings” in and with PPR, focusing on the sharing of knowledge and the conflictuality of collaboration grounded in professionals' different and opposing participation. Several themes are identified as complicating aspects of cross-disciplinary collaboration. Structural conditions constrain and delimit the professionals' knowledge sharing. Professionals are assigned responsibilities and professional boundaries unclearly, and they assign each other understandings of problems and unequal positions to act from/against, which can significantly inhibit knowledge-sharing. It is concluded that cross-disciplinary collaboration structured around discipline(s) requires conflictual handling in order to see the complexity of cases. Thus, collaboration becomes productive. The article concludes with an insistence on viewing cross-disciplinary collaboration as complex and conflictual and a discussion of how cross-disciplinary collaboration opens up for conflict with and about professionalism.

Keywords:
Cross-disciplinarity, knowledge-sharing, conflict, productivity, PPR (educational psychological services), collaboration, professionalism.