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Exploring educational psychologists’ perceptions of changes to assessment practice throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT The coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions on the education system presented distinctive difficulties to educational psychologists in conducting their assessment practice. This study sought to gather the perceptions of a sample of educational psychologists from across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, examining changes which had occurred in their assessment delivery within local authority educational psychology services. Five nations were represented in the sample of participants represented in this study. This study used semi-structured interviews to gather seven participants’ experiences of a) barriers which had emerged to delivering assessment on account of the COVID-19 pandemic; b) changes which had occurred in assessment delivery within their regions of practice; c) reflections upon the period of fluctuating restrictions and, thus, varying practice. Interview data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework for thematic analysis. Findings were reported in relation to three prevailing research questions, with implications for research and practice also outlined.