Engeström’s (1987) second generation activity theory is used within this research as a conceptual lens through which to explore the practice of EP consultation. Consultation has become a key means of service delivery in many psychological services. However, despite the accepted notion that EP practice and consultation exist in tandem, there is a dearth of research into what it is that EPs actually do when they say they are ‘having a consultation’. In addition, EP consultation has not yet been fully explored as a phenomenon which operates within the wider social, cultural and organisational constraints of a school system. Thus, by using Engeström’s (1987) second generation activity theory as a framework for data collection and analysis, a micro and macro level analysis of the activity of EP consultation was enabled.
Data were collected from six EPs working in one Educational Psychology Service (EPS) through the use of semi-structured interviews. In line with Engeström’s (1987) second generation activity theory, the ‘object’, ‘outcome’, ‘tools’, ‘rules’ and ‘division of labour’ within the activity of EP consultation were explored. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) was used to analyse the data across the interviews, from which numerous themes emerged. Building on the work of Leadbetter (2006), an activity theoretical conceptualisation of EP consultation is presented and proposed as a detailed and functional model which can be used by trainee EPs, and those who are qualified, to make sense of the phenomenon on which much of their practice is based
