ABSTRACT.
The Polytechnic Institutes are training spaces of professional nature that integrate the higher education subsystem of Portugal. The expansion and democratization policies for higher education in Portugal required the expansion of academic support actions and hospitality for polytechnic institutes students. Thus, the presence of psychologists has been progressively implemented in the support services for higher education students in Portugal. This qualitative study aimed to map the performance of psychologists in higher education at the Polytechnic Institutes to characterize the practical actions developed by these professionals. It was also intended to broaden the debate on the contributions of school psychology in non-university training spaces, considering the specificities and the diverse demands of the academic community in Portugal. To this end, interviews were conducted with psychologists working in these contexts. Results show that the individualized interventions´ approach is still prevalent. However, there are also records of the expansion of psychologists' work in the context of Polytechnic Institutes through programs for the development of transversal competences and for supporting the student´s entry into the labor market.
Keywords:
School psychology; higher education; vocational education