Making Ideas Work: Ralph Bedell and the NDEA Institutes

Ralph Bedell, professor emeritus of educational and counseling psychology, was interviewed to gain insight info the influence of the National Defense Counseling and Guidance Institutes on the history of counseling and to learn about the man who was responsible for the NDEA program.     

Attitudes of Counselors and Disadvantaged Students Toward School Guidance

This study of attitudes toward school guidance indicated that a differential pattern of endorsement of attitude items exists between experienced counselors and Upward Bound participants. A statistically significant difference was discovered between counselors and Upward Bound participants in terms of median attitude endorsement. While this difference did not appear to be seriously discrepant in a qualitative sense, at least one-third of the Upward Bound participants held somewhat negative attitudes.     

Some Appraised Instruments of Values for Counselors

The article by Kavanagh reviews several instruments that have been available for some time but perhaps neglected by counselors. Analyzing strengths and weaknesses of these items, he concludes that their judicious use can help toward the upgrading of counseling effectiveness. Clark Power 's addendum introduces what could be called the forefront of values assessment. He looks at the varied values needs of the counselor and researcher and offers information about material that is still being researched or has recently become available.     

Counseling Counselors: A Survey of Values

This study surveyed counselors' rates of involvement in counseling, explored whether counselors value seeing therapists of a similar theoretical orientation to their own, and examined which characteristics were important in choosing one's therapist. Of 2,000 randomly selected ACA members, with a 38% return rate, 80% were found to have attended counseling, with women seeking counseling at significantly higher rates than men. Having been in counseling varied as a function of division affiliation as well as counselor's theoretical orientation. Finally, this study also explored the characteristics deemed important in choosing one's counselor and the values counselors hold regarding involvement in their own therapy.     

Practicum and On-the-job Ratings of School Counselors

Practicum ratings of 50 school counselors were examined in relation to administrators' subsequent on-the-job ratings of their performance. The relationship proved negligible. The practicum ratings did relate, however, to retention of cognitive material in guidance and counseling (scores on a comprehensive examination). Such a relationship did not exist between scores on the same comprehensive examination and the administrators' ratings. It was suggested that cognitive standards for counselors are probably best established and maintained by training institutions. Administrators seeking assurance of at least minimum cognitive competency in counselors ought to seek endorsement of candidates from those who observe their practicum performance.     

The Assessment and Treatment of Gender-Disturbed Boys by Guidance Counselors

This article discusses the guidance counselor's occasional involvement in the assessment and treatment of male children exhibiting gender disturbances. Boyhood gender disturbances are differentiated into two different but closely related syndromes: cross-gender identification and gender behavior disturbance. Specific diagnostic procedures and issues are discussed, among them the rationale for psychoeducational intervention. The article considers the developmental problems suffered by gender-disturbed boys and examines the relatively poor prognosis for untreated individuals. The text outlines specific treatment interventions to increase the child's range of masculine behaviors so there is a reasonable balance between masculine and feminine behavior. Reasonable sex-role flexibility and satisfaction with one's own biological sex status are the treatment goals.     

Job Satisfactions and Job Activities of School Counselors

This study examined the relationships among the job satisfactions and job activities of 168 school counselors. An intercorrelational matrix was developed using personal data, 8 job-satisfaction dimensions, and 6 job-activity areas. Establishing and maintaining staff relationships and providing guidance services to individual students were the activities most related to the job-satisfaction dimensions. Promoting the general program was not significantly related with any job satisfaction. Some differences between men and women counselors were found in both job satisfactions and activities. The student-counselor ratio was relevant to the activities of the counselors but not related to their job satisfactions.     

Job Satisfaction and Effective Performance of School Counselors

This study examines the relationships between job satisfaction and the effectiveness of the performance of first-year school counselors. Co-workers and administrators rated the counselors' effectiveness in 6 job activities, and clients rated the counselors in 3 aspects of the counseling interview. The performance ratings were correlated with the counselors' job satisfaction in 8 areas. Several job satisfaction dimensions were related to effective performance of selected activities by the co-workers, administrators, and clients. Satisfaction with their future and security in the job, relations with associates, involvement in the job, and training for the job were the dimensions most frequently related to job satisfaction. The nature of the relationships among the criteria of effective performance indicated that 3 groups had different perceptions of the counselor.     

Multicultural Education and Perceived Multicultural Competency of School Counselors

A national survey of practicing school counselors (N = 755) revealed significant differences between participants’ perceived multicultural competence based on the type of multicultural training received. Participants who took infused multicultural coursework had significantly higher mean scores in multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills than participants who reported taking a single multicultural course. Una encuesta nacional de consejeros escolares en activo (N = 755) reveló diferencias significativas en la competencia multicultural percibida de los participantes según el tipo de capacitación multicultural recibida. Los participantes que tomaron cursos que incluían contenidos multiculturales obtuvieron puntajes medios significativamente más altos en consciencia, conocimientos y habilidades multiculturales que aquellos participantes que indicaron haber tomado un único curso multicultural.     

Assessing Threats of School Violence: Implications for Counselors

The author describes important considerations when assessing students' threats made at schools. In a recent article, M. Reddy et al. (2001) presented 4 approaches to assessing the risk of school violence. They submitted important issues and problems with 3 commonly used approaches and suggested a 4th approach as an alternative. Implications for school counselors are explored.     

Accountability Practices of School Counselors: A National Survey

A national survey of practicing school counselors was conducted to obtain information regarding (a) their accountability practices, (b) barriers to the collection of accountability data, (c) the relationship between involvement in accountability efforts and demographic variables, and (d) strategies for increasing activity in the area of accountability. Results indicated that 55% of the 239 respondents were collecting accountability data, often for the purpose of enhancing their professional growth and development. The 108 school counselors not involved in the collection of such data identified lack of familiarity with procedures and time constraints as major barriers. Respondents indicated a need for additional preservice and in-service training, as well as for dissemination of exemplary procedures.     

Occupational Values of High School Students

Responses of high school students as freshmen and later as sophomores in this study support the belief that the characteristics of a vocation that are important to students may be internalized relatively early in life. There were differences between what girls and boys thought was important in an occupation; however, little difference was found between the group means of these students when freshmen and a year later when sophomores. Most students did not change occupational preference between the freshman and sophomore year. Students in the study as freshmen, but transferring out or withdrawing a year later, differed little in occupational values or in occupational choice from the sophomores. These findings agree only in part with work of other researchers in this field.     

Values at Work: The Impact of Personal Values in Organisations

This paper reviews and integrates past research on personal values in work organisations, seeking to portray the role personal values play in shaping the choices and behaviour of individuals in work settings. We start by addressing the role of values in the occupational choice people make. We then review research on the relationships of personal values to a variety of behaviours at work. We continue with discussing the multiple paths through which managers’ values affect organisations and their members. In the last section, we address the interplay between organisational levels, and discuss the congruency between personal and organisational values and its implications for organisations and their employees. Together, the research reviewed indicates how the broadness and stability of values make them an important predictor of behaviour at various levels of the organisation. We end by discussing directions for future research on values in organisations.     

The Development of an SVIB Interest Scale for School Counselors

A professional school counselor key was developed on the Strong Vocational Interest Blank using Campbell's revised procedures. Of the 403 counselors initially contacted, 340 responded. Of this number, 203 were identified as professional counselors and were included in the professional school counselor scale. Each of these individuals was fully certified, possessed three or more years' experience as a counselor, was a member of a professional guidance association, and was thoroughly satisfied with his job as a counselor. Differences between professional counselors and non-professional counselors seemed to indicate a greater people-orientation in the professional counselor group. This was further supported by relationships of the professional counselor key with other scales on the SVIB.     

Examining Discrepancies Between Actual and Preferred Practice of School Counselors

This study of elementary, middle, and high school counselors (N = 361) investigated the discrepancies, and the factors predictive of the discrepancies, between the actual practice and preferred practice in interventions associated with a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program. Results indicated that school counselors preferred to spend their time in accord with best practice. Subsequently, selected professional, employment, self‐efficacy, and school climate variables were found to predict differences between actual and preferred practice.     

The Concept of Culture and Its Significance for School Counselors

Understanding the role of culture, as it affects attitudes and behavior, can be extremely useful in the social service fields for enabling more effective communication across social barriers. However, in connection with the “culture of poverty,” or “cultural disadvantage,” the culture concept has often been distorted, and transformed into a stereotype behind which the individual is not revealed, but hidden. Specific examples of productive and unproductive uses of the concept in school guidance work are discussed. Another aspect of the cultural dimension, understanding of which is useful to the school counselor, is the nature of the counselor's role in relation to the institutional structure of the school.     

Value Congruence and the Vocational Self Concept of School Counselors

A model based on self concept theory has been presented for the consideration of the vocational values of school counselors. A study of the hierarchy and congruence of their values is interpreted as demonstrating a high degree of self-awareness, a foundation for movement toward the ideal self, and a measure of strong satisfaction with their career identification.