Guidance and Counselling in Schools

Developments in counselling over the last ten years have failed to meet the expectations of those who helped introduce counselling to British schools in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. Changes contributing to the current situation are discussed: in particular, changes in the theory and practice of counselling both outside and inside the school, the expansion of pastoral-care Systems, and economic, political and other shifts of emphasis during the period. Finally, some positive proposais for the future of counselling in schools are considered.     

Computer-Assisted Careers Counselling: A New Approach

This paper describes the outcome of a research and development project concerned to construct a computer aid for careers advisers and career decision-makers which differs in basic philosophy and design from others currentiy in the field. The resulting Careers Decision Aiding System (CDAS) is principally concerned with improving the quality of the decision-making strategy employed by clients by raising their awareness of the way in which their career choice is made, ratherthan with employing computer technology to attempt to match people to careers. The use of the CDAS by clients and careers advisers is illustrated by two case-studies.     

Guidance and Counselling in Further and Higher Education

The publication in 1973 of Student Counselling in Practice signalled a new phase in the development of both careers and counselling services in the tertiary sector. The emergence of the professional careers adviser in higher education is described alongside the key role of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services. The gradual professionalisation of student counselling is shown to have taken a different form, as a result of the policies of the Association for Student Counselling with its insistence on role definition and the accreditation of practitioners. Developments in further education are briefly reviewed, and a final section considers the present situation and possible future trends.     

Computer-Assisted Careers Guidance Systems and Organisational Change

This article describes a study conducted to identify the range of potential influences that a computer-assisted careers guidance system (PROSPECT (HE)) had on the functioning of organisations (careers services in higher education). Data from six institutions indicated that use of PROSPECT (HE) was associated with important and varied change within the organisations. It appears that when a careers service seeks opportunities for change, CACG systems can be an important catalyst for change in two respects: by providing a focal point for achieving previously established goals; or, as a consequence of system use, by making staff aware of the potential for new organisational goals.     

Distance Guidance: Careers Advice by Post

Careers guidance is traditionally carried out face-to-face. Use may be made of facilities such as job-information leaflets and computer programs which the client uses on their own (perhaps at the suggestion of the counsellor), but the core of the guidance process is generally the careers interview. Issues examined include: is it possible to provide adequate guidance without face-to-face contact between client and counsellor? what might be lost or gained by the difference in approach? what are the circumstances in which distance guidance might be appropriate and how is it best provided?     

Current Developments in Computer-Assisted Careers Guidance in the USA

Four factors associated with the design and use of computer-assisted careers guidance (CACG) systems in the USA are reviewed, and likely future developments in the field are described. The four major factors include trends in CACG system development, problems related to system development, trends in system use, and problems related to system use. International collaboration in the design and use of CACG systems is identified as one possible strategy for dealing with problems in this area.     

Guidance and Counselling Services in the Republic of South Africa

This article discusses the present guidance and counselling services within South Africa and concludes that political and economic interests have influenced these services more than psychological theory.     

The Politics and Economics of Computer-Aided Careers Guidance Systems

The impact of computer-aided careers guidance systems is strongly influenced not only by technical and professional issues but also by political and economic ones. The development of the main North American systems, and of the UK PROSPECT system, is examined. The roles of government, of the private sector, and of guidance professionals, in relation to the future of such systems are discussed, particularly in relation to guidance in Europe.     

Computer-Assisted Careers Guidance Systems as Decision Support Systems

'Decision support systems' are computer systems which are aimed at improving decisions made by managers. An examination of the literature on decision support systems suggests that there are similarities between these systems and computer-aided careers guidance systems. These similarities —and differences -are explored, and a number of ways in which each approach might learn from the other are suggested.     

The BJGC and Guidance and Counselling in Britain 1973-85

The background to the symposium is outlined. The balance of articles over the first twelve years of the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling is analysed, identifying a number of key features and changes. Some of the general issues cross-cutting the contributions to the symposium are noted.     

Option Choice and Careers Guidance: Gender and Computing in Secondary Schools

Gender differences in the take-up of computing subjects in secondary schools are examined. The findings are presented of a research project which included an investigation of the option schemes and careers guidance given to pupils in eight secondary schools. The findings indicate that schools tend not to take any form of positive action to encourage the take-up of computing subjects by female pupils, and that careers guidance personnel take the view that sex-stereotyped choices of optional subjects and careers are overwhelmingly determined by agencies other than schools.     

Computer-Aided Careers Guidance: An Investigation Involving an Artificial System

Customer satisfaction with the occupational suggestions provided by computer-aided guidance systems is uniformly high. User satisfaction and reactions to an artificial system, and two conventional and profile-matching system, were compared. The results suggested that user satisfaction is influenced by several factors which are largely unrelated to the quality or novelty of the occupational suggestions received. The project also raises several issues regarding the validity of profile-matching in comparison to other less-complex databank-reduction procedures.     

Marriage Guidance Counselling: Ii. What Counsellors Want to Give

Seventy-six counsellors practising under the auspices of the Scottish Marriage Guidance Council responded anonymously to a postal questionnaire. This was designed to survey their attitudes regarding various aspects of counselling and, by means of case-studies, to in vestigate the extent to which they adopted a uniform approach with all clients. The counsellors considered marriage guidance to be appropriate for a wide range of problems. In general, 'nonspecific' factors were considered helpful. However, in line with current trends towards flexibility and eclecticism, the counsellors considered that some interventions, styles and approaches were more appropriate for some problems than for others. The implications of the findings are discussed and some practical recommendations are made.     

Guidance in the Royal County of Berkshire,England

This study answers the question, How are the secondary schools in Berkshire, England, organized for the guidance of their pupils? The method used to investigate this topic included visits to about one-fourth of the publicly supported secondary schools in the Royal County of Berkshire, conversations with headmasters and headmistresses, youth officers, teachers, and students. It was found that until July, 1966, no trained counselors, as we know them in the United States, were employed in the Berkshire schools. However, the schools were organized so that educational, vocational, and personal counseling was provided to some degree by a variety of persons on the administrative and teaching staff and by representatives of community and government-supported organizations.     

The Case for Diversity in Computer-Aided Careers Guidance Systems: A Response to Watts

Watts (1993) has started an important debate about the future of computer-aided careers guidance (CACG) systems which recognises that there are political and economic concerns as well as technical and professional ones. As a contribution to this debate, an alternative view is offered, based on the case for diversity. It (a) reviews UK experience of CACG systems; (b) comments on the development of PROSPECT which Watts uses as a case-study; (c) identifies strengths and weaknesses of existing research; and (d) sets out a research agenda.     

Effects of a Communication Skills Training Programme on the Cognitions of Careers Guidance Students

Traditionally, communication skills training has focused principally on overt behaviours that are clearly identifiable. In recent years there has been an increasing awareness that cognitive processes can have considerable influence on behaviour. An attempt was made to establish whether changes in cognitions occurred as a result of a behaviourally-based communication skills training programme in which there had been no explicit attempt to bring about such cognitive changes. More specifically, the study examined whether such a programme resulted in changes in aspects of the personal construct space of students on a Diploma in Careers Guidance course. The results offered some support for the hypothesis that the programme produced changes in the students' personal construct space.     

Counselling in dyslexia

This paper is basically a report of personal experiences. In Part one I shall describe and comment on some of the things which are said and done when parents bring their children to me to be assessed for dyslexia; in Part Two I shall consider what conclusions, if any, can be drawn which are relevant to counselling in general.     

Buddhism and Counselling

The relevance of the principles and practices of Buddhism to the field of counselling is discussed. Buddhist techniques have already been used by the helping professions in many settings (e.g. Japan, Sri Lanka). The extension of their use to a wider range of settings, and to a wider group of clients, is both feasible and desirable. In addition to the obvious relevance of Buddhist techniques to clients who have a Buddhist background, it is argued that they have a wider applicability. As Buddhism espouses the notion of a productive and healthy lay life, it offers ways not only of dealing with problems and difficulties, but also of improving psychological well-being in general. Examples are cited of relevant Buddhist techniques and their application. It is argued that, once systematically evaluated, many of these could profitably be incorporated into the repertoire of techniques used in present-day counselling and therapy.