Using phenomenography to unearth factors influencing the delivery of guidance services

Which factors influence the delivery of school guidance services in Colleges of Education (CoEs) in Ghana? The guidance needs of students in the CoEs may not be fully met if the factors that influence guidance service delivery at that level of education are not explored for effective upgrade of service quality. This phenomenographic study therefore explored factors influencing the delivery of guidance services in CoEs in Ghana. We interviewed second-year teacher trainees (n = 24) and counsellors from three randomly selected CoEs in the Volta region of Ghana (n = 3). The findings indicate that material resources and awareness influenced guidance service delivery in the CoEs. It was also found that although students reported that confidentiality and attitude influenced service delivery in the colleges, the counsellors did not agree with this. Finally, the study discovered that human resource does not influence guidance service delivery in the colleges. It was recommended that college authorities should provide the material resources, such as offices, computers, and test batteries, that are needed for counselling, and counsellors should publicise the guidance programme to raise awareness and lead to the development of positive attitudes towards the programme. This study contributes to the guidance and counselling literature by illuminating the factors influencing guidance service delivery in CoEs. This should be of interest to practitioners, policymakers and researchers in school guidance and counselling.     

Identification and impact of risk and protective factors for drug use among urban African American adolescents.

Identified 10 risk and 12 protective factors associated with drug use among African American 8th graders (N = 994) in an urban school system. Regression analyses identified 7 risk and 7 protective factors with minimal overlap. The total number of risk factors was significantly related to the prevalence of use for cigarettes, beer or wine, liquor, marijuana, and a composite measure of drug use. The Protective Factor Index (PFI) was a significant moderator of the relation between risk and use of beer or wine, liquor, marijuana, and the composite measure. Longitudinal analyses of data on 650 students across the transition from middle to high school indicated that the sum of risk factors predicted changes in all drug use categories except the composite. The PFI significantly predicted changes in beer or wine, liquor, and composite drug use over this 1-year period. It also moderated risk for cigarette use, but not for other drugs. Results replicated prior studies and highlighted the importance of protective factors such as adaptive functioning in school and family influences.     

Family conflict and academic performance of first-year Asian American undergraduates

This three-study investigation examined risk and protective factors for poor academic performance among Asian American first-year undergraduates. Students were surveyed prior to starting college and their GPA was collected after their first semester in college. Family conflict as a significant risk factor for poor academic performance was examined in all three studies. The results indicate that higher family conflict prior to college was related to lower first-semester college GPA, after controlling for standardized test scores and high school rank (Studies 1-3). Even though psychological distress was related to both family conflict and GPA, it did not mediate the relationship between family conflict and GPA (Studies 2 and 3). In terms of protective factors, the results indicate that life satisfaction buffered the negative effects of family conflict on first-semester college GPA (Study 3). Together, these findings support the need to take into account family variables and psychological well-being in the academic performance of Asian American students as they transition from high school to college.     

Protective Factors as Moderators of Risk Factors in Adolescence Bullying

The present study examined the role played by protective factors in moderating the effects of risk factors over bullying and victimization in a sample of 679 male adolescents recruited in Italian high schools. Boys’ involvement in bullying revealed that one in three students has bullied others at least sometimes in the previous three months, and one in six has been victimized at the same rate; victimization decreases with age. The family related risk factor (conflicting parents) was positively associated with bullying and with victimization (together with punitive parenting); the same applied for risk factor related to the individual ways of dealing with problems (emotionally oriented coping skills). Protective factors related to the family context (supportive and authoritative parents) and to the individual (problem solving coping skills) were negatively associated to bullying and victimization. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a moderating effect of supportive parenting on punitive parenting and on emotionally oriented coping strategies in predicting victimization. Problem solving coping strategies helped buffer the negative impact of emotionally oriented coping strategies over bullying. Implications of results for practitioners and for future studies are addressed.     

Pragmatic evaluation of the viability of CCBT self‐help for depression in higher education

This study explores the potential of a computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT) self‐help programme for depression within the context of a Higher Education Counselling Service. It seems timely to consider the place of evidence‐based alternatives to the face‐to‐face counselling traditionally provided in higher education with user choice in mind. There is also a need to cater for increasing numbers of students experiencing a wide range and severity of emotional difficulties, sometimes resulting in long waiting periods for help. In the study twelve depressed students used the CCBT programme ‘Beating the Blues’?. Ten (83.3%) participants completed the programme. Initial credibility of and expectancy‐for‐improvement from the intervention was high. Significant reductions in depression scores were found following completion, whilst anxiety scores changes were not significant. Feedback on the programme was largely positive. CCBT was clearly preferred to face‐to‐face counselling by some participants, supporting the need for a choice of interventions for students. These results suggest that CCBT may be an acceptable and effective intervention for a number of depressed students. It is argued that CCBT may be a viable addition to current provision in Higher Education Counselling Services and that further studies are required to investigate this further.     

Career development of counsellors

Unlike nursing or social work, counselling is not yet a statutory profession and there is no obvious career progression route. To explore the ways in which graduates of a counselling programme use their training a questionnaire was sent to 143 counselling students who had completed a minimum of Diploma level training. The questionnaires were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The key findings are that students embark on counselling training for both professional and personal development. The majority find some paid work. Many are engaged in unpaid counselling work, either solely or as well as paid work. Counsellor training is seen as providing good preparation for work but inadequate preparation for the job market. Some recommendations are made for training courses.     

Risk,protection, and resilience in Chinese adolescents: A psycho‐social study

A total of 636 Grade 11 Chinese students completed measures of risk factors, protective factors, and problem behaviour complemented by achievement data. In terms of risk factors, poor parental management and low school commitment were significant predictors of problem behaviour while low school commitment was a significant predictor of low academic achievement. In terms of protective factors, family attachment, opportunities and recognition for pro‐social involvement in school, and high school expectation of behaviour negatively predict problem behaviour. Pro‐social involvement in school and high expectations of behaviour significantly predict academic achievement. There was also a significant difference on protective factors between resilient and non‐resilient groups from high‐risk family environments.     

Parents’ Perception of the Effects of Church Involvement on Adolescent Substance Use

The study utilized qualitative methods to study protective factors among middle school students who were at risk for substance use. Three focus groups (consisting of 6–7 parents each) were conducted to learn more about parent’s perceptions of protective factors within the neighborhood, school, family, and the individual. In terms of spirituality, parents stressed the importance of church involvement in preventing high-risk behaviors. These findings will be highlighted to provide information that may serve as a basis for further examining church involvement and spirituality as protective factors in adolescent substance use.     

Family Factors Predicting Categories of Suicide Risk

We compared family risk and protective factors among potential high school dropouts with and without suicide-risk behaviors (SRB) and examined the extent to which these factors predict categories of SRB. Subjects were randomly selected from among potential dropouts in 14 high schools. Based upon suicide-risk status, 1,083 potential high school dropouts were defined as belonging to one of four groups; 573 non-suicide risk, 242 low suicide risk, 137 moderate suicide risk and 131 high suicide risk. Results showed significant group differences in all youth self-reported family risk and protective factors. Increased levels of suicide risk were associated with perceived conflict with parents, unmet family goals, and family depression; decreased levels of risk were associated with perceived parental involvement and family support for school. Perceived conflict with parents, family depression, family support satisfaction, and availability of family support for school were the strongest predictors of adolescent SRB. Our findings suggest that suicide vulnerable youth differ from their non-suicidal peers along the dimensions of family risk and protective factors.     

The psychosocial etiology of adolescent drug use: a family interactional approach

The purpose of this monograph was to propose a framework, family interactional theory, for explaining the psychosocial aspects of adolescent drug use. Three themes are stressed: (a) the extension of developmental perspectives on drug use, (b) the elucidation of family (especially parental) influences leading to drug use, and (c) the exploration of factors that increase or mitigate adolescents' vulnerability to drug use. We present a developmental model with two components; the first deals with adolescent pathways to drug use, and the second incorporates childhood factors. The model was tested in two studies: one cross-sectional study of 649 college students and their fathers, and one longitudinal study of 429 children and their mothers. The subjects were given self-administered questionnaires containing scales measuring the personality, family, and peer variables outlined in the model. The results of each study supported the hypothesized model, with some differences between parental influences. We also found that individual protective factors (e.g., adolescent conventionality, parent-child attachment) could offset risk factors (e.g., peer drug use) and enhance other protective factors, resulting in less adolescent marijuana use. Implications of the findings for prevention and treatment, future research, and public policy are discussed.     

Effectiveness of students and parents in a psycho-educational intervention programme for children with learning problems

This study investigated the effects of involving two sources of ‘non-traditional manpower’ — namely, university students and parents — in a programme of psycho-educational intervention. It was predicted that, while intervention for children with learning problems would produce significant changes in their perceptions in relation to their families, in their scholastic skills and in their adjustment, the additional involvement of their parents would lead to even greater changes. To test this prediction, 36 children referred to a university Education Clinic were randomly divided into three equal-sized groups: youth counselling plus parent counselling (E₁), youth counselling (E₂), and a control group (C). While the hypothesised changes following intervention were not statistically demonstrated, clinical data did yield support for the effectiveness and potential value of the intervention programmes.     

Risk and protective factors in adolescents' drug use, and differences by age and sex

Adolescents' drug use has huge social and personal implications, so it is essential to identify risk and protective factors. In this research, the CTCYS was used with 2440 adolescents to detect risk and protective factors for drug use in the community, family, school and peers/individual; differences in risk and protective factors by age and sex; and relationships between risk and protective factors and substance use. Protective factors are high. Risk factors are high in the community, the school and the individual. Older adolescents have more risks and less protection than the youngest; and there are sex differences, because males have less protection and more risks. The risk factors more closely related to drug use are availability of drugs in the community, family attitudes favourable to drug use, family history of antisocial behaviour, early start and use of drugs by friends, perceived risk and attitudes favourable to drug use. In the protective factors, the role played by social skills for alcohol use is important.     

Student counsellors’ experiences of mindfulness as a component of their person-centred counselling training: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Aim

Mindfulness is increasingly integrated into counselling and psychotherapy practices, as well as being introduced to students in academic institutes with the aim of supporting them to balance the responsibilities of academic study, placements and other commitments alongside university life. Despite mindfulness routinely finding its way into counselling settings and being incorporated into counsellor training, there has yet to be any research conducted to explore the experience of student counsellors who have received mindfulness as a part of their undergraduate person-centred training. This study explored the reflections of counsellors who had attended a mindfulness module during the first year of a counselling degree.

Design

Six students completing a university-based undergraduate degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy in the North-West of England, in the UK, participated in the research. The study consisted of two students from each of the three years of the programme. Participants individually attended a semi-structured interview to explore their experiences of mindfulness as a mandatory module of their training in person-centred counselling. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the generated data.

Findings

Four superordinate themes were generated: 1) becoming a counsellor, 2) person-centred mindfulness, 3) time, and 4) learning and development.

Discussion

Experiential themes were explored including the process of professionalism, vulnerability, embodiment of person-centred theory and the core conditions and the conflict of approach.

Conclusion

Recommendations are made for mindfulness to be included in counselling training programmes with a person-centred focus. Suggestions for further research include longitudinal studies to follow the development of trainees over time.     

The academic achievement of African American students during early adolescence: an examination of multiple risk,promotive, and protective factors

This study examined the effects of multiple risk, promotive, and protective factors on three achievement-related measures (i.e., grade point average, number of absences, and math achievement test scores) for African American 7th-grade students (n = 837). There were 3 main findings. First, adolescents had lower grade point averages, more absences, and lower achievement test scores as their exposure to risk factors increased. Second, different promotive and protective factors emerged as significant contributors depending on the nature of the achievement-related outcome that was being assessed. Third, protective factors were identified whose effects were magnified in the presence of multiple risks. Results were discussed in light of the developmental tasks facing adolescents and the contexts in which youth exposed to multiple risks and their families live.     

学校危险和保护因素与初中生偏差行为的关系

学校危险因素和保护因素对初中生的偏差行为有重要影响.本研究以1739名初中学生为被试,考察了学校危险因素和保护因素及其与青少年偏差行为的关系.结果表明:(1)学校危险因素和保护因素分别与初中生偏差行为有显著的正相关和负相关;(2)学校危险因素得分随年级升高而增长,保护因素得分随年级升高而降低;(3)“偏差行为榜样”、“教师的支持”、“知觉到积极期望”是对初中生偏差行为有重要影响的三个学校环境因素.     

An Evaluation of Postvention Following Adolescent Suicide

This study sought to evaluate postvention provided to two schools following student suicides. A risk index for suicidal behavior among exposed adolescents was devised. The index clearly differentiated high (n = 272) and low (n = 534) scorers on a range of outcome variables. While two-thirds of students attending postvention counselling had two or more putative risk factors for suicidal behavior, a further 231 uncounselled students had similar risk scores. Counselled students (n = 63) did not differ from matched controls (n = 63) at 8-month follow-up on a range of outcome variables. Measures to improve future postvention are discussed.     

Resilience and Protective Factors in Adolescence: An Autobiographical Perspective From Disadvantaged Youth

This article focuses on the development of adolescent resilience and protective factors within a sample of 86 inner-city high school students in Chicago. Resilience was considered present when (a) children living in conditions of risk (b) show better-than-predicted outcomes (c) presumably due to some intervening process. Conditions (a) and (b) were met using quantitative comparisons. Condition (c), the intervening process, was examined using autobiographical essays to begin to understand protective factors youth consider salient in overcoming adversity. Internal attributes such as perseverance, determination, and having the awareness to learn from the risk-attrition process surfaced in the content analyses. Motivational support from family members and teachers was also highly valued for promoting successful adjustment.     

Peer counselling - a means of actualising Adolescents' helping potential

There is an increasing demand that schools should devote more of their resources to enhancing the emotional and social aspects of students' development, and should relax their competitive achievement-oriented practices. A peer-counselling programme is presented as one approach to affective education. Its principal goal is to form a system within the school through which students can become involved in counselling and helping their fellow-students. The training programme developed was based on four principles: understanding, experiencing, modelling, and application. The pilot study included 50 high-school students in Israel. Four general processes were identified during the training course: formation of learning groups, development of personal involvement, transfer of learning to practical situations, and mastering counselling skills and principles. The steps currently being taken to extend the project are briefly presented and discussed.     

The effect of counselling programmes involving expressive activities with semi‐structured groups on self‐concealment levels of adolescents

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of counselling programmes based on expressive activities with semi‐structured groups, on the self‐concealment levels of adolescents. The research was carried out using a pretest–posttest control group design. The dependent variable of the present research, is the psychological counselling programme conducted with a semi‐structured group based on expressive activities. The research was carried out with 18 6th and 7th grade secondary school students (10 female and 8 male). The Self‐Concealment Scale was used as data collection tool. In this research, the use of nonparametric tests was preferred, as the sample was smaller than 30. Therefore, it was determined whether there is a statistically significant difference between the arithmetic means of the experimental and control groups’ pretest, posttest and trail test scores by use of Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, to determine the effects of a psychological counselling programme with semi‐structured group based on expressive activities. Also, it was determined whether there was a statistically significant relationship between the pretest, posttest and trail intervention scores received by the intervention and control group students from the Self‐Concealment Scale, using Mann–Whitney U test. The research results revealed that the “psychological counselling programme based on expressive activities with semi‐structured groups” was significantly effective in alleviation of self‐concealment levels, and this effect was also maintained in follow‐up evaluations. The obtained results are discussed in the light of related literature findings and recommendations are proposed accordingly.