R

1
RÓISlN KELLEHERBA, MA, DCG, FELLOW IGC

• SELF-EMPLOYED GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR
• AISLING CAREER GUIDANCE RECRUITMENT
• email roisink_at_iol.ie
• www.RoisinKelleher.ie

2

• I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATI
  ON FOR EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE FOR
  GIVING ME THE
• OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU MY RESEARCH
  FINDINGS

3

• A REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN GUIDANCE POLICY
  AND PRACTICE IN A SAMPLE OF SECOND-LEVEL SCHOOLS
  IN IRELAND AND A
• SURVEY OF STUDENTS REACTIONS

4
OUTLINE OF REVIEW

• DEFINITION OF GUIDANCE
• GUIDANCE PROVISION / POLICY
• RESEARCH PURPOSE
• MAIN FINDINGS
• ISSUES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

5
DEFINITION OF GUIDANCE

• OVER ONE HUNDRED DEFINITIONS OF GUIDANCE HAVE
  BEEN IDENTIFIED IN PROFESSIONAL LITERATURE
• HOWEVER, IN KEEPING WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF MY
  RESEARCH, EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE
  FUNCTIONS REGARDING SERVICES IN SCHOOLS, WHICH
  ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE OF GUIDANCE
  COUNSELLORS (IGC) INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING
• EDUCATIONAL, CAREER AND PERSONAL COUNSELLING

6

• EDUCATIONAL / CAREER COUNSELLING, INCLUDES
• COURSE INFORMATION, CAREER MANAGEMENT,
  PYSCHOMETRIC TESTING, JOB SEARCH SKILLS, ETC.
  THIS SERVICE IS DELIVERED TO STUDENTS IN A
  CLASSROOM OR ON A ONE-TO-ONE BASIS
• PERSONAL COUNSELLING GIVEN ON A ONE-TO-ONE BASIS,
  ALLOWS STUDENTS TO BRING UP ISSUES OF CONCERN TO
  THEM

7
GUIDANCE PROVISION / POLICY

• THE EDUCATION ACT (1998) STATES THAT SCHOOLS
  SHALL USE AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT
  STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE GUIDANCE TO
  ASSIST
• THEM IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER CHOICES

8
GUIDANCE PROVISION / POLICY

• EACH SCHOOL IS GRANTED, FOR
• GUIDANCE PURPOSES, EIGHT HOURS
• PER WEEK FOR SCHOOLS WITH LESS
• THAN 200 STUDENTS TO 22 HOURS PER
• WEEK FOR 500 STUDENTS OR MORE
• (CIRCULAR LETTER PPT 12/05 DES)

9
GUIDANCE PROVISION / POLICY

• GUIDANCE MATERIAL CONSISTING OF
• COURSE / COLLEGE / CAREER
• INFORMATION LITERATURE
• A NATIONAL ONLINE DATABASE (www.qualifax.ie) IS
  IN EXISTENCE FOR SOME YEARS

10

• 1000 GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS WORK IN SECOND LEVEL
  SCHOOLS, WITH SMALL NUMBERS IN 3RD LEVEL
  COLLEGES, ADULT GUIDANCE AND PRIVATE PRACTICE

11
GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR QUALIFICATIONS

• AT SECOND LEVEL, COUNSELLORS ARE THIRD LEVEL
  GRADUATES, QUALIFIED TEACHERS WITH AN
  ADDITIONAL POST GRADUATE QUALIFICATION IN
  CAREER GUIDANCE

12
GUIDANCE PROVISION / POLICY

• SOME INITIATIVES FROM THE STATE INCLUDE
• THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL CENTRE FOR
  GUIDANCE IN EDUCATION (NCGE) in 1995 WHOSE MAIN
  ROLE IS TO SUPPORT AND DEVELOP GUIDANCE AND
  INFORM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGARDING
  GUIDANCE POLICY

13
GUIDANCE POLICY

• EDUCATION ACT (1998)
• NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE (NEPS)
  (1999)
• COMMISSION ON THE POINTS SYSTEM (1999)
• AN AUDIT OF GUIDANCE PROVISION IN POST PRIMARY
  SCHOOLS 1999-2000

14
GUIDANCE POLICY

• GUIDANCE ENCHANCEMENT
• INITIATIVE (2001)
• OECD REVIEW (2002) ASSESSMENT ON THE DELIVERY OF
  THE GUIDANCE SERVICE IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

15

• PLANNING THE SCHOOL GUIDANCE PROGRAMME (2004)
• GUIDANCE RESOLUTION RATIFIED BY EUROPEAN COUNCIL
  OF MINISTERS
• (MAY 2004)

16

• OECD REVIEW (2004) CAREER GUIDANCE AND PUBLIC
  POLICY BRIDGING THE GAP, AN OBSERVATION ON THE
  REVIEW BY WATTS
• (2004) SAYS THAT
• CAREER GUIDANCE SERVICES HAVE OFTEN IN THE PAST
  BEEN VIEWED AS MARGINAL SERVICES IN TERMS OF
  PUBLIC POLICY.

17

• HE GOES ON TO ARGUE THAT SUCH SERVICES NEED TO BE
  BROUGHT INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF POLICY FORMATION

18
RESEARCH PURPOSE

• TO REVIEW DEVELOPMENTS OF GUIDANCE POLICY AND
  PRACTICE AND SURVEY STUDENTS REACTION
• THE RESEARCH WAS DEEMED NECESSARY BECAUSE THE
  VIEWS OF STUDENTS HAD NOT BEEN SOUGHT PREVIOUSLY

19
RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

• 1,400 FINAL YEAR SECOND-LEVEL STUDENTS WERE
  REQUESTED TO PARTICIPATE
• 1,130 STUDENTS (604 MALES AND 526 FEMALES)
  RESPONDED
• SPSS WAS USED FOR THE QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

20
MAIN RESEARCH FINDINGS

• THE STUDY CONFIRMED CRITICAL FACTORS THAT NEED
  ATTENTION TO IMPROVE THE SERVICE
• IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO HAVE STRUCTURED GUIDANCE
  PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS FROM THE TIME
  THEY ENTER SECOND LEVEL EDUCATION

21

• SUCH PROGRAMMES WOULD HELP TO BUILD A MEANINGFUL
  AND SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH STUDENTS FROM
  THE TIME OF ESTABLISHING FIRST CONTACT WITH
• THEM

22

• GUIDANCE INTRODUCED AT A LATE STAGE, SUCH AS
  SENIOR CYCLE, CAN BE DESCRIBED AS CRISIS
  COUNSELLING AND IS OF LITTLE
• VALUE ACCORDING TO SUPER (1990)
• IN BROWN BROOKS (1996)
• THE 1 500 RATIO GIVES VERY INADEQUATE TIME
  TO HAVE CONTACT WITH STUDENTS

23

• RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN BY BARDICK (2004) AND
  NUMMINEN ET AL (2002) SHOW THAT AN INADEQUATE
  COUNSELLOR / STUDENT RATIO CAN CREATE
  DIFFICULTIES FOR THE
• DELIVERY OF AN EFFECTIVE GUIDANCE SERVICE

24

• THE STUDY CONFIRMS WEAKNESSES IN THE SERVICE OF
  WHICH MOST PRACTITIONERS WOULD BE AWARE
• THIS SITUATION IS CONFIRMED WITH RESEARCH
  PUBLISHED BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH
  INSTITUTE (ESRI), AUTUMN 2011, CARRIED OUT FOR
  THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR CURRICULUM AND
  ASSESSMENT (NCCA), WHERE FOUR OUT OF FIVE
  STUDENTS WOULD HAVE PREFERRED MORE INFORMATION
  BEFORE MAKING COLLEGE AND CAREER CHOICES

25

• I BELIEVE THAT FURTHER RESOURCES FOR GUIDANCE
  SHOULD BE PROVIDED, INCLUDING THE RETURN OF THE
  RATIO OF 1 GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR TO 250 STUDENTS

26
STUDENTS REACTIONS

• REGARDING CAREER DECISION-MAKING, STUDENTS
  REPLIES IN THE RESEARCH STUDY INCLUDED
• I AM NOT CLEAR ABOUT THE CAREER THAT I
• WANT
• NOT SUFFICIENT INFORMATION FROM
• GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR
• I AM NOT SURE OF WHAT I AM CAPABLE OF

27

• NOT ENOUGH HELP HAS BEEN GIVEN TO MAKE A CAREER
  DECISION
• STUDENTS IN THE CURRENT ESRI STUDY SAID THEY FELT
  OVERWHELMED WHEN MAKING DECISIONS THAT WOULD
  AFFECT THE REST OF THEIR LIVES

28
(No Transcript)
29

• WATTS (2004) IN A REVIEW FOR THE
• ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-
• OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD) FOR THE
  REPUBLIC OF IRELAND, SAID BOTH THE CAREER
  EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND ITS EXPERIENTIAL
  COMPONENTS NEEDED TO BE STRENGTHENED.

30
CAREER DECISION MAKING

• WATTS ET AL (1996) ARGUE THAT CAREER
• DECISIONS ARE ESTABLISHED BY PROCESSES
• LINKED TO THE WIDER DEVELOPMENT OF
• THE INDIVIDUAL OVER CONSIDERABLE TIME
• THEY ALSO SAY THAT THERE IS NO SINGLE
• OCCASION (SUCH AS A CAREERS INTERVIEW)
• WHERE CAREER DECISIONS CAN BE
• SATISFACTORILY MADE

31

• IN 1993 WATTS ET AL POINT OUT THAT
• PARENTS OFTEN HAVE MORE INFLUENCE IN THE
  CHOICES THEIR CHILDREN MAKE THAN FORMAL GUIDANCE
  SERVICES
• RESEARCH FROM BARDICK (2004) ARGUES THAT BY
  SEEKING HELP FROM PARENTS AND FRIENDS,

32

• STUDENTS MAY NOT RECEIVE THE
• INFORMATION THEY REQUIRE, YET SUCH YOUNG
  PEOPLE DO NOT APPEAR TO TURN TO GUIDANCE
  COUNSELLORS WHO ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE THE ANSWERS
  TO THEIR CAREER-RELATED QUESTIONS

33
GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR APPROACHABILITY

• THE APPROACHABLITY OF THE GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR WAS
  ALSO EXAMINED IN THIS RESEARCH
• THE FINDINGS SHOW THAT 35.4 OF
• STUDENTS WOULD APPROACH A
• COUNSELLOR IF THEY HAD A PROBLEM. HOWEVER,
  64.5 WOULD NOT

34

• THE QUESTION NEEDS TO BE ASKED, WHY SHOULD SUCH A
  LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS FEEL THEY COULD NOT
  APPROACH A GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR?
• WHILE NO DATA EXISTS TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, A
  NUMBER OF POSSIBILITIES MAY BE HYPOTHESISED

35
POSSIBLE REASONS FOR LOW LEVEL OF COUNSELLOR
APPROACHABILITY

• THE NON-AVAILABILITY FOR ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS
• UNEASINESS WITH GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS DUAL ROLE
  SOME STUDENTS FIND IT DIFFICULT
• TO DISTINGUISH THE ROLE OF TEACHER FROM THAT
  OF COUNSELLOR

36

• AS HOWIESON SEMPLE (1998) FINDINGS SHOW
• SOME SCOTTISH STUDENTS FIND IT HARD TO RELATE TO
  A TEACHER PERFORMING A DUAL ROLE. TYPICAL PUPIL
  COMMENTS WERE
• ONE MINUTE HE IS GIVING YOU A ROW FOR NOT DOING
  YOUR MATHS HOMEWORK AND THE NEXT YOURE SUPPOSED
  TO TELL HIM ALL YOUR PROBLEMS.

37

• SOME LIGHT IS CAST ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF
  APPROACHABILITY BY MCLAUGHLIN (1999) WHO ARGUES
  THAT STUDENTS NEED TO BE LISTENED TO IN ORDER
  TO AFFILIATE WITH AND FEEL VALUED BY TEACHERS.

38

• ALTHOUGH TWO THIRDS OF STUDENTS
• WOULD NOT APPROACH A COUNSELLOR WITH A
  PERSONAL PROBLEM, NEVERTHELESS 35 WOULD DO SO
• THIS APPRECIABLE PERCENTAGE COULD BE INCREASED
  IF BARRIERS TO LACK OF APPROACHABILITY WERE KNOWN

39

• IN MY VIEW, THE SUCCESS OF GUIDANCE DEPENDS TO A
  LARGE EXTENT ON THE RELATING AND COMMUNICATING
  SKILLS OF THE COUNSELLOR AND ALSO THE RECIPENT OF
  THE SERVICE HAVING SUFFICIENT MOTIVATION AND
  INTEREST TO BENEFIT FROM IT

40

• AS BORCH (IN BARTHOLMEUS ET AL) STATE IT IS
  DIFFICULT TO GUARANTEE THE EFFECTS OF GUIDANCE ON
  THE CLIENT, SINCE THE EFFECTS DEPEND NOT ONLY ON
  THE EFFORTS OF THE COUNSELLOR, BUT ALSO ON THE
  MOTIVATION AND EFFORTS OF THE CLIENT.

41

• THIS RESEARCH HAS ALSO POSITIVE
• COMMENTS FROM STUDENTS, WHEN THEY SAY THAT
  GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS ARE
• ALWAYS THERE WHEN YOU NEED HELP
• ITS A GREAT REASSURANCE TO KNOW THERES
  SOMEBODY THAT YOU CAN TURN TO

42
ROLE AND ADVANTAGE OF GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR

• WHEN STUDENTS WERE ASKED TO GIVE THEIR VIEWS ON
  THE ROLE OF THE COUNSELLOR, THE REPLIES RANGED
  FROM
• SOMEONE ALWAYS BEING THERE TO HELP
• TO
• THERE ARE NO ADVANTAGES
• THESE REPLIES INDICATE A MIXED RESPONSE WITH SOME
  POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS

43

• WHEN STUDENTS WERE ASKED WOULD THEY LIKE TO BE A
  GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR? THE MAJORITY OF THE REPLIES
  WERE IN THE NEGATIVE AND WERE ACCOMPANIED BY
  RESPONSES SUCH AS
• TOO MUCH STRESS AND RESPONSIBILITY
  

44

• THANKLESS JOB
• NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY STUDENTS
• HOWEVER, FOR ALMOST ONE QUARTER OF THE
  RESPONDENTS 24.1, GUIDANCE COUNSELLING HAD AN
  ATTRACTION

45
ISSUES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

• WHY IS IT THAT STUDENTS DO NOT IN GENERAL FIND
  SCHOOL STAFF (INCLUDING GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS) TO
  BE APPROACHABLE?
• WHO HAS MOST INFLUENCE ON STUDENTS, REGARDING
  THEIR CHOICE OF CAREER?

46

• WHAT EFFECT, IF ANY, DOES THE INVOLVEMENT OF
  SUBJECT TEACHING HAVE ON THE QUALITY OF THE
  GUIDANCE SERVICE PROVIDED?
• WHAT ARE THE MAIN FACTORS, THAT NEED TO BE
  CONSIDERED TO OBTAIN SATISFACTORY BENEFIT FROM
  GUIDANCE INTERVENTION?

47

• TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE THE FINDINGS OF THE OECD
  (2004) REVIEW OF CAREER GUIDANCE AND PUBLIC
  POLICY BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN GUIDANCE POLICY
  AND PRACTICE,
• BEEN ACTED UPON?
• WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS OF CAREER GUIDANCE IN
  TERMS OF PUBLIC POLICY?

48
SUMMARY OF MAIN ISSUES

• THIS PRESENTATION HAS DEALT WITH THE PURPOSE OF
  UNDERTAKING THE RESEARCH
• THE MAIN FINDINGS INCLUDING STUDENTS REACTIONS
  TO THE GUIDANCE SERVICE THEY RECEIVED WERE
  OUTLINED
• THE GAP BETWEEN GUIDANCE POLICY AND PRACTICE WAS
  HIGHLIGHTED
• SUGGESTIONS WERE MADE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

49

• IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO END MY
  RESEARCH FINDINGS WITH VERSES STATED BY PETER
  PLANT, IN DUBLIN AT THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
  FOR EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
  CONFERENCE (JULY, 1996).
• SUCH VOICES ARE THOSE OF PERSONS WHO HAD
  NOT THE BENEFIT OF GUIDANCE INTERVENTION WHEN
  CHOOSING A CAREER.

50
CHOICE OF CAREER

• My Dad is a baker, his taste is the best,
• in muffins and cakes, and I am his aid
• a really bunny maid, Ive got what it takes.
• My career is in baking, its not my intent
• Id rather be seen in a big circus tent

51

• My Dad has a circus, an old-fashioned one
• with horses and clowns, I swing the trapeze, I
  sell candy and sweets, yell announcements in
  towns.
• But the ring is no good place for me, when
• instead Id much rather that my
• career was in bread.

52

• SLÁN AGUS GO RAIBH MAITH AGAIBH
• GOOD BYE AND THANK YOU