Transcript WORKSHOP COURSE / CAREER REVIEW

RÓISĺN KELLEHER
BA, MA, DCG, FELLOW IGC

SELF-EMPLOYED GUIDANCE
COUNSELLOR

AISLING CAREER GUIDANCE &
RECRUITMENT

email: [email protected]
 www.RoisinKelleher.ie
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR
EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL
GUIDANCE FOR GIVING ME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU
MY RESEARCH FINDINGS
A REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN
GUIDANCE POLICY AND PRACTICE IN
A SAMPLE OF SECOND-LEVEL
SCHOOLS IN IRELAND AND A
SURVEY OF STUDENTS’ REACTIONS
OUTLINE OF REVIEW
 DEFINITION
OF GUIDANCE
 GUIDANCE PROVISION / POLICY
 RESEARCH PURPOSE
 MAIN FINDINGS
 ISSUES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
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

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 ONETO-ONE BASIS, ALLOWS STUDENTS TO
BRING UP ISSUES OF CONCERN TO THEM
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
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)
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
 1000
GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS
WORK IN SECOND LEVEL SCHOOLS,
WITH SMALL NUMBERS IN 3RD LEVEL
COLLEGES, ADULT GUIDANCE AND
PRIVATE PRACTICE

GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR
QUALIFICATIONS
 AT
SECOND LEVEL, COUNSELLORS
ARE THIRD LEVEL GRADUATES,
QUALIFIED TEACHERS’ WITH AN
ADDITIONAL POST GRADUATE
QUALIFICATION IN CAREER
GUIDANCE
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
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
GUIDANCE POLICY
 GUIDANCE
ENCHANCEMENT
INITIATIVE (2001)
 OECD
REVIEW (2002) ASSESSMENT
ON THE DELIVERY OF THE GUIDANCE
SERVICE IN THE REPUBLIC OF
IRELAND
 PLANNING
THE SCHOOL GUIDANCE
PROGRAMME (2004)
 GUIDANCE
RESOLUTION RATIFIED BY
EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
(MAY 2004)

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.”
 HE
GOES ON TO ARGUE THAT SUCH
SERVICES NEED TO BE BROUGHT
INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF POLICY
FORMATION
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
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
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
 SUCH
PROGRAMMES WOULD HELP
TO BUILD A MEANINGFUL AND
SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH
STUDENTS FROM THE TIME OF
ESTABLISHING FIRST CONTACT WITH
THEM

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
 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

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
I
BELIEVE THAT FURTHER
RESOURCES FOR GUIDANCE SHOULD
BE PROVIDED, INCLUDING THE
RETURN OF THE RATIO OF 1
GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR TO 250
STUDENTS
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’
 ‘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’
 WATTS
(2004) IN A REVIEW FOR THE
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
(OECD) FOR THE REPUBLIC OF
IRELAND, SAID: “BOTH THE CAREER
EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND ITS
EXPERIENTIAL COMPONENTS
NEEDED TO BE STRENGTHENED.”
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

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,
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
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
 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:
POSSIBLE REASONS FOR LOW
LEVEL OF COUNSELLOR
APPROACHABILITY

THE NON-AVAILABILITY FOR ONE-TOONE MEETINGS

UNEASINESS WITH GUIDANCE
COUNSELLORS’ DUAL ROLE – SOME
STUDENTS FIND IT DIFFICULT
TO DISTINGUISH THE ROLE OF TEACHER
FROM THAT OF COUNSELLOR
 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 YOU’RE
SUPPOSED TO TELL HIM ALL YOUR
PROBLEMS.’
 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.”

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
 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
 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.”
 THIS
RESEARCH HAS ALSO POSITIVE
COMMENTS FROM STUDENTS, WHEN
THEY SAY THAT GUIDANCE
COUNSELLORS ARE:
 ‘ALWAYS
HELP’
 ‘IT’S
THERE WHEN YOU NEED
A GREAT REASSURANCE TO
KNOW THERE’S SOMEBODY THAT
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

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’
 ‘THANKLESS
JOB’
 ‘NOT
TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY
STUDENTS’
 HOWEVER,
FOR ALMOST ONE
QUARTER OF THE RESPONDENTS
24.1%, GUIDANCE COUNSELLING HAD
AN ATTRACTION
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?
 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?

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?
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
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
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, I’ve got what it takes.
My career is in baking, it’s not my intent
I’d rather be seen in a big circus tent
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 I’d much rather that my
career was in bread.
SLÁN AGUS GO RAIBH MAITH AGAIBH
GOOD BYE AND THANK YOU