Role & Function of the School Counselor Introduction Robbins

The role of the school counselor is becoming increasingly complex. Once a profession devoted to guidance, testing and assessment, this role has extended from within the walls of the school into the homes and personal lives of students, parents and the conscience of the community as a whole. (p. 398)

Robbins' remarks highlight the importance of understanding the role and functions of school counselors. The purpose of the review of literatuare presented here is to examine counselors' (and other education personnel's) perceptions of the school counselor's role and functions.

With respect to the foregoing, the reviewed research can be broken down into two discrete categories: (1) literature related to different characterizations of school counselors' roles and functions; and (2) research on the perceptions of educational groups (counselors, administrators, teachers, etc.) regarding the counselor's role and functions. The literature in each of these areas is delineated and discussed.

What is the role and function of school counselors? According to Scholten (1991) the literature on school counseling consistently states that:

...the counselor's role should focus upon the student's occupational, educational and personal/social needs. Emphasis should be placed upon current educational choices, future career decisions and present/future personal/social needs. (Scholten, 1991, p.16)

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s noted that middle school and secondary school counselors perceived their roles and functions from an administrative perspective. They were directive and viewed job tasks from a structural perspective. On the other hand, elementary school counselors viewed their job tasks form a more psychological perspective. In interviews conducted with school administrators, Hardesty and Dillard (1994) concluded that since upper grade counselors performed more like administrators, their administrators perceived their jobs as important and needed by the school. On the other hand, elementary shcool counselors were perceived as more expendable by their school administrators. A comparison of junior high school counselor perceptions and elementary counselor perceptions was conducted by Agro (1980). In the study, 20 supervisors of guidance employed in the New York City Public Schools were compared. Findings indicated that in areas of counseling, appraisal of students, referrals, staff consultation, and program development there were significant differences in the real and ideal role perceptions of elementary and junior high school counselors, of elementary school counselors and their supervisors, of junior high school counselors and t

Category: Psychology - R