The Socratic Method and Opportunities for Its Application by Middle School Counselors to Increase Awareness About Bullying

The Socratic method is one of many methods used in counseling guidance services. The simple Socratic method can be applied by counselors to reduce bullying. The purpose of this study was to determine whether high school counselors in Yogyakarta Province recognize the Socratic method and whether there is an opportunity for this method to be applied to increase the awareness of students about bullying. A qualitative research approach was used, with a focus on phenomenology. The data were collected using an open questionnaire. The subjects consisted of 19 counselors from 15 secondary schools in the Yogyakarta Province who were selected by purposive sampling. Data analysis was carried out based on the guidance of Narbuko and Achmadi; this process consisted of three steps, namely editing, coding, and tabulation. The results showed that there was a substantial opportunity for the Socratic method to be applied by secondary school counselors in Yogyakarta Province to increase students’ awareness about bullying. This was evidenced by: 1) bullying continued to occur among middle school students, even though the counselors had used various methods and services to discuss bullying; 2) only a small number of school counselors had received information about the Socratic method, but the procedure for implementing the Socratic method was considered simple; and 3) all counselors stated that guidance on implementing the Socratic method was necessary and were enthusiastic about applying the Socratic method in an effort to increase students’ awareness about bullying Keywords: Socratic method, opportunity, anti-bullying awareness

Comparisons Between Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Two Online RCTs

Custodial grandfamilies (CGF) comprise a small, diverse group of the US population which can make samples difficult to recruit and retain. Two online RCT studies (S1 & S2) for CGF used a variety of recruitment strategies with varying success. S1, for grandmothers (GM) only, successfully recruited from Facebook (47.95%) and community flyers (17.73%). S2, dyadic study for GM and adolescent grandchildren (AGC), recruited through emails to high school counselors (43.29%) and community (30.94%) and professional (17.13%) kinship support organizations. The advantages of online RCTs for hard-to-reach populations include expedited administration, buffering against social distancing, nationwide enrollment (S1-42 states; S2-43 states), and generalizability of findings. Challenges of online RCTs are establishing rapport and building trust with participants who are not comfortable with technology and designing screenings to identify false participants. Overall, these studies highlight the advantages of an online RCT, especially for hard-to-reach populations like custodial grandfamilies.

“It’s Never Too Late”: High School Counselors’ Support of Underrepresented Students’ Interest in STEM

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature surrounding school counselors and their support of underrepresented high school students who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The influence of context on school counseling was also explored, in particular practicing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this phenomenological study, nine high school counselors were individually interviewed, and four themes emerged. These themes were: (a) professional knowledge surrounding issues of diversity in STEM, (b) training related to the needs of underrepresented students in STEM, (c) active engagement in supporting underrepresented students’ STEM career interests, and (d) barriers related to supporting underrepresented students’ STEM interests. This article includes implications for (a) how school counselors can support underrepresented students’ STEM interests, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) how counselor educators can contribute to STEM-related research and training; and (c) how school administrators can support school counselors’ STEM initiatives.

Texas High School Counselor Perceptions of Agricultural Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of high school counselors across the state of Texas toward agricultural education. This study was descriptive in nature. High school counselors had an overall positive attitude toward agricultural education. They did not believe agricultural education courses were intended for lower-performing students. High school counselors agreed their local agricultural education program was valuable for college bound and non-college bound students. An overwhelming majority (85%) of high school counselors reported that student interest was their top priority when advising students to enroll in an agricultural education course. They had low to very low awareness of many opportunities available for agricultural education students. It is recommended that agricultural education teachers continue to develop strong, positive relationships with school counselors to provide education and awareness of the agricultural education program opportunities.

The Role of High School Counselors in Increasing Latino Male College Enrollment: Moving From College Aspirations to Access

Even as the number of Latina/o students going to college has increased in recent years, Latino male students continue to face barriers in accessing America’s institutions of higher education, a topic that remains complex and understudied. Using national survey data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we sought to understand the role of high school counselors in increasing Latino male college enrollment. Results suggest that Latino male college enrollment increased when high school counselors provided a higher degree of financial aid preparation. We discuss implications for practice tailored to high school counselors.

From Homeless to Student Housing: School Counselor Roles and Experiences in Preparing Students Experiencing Homelessness for College

This qualitative study focused on examining the roles and experiences of high school counselors supporting students experiencing homelessness in their college preparation. To be included in the study, participants needed to have experience working with high school students experiencing homelessness. Findings indicated that the participants supported students experiencing homelessness by (a) enhancing access and exposure to college, (b) providing hands-on and individualized college-going support, and (c) building partnerships with universities to support college going.

The college counseling dilemma: Information and/or advice?

College counseling has become an increasingly significant part of high school counselors’ jobs, but too often, they focus primarily on college access, without paying attention to whether students are choosing the appropriate college for them. Gorana Ilic, James Rosenbaum, Isabelle Matthies, and Lynn Meissner interviewed counselors to better understand their perceptions of their role and found that, while many made an effort to provide information about college options, they were reluctant to offer personalized advice. However, first-generation students from low-income families have fewer opportunities to receive specific advice from their families. Efforts to improve college-going rates, such as by having all students complete college applications, lead many counselors and students to turn to community colleges and other schools with low admissions standards, even if such schools are an “undermatch” for students’ actual capabilities. The authors suggest that counselors need to provide more individualized advice, while being aware of an array of college options, current labor market trends, and how bias may inform their recommendations.

Other Duties as Assigned: The Ambiguous Role of the High School Counselor

Previous research suggests high school counselors are not living up to their potential as social/emotional, academic, and postsecondary counselors. This article addresses this concern by studying how schools and districts utilize counselors. Through interviews and observations of high school counselors, administrators, and counselor educators in an urban midwestern community, I find that counselors suffer from role ambiguity and role conflict due to lack of a clear job description, overlap with similar professions, supervision by noncounseling administrators, inadequate forms of performance evaluation, and conflict between their roles as counselors and educators. This conflict leads to poor boundaries at work, with counselors receiving an overwhelming amount of noncounseling duties that reduce their time with students. High school counselors have the potential to improve student social and academic outcomes, but these obstacles of role ambiguity and role conflict reduce them to school managers rather than master’s-level trained educators with a mental health background.