Counselor Education Doctoral Students\u27 Experiences with Multiple Roles and Relationships

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of counselor education doctoral students who participated in multiple roles and relationships. Random purposeful sampling was used to conduct in-depth interviews with current doctoral students in CACREP-accredited counselor education programs who had completed at least one year of full-time enrollment as a doctoral student, participated in a minimum of two multiple roles that were provided in an a priori list, and had access to videoconferencing software in order to participate in the study. The participants in this study reported and described perceptions of their lived experiences as counselor education doctoral students. The primary research question for the study was “How do counselor education doctoral students experience the phenomenon of multiple roles and relationships?” A review of the literature that examined types of multiple roles and relationships between counselor educators and students, ethical standards, and models for ethical management provided the foundation for the study. Semi-structured phenomenological interviews comprised of open-ended questions were used to collect data via videoconferencing software. Audio taped interviews were transcribed and analyzed for key words and descriptive terms. The data were coded into categories, categories were clustered into themes and themes were cross-analyzed to create super-ordinate themes. Super-ordinate themes were used to address the primary and secondary research questions. Three super-ordinate themes emerged: awareness and education, multiple roles and relationships as transformative, and experiential learning. Implications for counselor education doctoral students and programs are presented along with recommendations for further research. Personal reflections of the researcher were provided

Counselor Education Graduate Students’ Experiences with Multiple Roles and Relationships

Counselor Education graduate students participate in multiple roles and relationships during their programs (Dickens, Ebrahim, & Herilhy, 2016). The purpose of this quantitative investigation was to explore counselor education graduate students’ awareness of and experiences with multiple roles and relationships through the development of a self-report scale. Building on previous qualitative studies, the authors constructed a 41-item survey – the Multiple Roles, Relationships, and Responsibilities (M3R). Exploratory factor analysis was applied to data from a sampling of counseling students (n = 140) yielding an 8-factor solution accounting for approximately 63% of the variance. Implications for faculty are discussed and programmatic recommendations are offered

Supervision Experiences of School Counselors-in-Training: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study

School counselors-in-training receive university and site supervision during their field experiences. University supervision may be provided by a faculty member or doctoral student who lacks school counseling experience. School counselors as site supervisors may not be trained to supervise. Further, the multiple systems may have differing expectations for supervisees. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore the lived experiences of eight master’s level school counselors-in-training with supervision. The four super-ordinate themes included: impact of counselor education program, supervisor characteristics, significance of feedback, and characteristics of the supervisee. Findings suggested programmatic changes counselor educators can make to strengthen student preparation

Evidence-Based Leadership Preparation Program Practices: From the Perceptions of Georgia Rural School Leaders

Phenomenological analysis was used to explore Georgia rural school principals’ lived experiences of effective school leadership preparedness. Four overarching themes were found: productive/favorable leadership preparation program culture, bridge theory and practice in educational leadership preparation program, multicultural competencies for practice, and recommendations for effective principal preparation. The findings revealed that school leaders need increased experiential learning opportunities, increased assignments applicable to daily leader tasks, and increased cultural awareness and diversity training in their preparation programs. Principal preparation programs should work with school districts to provide purposeful, collaborative, and sustainable professional learning to prepare competent school leaders. Further research includes recruiting more rural school principals to share their experiences and perceptions with principal preparation program providers in an effort to advance aspiring principal training. Implications for practice include equipping aspiring principals with the knowledge and skills to lead for equity to continue to have a pipeline of effective school leaders to serve in Georgia’s traditionally underserved areas

“If I don\u27t laugh, I\u27m going to cry”: Meaning Making in the Promotion, Tenure, and Retention Process: A Collaborative Autoethnography

Utilizing Chang, Ngunjiri, and Hernandez’s (2013) collaborative autoethnographic research approach, we investigated our experiences as pre-tenured junior faculty progressing through the tenure and promotion process within a college of education at one public university in the southeastern United States. The review of the data (transcripts and photographs) revealed challenges and stressors common to junior faculty. Data analysis yielded four emergent themes centered around demonstrations of self-care and resiliency including community, balance, coping strategies, and process. Through data analysis, these major themes and their sub-themes were explored in depth. Recommendations and implications for personnel navigating the academic tenure process (i.e., new faculty, tenured faculty, and administrators) are presented

School Leadership Support: Understanding the Experiences of Elementary-Level Teachers During a Global Health Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to better understand how the current COVID-19 global health pandemic has professionally and emotionally impacted elementary-level teachers. Teachers experienced diverse challenges during this unprecedented time with a rapid shift from in-person to online learning. Two overarching themes emerged based on participant experiences: abandoning best practices and increased stress and emotional pain. Implications for practice included the need for school leaders to evaluate the current level of support being provided to teachers and assess areas of need to support professional and emotional growth with the backdrop of the pandemic. We encourage future research with all educators to better understand how they are experiencing this health pandemic including the school leaders themselves

Just Eat!: The Case of the Martinez Family

This chapter explores the application of the 2015 Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) in conjunction with an eclectic family systems when counseling a Latin@ family. The Martinez family was referred to family counseling due to concerns of one of the children\u27s school counselors, regarding a possible eating disorder diagnosis. The case study includes a rich description of the first session with the Mexican-American Martinez family, and examines family dynamics around the identified client, Javier. The Martinez family includes the following members: (1) Mañuel, Javier\u27s 41 year-old father who owns his own construction business; (2) Camila, Javier\u27s 38 year-old stay-at-home mother; (3) Alejandro, Javier\u27s 17-year-old brother; and (4) Isabella, Javier\u27s 12 year-old sister. A discussion of the author\u27s cultural background, counseling approach, and use of the MSJCC lens when working with the Martinez family is also included. Initial goals and prognosis for treatment are considered