Enhancing middle-school-age students' knowledge of school counseling services

✍ Scribed by Winston J. Hagborg

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 421 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0033-3085
• DOI: 10.1002/1520-6807(199007)27:3<238::aid-pits2310270310>3.0.co;2-j

✦ Synopsis

The present study explored the effectiveness of one-session classroom presentations about recently initiated school counseling services with middle-school-age (grades 5 through 8) students (N = 207). Student-measured knowledge of school counseling services was found to be significantly increased by the presentations at each of the four grade levels. Grade level comparisons revealed that older students (seventh and eighth graders) displayed a more advanced knowledge of school counseling prior to the presentations. Following the presentations, however, all four grade levels of students, on average, were able to provide four reasons for seeking out counseling, offer a definition of counseling, and report two methods of securing an appointment with the school psychologist. A related finding was that students who had previously received counseling did not display a greater preexisting knowledge of counseling prior to the presentations. The findings are integrated, and implications for practitioners are presented.