The current status of guidance services in the Istanbul schools a survey

Abstract

The present study intended to explore the current status of guidance offices in the secondary schools in lsta n bu l area. For this purpose a questionnaire 1·1as constructed and a sample of 14 schools thought to have a guidance office were visited . In 12 of these schoo ls which had guidance offices, the guidance counselors , and in the remaining two, th e Persons responsible for similar activities, were inter viewed by the author. The questionna ire was organized into seven categories which were: 1. 'Character.istics of schools, 2. Characteristics of respondents , 3. Physical facilities and services of the guidance programs , 4 . Work schedule , 5. Student counseling , 6. I nteracti on with parents , 7. Interaction with teachers and admi ni strators . Very few of the schools had similar characteristi c s which ~ade general i zation and categorization of the f ind i ngs difficult. For example , the titles by which respondents ca ll ed themselve~ differed from school to school which seemed to create confusion i n the eyes of the stude nts , ;i a r e n ts , fa c u l t y a n d a ·d m i n i s t r a t o r s a n d e v e n t h e g u i d a n c e professional s themselves . In ten of the sample schools , t he persons basically respons i ble for the running of the guidance program and the delivery of guidance services were th e guidance personne l; na me ly, the guidance counselor, the educational specia lists or the assistant-specialists and the vice-princ i pal i n charge of guidanca activities . The persons who helped them carry out these activities were group counselors , class teachers and guidan ce teachers . · The survey results su gge st five interrelated fa ctors which may contribute to the acceptance and success of guidance in Rarticular schools: counselor duties in the school , counselor/student ratio , counselor/student rapport, the attitude of the school principal and the number of years guidance had been practiced in the school. These factors , however, were also obse rved not to have a significant effect by thems el ves but only when they were put togethe r meaningfu lly accordin g to the needs of the schools. Other fa ctors in secur ing effective guidance ser vices include d tha students ' and the faculty 's fam1li.:1rit:y to and acceptance of the notio n of guidance and the coun selor's training/background in psyc ho logy versus educ ation. One very i mporta nt finding of the survey was the rol e the principal 's attitude toward gu id ance played in the running of the guidance program properly and effecti ve ly. That i~ , re spondents reported that the guidance services were organized and carried out mu ch more effect ive ly when the principal was supportive of guidance , but were no t successfu l when he held a negative attitude toward quidance . It was reveal ed in the findings that positive rela tions with other members of the school system influence and increas e th e performance of the gu idance offi ce· perso nne l. In fact , recommendations of the respondents included me a s u res t o tr a i n a 11 o f the sch o o l p e rs on n e 1 i n th~ b a s i cs of ·guidance , emphasizing the necessity of teamwork (coopera tion). Another wish was the standardization of titles, responsibiliti es and functions , that is , ro,-e defi nitions of the guidance personnel in Turkish schools .