The problem was to compare the effectiveness of an integrated didactic and experiential approach in the training of graduate counseling practicum students with that of the traditional approach in counseling practicum training.

The purpose of this study was to determine if individuals could raise their hand temperature through systematic thermal training and to assess the effects of thermal training paired with coping-imagery desensitization on counselor trainee anxiety and counselor trainee effectiveness. A unique feature of this investigation was the pairing of two systems which had seldom been studied simultaneously: thermal training paired with desensitization.The experimental groups consisted of 32 Ball State University European Master's level students in counseling (16 females, 16 males). Subjects were volunteers drawn from five sections of classes during Spring Quarter, 1978. Students were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: the experimental group or the no-treatment control group. The experimental training took place over a 6-week time period at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, and at Kapaun Air Station, West Germany.A pre-study was conducted the previous Winter Quarter, 1977-1978, to solicit data from which to compile a six-item standardized hierarchy to be used for the experimental desensitization scenes. The scenes consisted of counseling-related events which counselor trainees previously indicated were anxiety producing.Two groups of criteria instruments were utilized as dependent variables: self-report measures and performance measures. The self-report anxiety measures consisted of a semantic differential and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The end-of-treatment thermal measurement and the CarkhuffBerenson Gross Rating of Facilitative Interpersonal Functioning Scale (GRFIF) served as measures of performance.Experimental subjects were exposed to five sessions of thermal training combined with coping-imagery desensitization while the control group received no treatment. Both groups were administered the end-of-treatment thermal measurement at the end of the fifth session of treatment. During the sixth week, both groups completed the self-report anxiety measures prior to participating as a counselor and as a client in two 20-minute audio taped counseling sessions. Each subject was individually debriefed and control subjects were offered the opportunity to receive identical training. Three 3-minute segments were excerpted from each counseling tape and were rated in-the-blind by independent judges using the Carkhuff-Berenson CRFIF Scale measuring counselor effectiveness. The raters were trained in using the GRFIF Scale and following training, the four-way interjudge reliability using total sampling procedures was r = .85, p< .01.The experimental design was the posttest only control group design. Five null hypotheses stating that no statistical difference would be found between the experimental and control group in self-reported anxiety or in effective counseling skills were statistically treated using five one-way analyses of variance. A confidence level of .05 was established.Results of the statistical investigations indicated that experimental subjects showed significantly greater hand-warming skills than control subjects, F (1,31) = 36.98, p < .001. No significant differences were found between the treatment and control group means on the self-report measures of anxiety or in counselor effectiveness.The conclusion was drawn that thermal training was a viable method for assisting individuals to achieve significant increases in thermal temperature measurement. Thermal training paired with coping-imagery desensitization was not demonstrated to be an effective treatment modality for reducing counselor trainee self-report anxiety or for increasing effective counseling skills. The latter finding was inconsistent with previous research which concluded that relaxation and systematic desensitization resulted in reductions in counselor trainee self-report anxiety and in increases in counselor effectiveness.The recommendation was made for additional research investigating thermal training paired with desensitization using an electromyograph (EMG) biofeedback unit and for employment of individualized desensitization hierarchies with practicum populations.

The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive account of school counselors' perceptions of helpful and hindering events of their Oregon State University's (OSU) master's level preservice school counselor social advocacy training. Participants as co-researchers in this study engaged in the in-depth interview process, shared perceptions of helpful and hindering events of training, and engaged in collaborative interpretation and data analysis. Co-researchers kept reflective journals during this study. The major findings from this study were that co-researchers' perceptions of helpful and hindering events of training in this program were based on their views of how effective and facilitative this training had proven to be in their experience as activist advocates for students in their professional practice. Co-researchers suggested revisions of the social advocacy training program design and content based on their lived experiences of training and practice as social activist school counselors. / Graduation date: 2001

This study examined the education and preparation of 220 full-time learning assistance professionals in California's public Community College, State University, and University of California systems. The purpose of the study was to describe selected characteristics of the professionals and to assess their implications for future training programs. The results were reported in percents of responses, and analysis revealed considerable uniformity among the respondents despite the differences among the three public systems of higher education. The results of the study also suggested the importance of a uniform curriculum being established to prepare future learning assistance professionals for the field. Based upon the information generated by the results of the study, and a review of the literature, guidelines were developed that consisted of competencies and activities that should be included in a program designed to educate and train full-time learning assistance profesionals at the Master's degree level. Recommendations were included in the study. / Graduation date: 1993

No description available.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The primary purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of an intensive, in-service training program for modifying selected personality traits among para-professional counselor aides restricted to working with emotionally disturbed youth in a residential treatment center. Additionally, an attempt was made to identify the areas in which personality traits were modified, both between experimental and control groups and between males and females.

M.Ed. / The importance of Career Counselling in secondary schools cannot be over-emphasized. In order to achieve the stated objective, our schools will require well trained and well qualified Career Counsellors who will execute this monumental task with great insight, distinction and knowledge. Differentiated education takes into account the fact that people are not the same and therefore their uniqueness will be considered and catered for by exposing them to career counselling. Learners need to be guided in order to make informed choices. This responsibility of guiding and informing learners should be shouldered by educators who are considered to be well-informed and more knowledgeable about the world of work and different courses. There are socio-economic and political changes that are taking place within the borders of our country and globally. Our learners must be multi-skilled or be exposed in order to brace themselves for this eventuality. The traditional way of doing things is rapidly giving way to modern operational techniques. Career Counselling is important in this instance in order to narrow the gap between tradition and the ever-changing world of occupation. For the Career Counselling to be meaningful and helpful to secondary school learners, educators are expected to assist them with the selection o fa major field, self-analysis, methods of career field analysis, establishment of short range career goals, analysis of employment environments, development of long-range career goals and support the learners in the job search campaign (Charles, 1976: 61). In the South African context a distinction is made between Career Counselling outside and within formal education. It seems that Career Counselling, particularly within formal education, experiences many problems, one of which is the inadequate training of Career Counselling educators and the insufficient provision for training such educators...

School counselors have potential to make significant gains in closing the achievement gap for all students as advocated for by the American School Counseling Association. School counseling is moving away from the no-model model of services delivery that places counselors at the whim of principals, parents and teachers who traditionally define counseling duties according to their needs. Instead, it is moving toward a school counseling framework advocated for by national and state organizations. A core concept of these frameworks is the use of evidence-based practices to meet the needs of all learners. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counseling practice developed to assist with resolution of ambivalence and behavior change. Researched throughout the world in a variety of settings from the health professions to prisons, the results show promise in MI for assisting with behavior change in both adult and adolescent populations. MI training is currently available to school counselors at conferences, school district trainings and through self-study. There is little research on the efficacy of MI and school counseling training and implementation. The purpose of this dissertation is to produce two manuscripts related to school counseling and MI. Using a concurrent multiple baseline design, this study focused on the impact of MI feedback and coaching supervision of school counseling graduate students (N=3) with previous beginning MI training in a two day workshop. The hypothesis stated that subsequent feedback and coaching supervision improved school counseling graduate the percentage of MI adherent behavior on the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI 3.1). The global rating scores increased with feedback and coaching supervision and the participants moved from levels of beginning MI competency to proficiency in their mean scores. Participants did not, however, increase the percentage of MI adherent behavior. These score began high and remained high throughout the 10 week duration of the research. Implications for this study include highlighting the importance of feedback and coaching supervision for school counseling graduate students wanting to increase beginning MI skills, and it marks the beginning of research on training and implementing MI in school counseling programs. / Graduation date: 2013

No description available.