This exploratory case study investigated the role secondary school guidance counsellors believed they played in the course selection process, especially regarding the continuation of French as a second language (FSL). As new initiatives have been recently introduced to increase retention in all FSL programs throughout Ontario (OME, 2013a), this study also sought to identify the factors guidance counsellors believed contributed to students continuing (or not continuing) the study of FSL past the mandatory Grade 9 credit. The following research questions guided this study: (1) How do guidance counsellors describe the process of course selection, with regards to FSL in particular?; (2) How do guidance counsellors view their role in the course selection process?; and (3) What do guidance counsellors identify as factors that contribute to students continuing (or not continuing) the study of FSL past Grade 9? Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 guidance counsellors from 12 schools across one school board in Ontario. Analysis of the insights shared by guidance counsellors highlight the complexities of the course selection process, as well as the strategies and tools they each used to prepare students to make the most informed decisions regarding their course selection. When counselling students about continuing optional FSL courses after Grade 9, participants expressed that they would encourage the pursuit of FSL courses, if the topic was student initiated. Emerging evidence showed that core French and French immersion students were counselled differently, with the latter receiving more attention if they expressed a desire to leave the program. Finally, guidance counsellors identified a wide variety of reasons they believed affected retention and attrition rates at their schools, with the most common being for future employment purposes and not seeing the value in learning French.

In Ontario, career and guidance services are offered by teachers who have completed additional undergraduate studies. The training required to become a guidance counsellor appears to be insufficient to properly deliver the necessary guidance and counselling services. Many guidance counsellors are still operating as teachers within their new role as guidance counsellors. The aim of this qualitative research was to explore the professional identity of guidance counsellors’ working in Ontario, from their perspective. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed and twelve guidance counsellors were interviewed. Eight participants had completed the required undergraduate studies and four had completed a master’s degree in the field. The thematic analysis revealed four major themes that articulated and explained their professional identity: peer support, contextual factors, professional experience and formal training. The study’s limitations are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.

In Ontario, career and guidance services are offered by teachers who have completed additional undergraduate studies. The training required to become a guidance counsellor appears to be insufficient to properly deliver the necessary guidance and counselling services. Many guidance counsellors are still operating as teachers within their new role as guidance counsellors. The aim of this qualitative research was to explore the professional identity of guidance counsellors’ working in Ontario, from their perspective. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed and twelve guidance counsellors were interviewed. Eight participants had completed the required undergraduate studies and four had completed a master’s degree in the field. The thematic analysis revealed four major themes that articulated and explained their professional identity: peer support, contextual factors, professional experience and formal training. The study’s limitations are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.

Dagens arbetsmarknad för studie- och yrkesvägledare kan ses som god och därför ville vi undersöka hur nyexaminerade studie- och yrkesvägledare upplever sin etableringsfas. Vi hade en förförståelse om att nätverk, arbetsmiljö, lön och geografi skulle kunna vara betydelsefulla faktorer i sammanhanget. Våra frågeställningar är: Vilken roll spelar den nyexaminerade studie- och yrkesvägledares nätverk under dennes etableringsfas till arbetsmarknaden? Vilka faktorer påverkar nyexaminerade studie- och yrkesvägledare enligt dem själva under etableringsfasen till arbetsmarknaden? Påverkar exempelvis lön, geografi, arbetsmiljö eller andra faktorer som vi inte har tänkt på? Vi gjorde kvalitativa intervjuer med sex studie- och yrkesvägledare som har tagit examen inom de senaste fem åren. Vi använde Krumboltz och Levins (2010) Planned happenstance och Patton och McMahons (2006) Systemteori för att analysera resultatet. Vi kunde se att respondenterna upplevde nätverk och arbetsmarknaden som två viktiga påverkansfaktorer. Även faktorer som arbetsmiljö, yrkesroll, arbetsuppgifter, målgrupp, elevantal och geografiskt läge visade sig vara betydelsefulla men underordnade framförallt arbetsmarknadens påverkan på respondenternas etableringsfaser.

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2018-09-06T19:08:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2017 - Gisele Santos Chagas.pdf: 1542495 bytes, checksum: 1844e5bb2c0e0333355f11f502baf6ab (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-06T19:08:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2017 - Gisele Santos Chagas.pdf: 1542495 bytes, checksum: 1844e5bb2c0e0333355f11f502baf6ab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-21 / This work is aimed to present narratives of the Guidance Counsellors of the Municipal school network in the city of S?o Jo?o de Meriti. The idea is to promote a discussion that takes into consideration the individual experiences that enable viewing of the aspects that constitute the profession and fields of work. Who are these professionals? How do they see themselves? What do they think about their background? How do they realize themselves immersed in a constantly changing society? And, how are their performances represented? The motivation to the studying and developing of this research derived from the concern that aims to socialize performances and actions developed in this area and its collaboration in the current scenario. What paths to choose? How is the Educational Advising area according to its coverage, demand and offering aspects in the researched school unit? We intend, with this dissertation, to contribute to the characterization of the Guidance Counsellor performance in the perspective of his professionals. The text is divided into a set of the analyses of the expectations and living experiences of the Guidance Counsellor; in the investigation of the critical-reflection of his performance and its contribution in the school space. The narratives derived from encounters where stories were told. A qualitative research was made with a social-historical-cultural focus under a dialogic perspective, that counts on the ?meeting? as the methodology, having as methodological-theoretical reference the well known author Mikhail Bakhtin. / Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar narrativas de Orientadores Educacionais da Rede Municipal de Ensino da Cidade de S?o Jo?o de Meriti. A ideia ? promover uma discuss?o que leve em considera??o as experi?ncias individuais que d?o visibilidade aos aspectos que constituem a profiss?o e o campo de atua??o. Quem s?o esses profissionais? Como se veem? Como pensam sua forma??o? Como se percebem imersos em uma sociedade em constante modifica??o? E, como suas pr?ticas se constituem? A motiva??o para estudo e desenvolvimento da pesquisa nasceu da preocupa??o em socializar pr?ticas e a??es desenvolvidas na ?rea em quest?o e sua colabora??o no cen?rio atual. Que caminhos trilhar? Como se encontra a Orienta??o Educacional segundo seus aspectos de abrang?ncia, demanda e oferta nas unidades escolares na rede de ensino pesquisada? Pretendemos, com essa disserta??o, contribuir para caracterizar a atua??o do Orientador Educacional na perspectiva de seus profissionais. O texto desdobra-se na an?lise das expectativas e viv?ncias do Orientador Educacional; na investiga??o sobre a reflex?o-cr?tica da pr?tica e na sua contribui??o no espa?o escolar. As narrativas decorreram de encontros onde suas hist?rias foram contadas. Foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa qualitativa com enfoque s?cio-hist?rico-cultural sob a perspectiva dial?gica, que conta com o ?encontro? como metodologia, tendo como referencial te?rico-metodol?gico o autor Mikhail Bakhtin.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how study and career guidance counsellors view their profession in connection with a professional license with the main questions being: 1.     Should a professional licensing card for study and career guidance counsellors be introduced? 2.     How would a professional licensing affect the professionalization of the study and career guidance counsellors’ profession? This study is made from the perspective of professional study and career guidance counsellors and is intended for them, school leaders, employers, and politicians within school-working life, to hopefully develop the professional role, status and competence of study and career guidance counsellors. A quantitative method was used to gather information from working professionals through a survey that was published in different social media forums such as LinkedIn and Facebook. The survey was also sent out to people within the writer’s social network. The NICE handbook by Schiersmann, Ertelt, Katsarov, Mulvey, Reid och Weber (2012) has been used to analyse the results given by the respondents and has been the basis of this study. The main result shows that from a study and career guidance counsellor perspective, a professional licensing would be beneficial for the profession and is sought after. However, the results show that licensing is more sought after within the world of academics. This is due to the varying work and work titles that study and career guidance counsellors outside of the academic world have, thus a professional license might act more restricting rather than being a step towards professionalisation.