Volume_6_Issue_4_Digest

2 TPC Digest School Counseling Faculty Perceptions and Experiences Preparing Elementary School Counselors Emily Goodman-Scott, Jennifer Scaturo Watkinson, Ian Martin, Kathy Biles S chool counselors’ job roles and preferences reportedly vary by educational level (i.e., elementary, middle, high). However, several organizations, such as the American School Counselor Association, conceptualize and recommend school counseling practice and preparation through a K–12 or PreK–12 lens. But, little is known about how or if school counseling faculty members vary preparation for specific educational levels. The present study was developed by members of the Elementary Advocacy Task force for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision School Counseling Interest Network. Due to the lack of research regarding school counselor preparation by level, we conducted a convergent mixed methods study to investigate the current status of elementary school counselor preparation, and lay the groundwork for future research and advocacy. Through the use of a survey, we examined the perceptions and experiences of a national sample of school counseling program faculty (N = 132) regarding elementary level preparation. The aim of this study was to gain preliminary data and provide a foundation for future research and potential advocacy. The following research question guided our study: What are school counseling faculty members’ perceptions and experiences preparing school counseling students for the elementary level? To answer the research question, we analyzed demographic data and descriptive closed-ended survey responses (quantitative) and performed a thematic analysis (qualitative) on open-ended survey responses. Then we used triangulation to converge the results of all analyses with the overall goal of expansion, increasing the depth and breadth of the study due to multiple methods. We prescribed to a social constructivist paradigm and relied heavily upon relativistic theory. Specifically, within this perspective, reality is subjective, there exists no absolute truth, and gathering multiple perspectives across sources is a research priority. Three themes resulted from the data analysis: Varying Conceptualizations of Differentiation : faculty’s varied experiences and perceptions of differentiation when preparing school counseling students; K–12 Preparation Focus: prioritizing a K–12 preparation focus; and Factors Driving Elementary School Counseling Preparation : several external factors driving faculty members’ preparation such as state licensure and mandates, school counseling job opportunities, and student enrollment, motivation, and interest in elementary school counseling. We also include a discussion and implications for school counselor educators and leaders. Emily Goodman-Scott, NCC, is an Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University. Jennifer Scaturo Watkinson is an Associate Professor at Loyola University Maryland. Ian Martin is an Associate Professor at the University of San Diego. Kathy Biles, NCC, is a Senior Instructor at Oregon State University, Cascades Campus. Correspondence can be addressed to Emily Goodman-Scott, Old Dominion University, 110 Education Building, Norfolk, VA 23529, egscott@odu.edu . 2