Volume_7_Issue_2_Digest

4 TPC Digest Self-Efficacy, Attachment Style and Service Delivery of Elementary School Counseling Kimberly Ernst, Gerta Bardhoshi, Richard P. Lanthier A lthough research supports that delivering school counseling services that align with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model makes a positive difference in student outcomes, school counselors face several barriers in their work environment that may prevent them from aligning their school counseling delivery with best practices. In this article, the authors explore the demographic and interpersonal factors related to elementary school counseling service delivery. To examine school counseling service delivery, we measured the frequency with which school counselors perform specific activities and the preferred frequency of performing them. Activities that aligned with the “core” intervention categories were counseling, consultation, curriculum and coordination. We also examined “other” non-counseling activities that fall outside the school counselor role, including administrative, clerical and fair share activities. Using a nationwide sample of 525 elementary school counselors, we examined whether self- efficacy related to a range of school counselor activities and introduced attachment style as a potential variable related to school counseling practice. Years of experience working as a school counselor as well as training in and use of the ASCA National Model were also included as variables, as indicated by literature. As anticipated, years of experience was related to actual performance of the core intervention activities of counseling, consultation, curriculum and coordination. School counselors who had received more training in the ASCA National Model were also more likely to perform core activities. Similarly, self-efficacy beliefs predicted the delivery of core activities aligned with the ASCA National Model.