DIGEST-V7i3

4 TPC Digest Carrie Sanders, Laura E. Welfare, Steve Culver Career Counseling in Middle Schools A Study of School Counselor Self-Efficacy C areer development is one of the three broad domains included in the work of school counselors. According to The American School Counseling Association (ASCA), the career development domain helps students (1) understand the connection between school and the world of work and (2) plan for and make a successful transition from school to postsecondary education options. Providing career counseling in the school setting supports the ASCA framework of desired mindsets and behaviors for college and career readiness. Establishing connections between a student’s academic preparation and possible career options benefits students in various ways, and school counselors are essential guides in the career exploration process. The purpose of this study was to understand practicing school counselors’ self-efficacy and the time spent providing career counseling in the middle school setting. We examined the self-efficacy of 143 practicing middle school counselors using a 42-item online survey. The quantitative study was guided by the following research questions: (1) What are school counselors’ levels of self- efficacy in career counseling? (2) How does school counselor self-efficacy in career counseling vary with previous K–12 teaching experience? (3) What is the relationship between middle school counselor self-efficacy in career counseling and the amount of time spent providing career counseling? The results indicated that overall, middle school counselors who participated in the study were confident in their ability to provide career counseling services; however, evidence of specific areas of concern and limited time for career counseling were found. School counselors who reported previous teaching experience also reported higher levels of self-efficacy providing career counseling. The results also indicate that although middle school counselors are providing students with support in the academic, social, and emotional development domains, they are spending more time doing non-counseling– related activities than providing career counseling. We often hear about the work school counselors do in the academic, social, and emotional development domains. Are non-counseling–related duties keeping middle school counselors from facilitating more career development opportunities for middle school students? Can tailored continuing education strengthen self-efficacy in the specific areas of concern? These and other implications are explored. Carrie Sanders is a visiting assistant professor at Virginia Tech. Laura E. Welfare, NCC, is an associate professor at Virginia Tech. Steve Culver is Director of Assessment and Analytics at North Carolina A&T State University. Correspondence may be addressed to Carrie Sanders, 1750 Kraft Drive, Suite 2005, Blacksburg, VA 24061, cbrill@vt.edu.