High School Counselors’ Influence

High School Counselors’ Influence

Katey O’Donnell and Katie Logan

Undergraduate Students, Human Development and Family Studies

Key Words: College freshmen, school counselors, high school, adequately prepared

Abstract
Many college freshmen feel they are inadequately prepared to enter college due to a lack of
guidance from their high school counselors. This study investigated comparative attitudes about
the influence of school counselors on students by surveying 60 male and female freshmen at a
Midwestern university. It was hypothesized that more males than females would feel that they
were not adequately prepared for college by their high school counselor. Results supported the
hypothesis that more male than females students felt they were not adequately prepared for
college by their high school counselor. Implications for practitioners and future researchers are
that there is a strong need to inform schools, counselors, and parents that school counselors
need to take part in professional development that will better prepare students to enter college.

Introduction
Less than half of students entering college actually obtain a degree, and only about one-third
of college freshmen re-enroll for a second year (Hoyt, 2001). These statistics create a growing
concern considering the commitment of resources, time, and energy that students, parents,
faculty, and staff devote so students can attend college and earn a degree. In addition, students
experience psychological costs including frustration, failure, and lowered self-esteem (Alexitch,
1999; Leon & McNeill, 1986; Rosenbaum, Miller, & Krei, 1996). Many college freshmen feel
they are inadequately prepared to enter college due to a lack of guidance from their high school
counselors. The more prepared students are for college the more likely they are to graduate
(Mau, Hitchcock, & Calvert, 1998; Pyne, Bernes, Magnusson, & Poulsen, 2002; Alexitch,
Kobussen, & Stookey, 2004; Bardick, Bernes, Magnusson, & Witko, 2005). School Counselors
are certified/licensed professionals who deliver comprehensive school counseling programs
encouraging students’ academic, career, and personal/social development; helping all students in
maximizing student achievement (American School Counselor Association, n.d.). We examined
literature and surveyed the comparative attitudes of college freshmen students regarding high
school college preparation from their school counselors.

Literature Review
The current, relevant issue is whether or not college freshmen are prepared for college by
their high school counselors. A lack of college preparation results in students spending more
time and money than necessary to complete their college education. In research reviewed on this
topic examined what high school students perceive to be the expectations of their counselors and
other influential persons. The expectations of the students regarding the types of preparation for
college they receive are also important to consider. Several studies suggest that students are not
being provided with the expectations for post secondary education, which students find
necessary. It is also important to involve the students’ parents in the process of preparation. This
 High School Counselors’ Influence

can help parents understand how they can help their child as well as what resources are available
(Mau et al., 1998; Pyne et al., 2002; Alexitch et al., 2004; Bardick et al., 2005).
Mau et al. (1998) found that one of the most important tasks in school counseling is to
facilitate students’ educational and vocational development. This study examined high school
students’ postsecondary plans and what they perceive to be the expectations of the counselors
and other influential persons’. The results of the study found that over 50% of 10th grade
students thought their counselors expected them to go to college; by 12th grade that percentage
had increased.
Pyne et al. (2002) found that including students in career needs assessment creates a more
effective career program design. Most students discuss their career plans with their parents
instead of school counselors. The study involved students in grades 7-12 who participated in the
Comprehensive Career Needs Survey. This tool consisted of questions evaluating career
education and support needs within each participating school. Results of the study indicated that
implementing earlier instruction would enable students to progress to more advanced career
exploration in the older grades, which might involve greater career development.
Alexitch et al. (2004) determined that students may not have the opportunity to receive
guidance specific to their needs, abilities, and interest. The study found that for students
intending to go to college, school counselors provided information concerning funding,
application procedures, institutional options, and what students needed to fulfill their goals.
These counselors also provided encouragement and knowledge of the academic demands of
college to all students who were unsure of attending post-secondary education. Ironically,
students who had full intentions of attending college did not receive any academic expectations
from their school counselors. The study noted that teachers provided students with more details
about institutional and program options than did school counselors. Less than half the students in
the study had actually met with their school counselor.
Bardick et al. (2005) examined parents’ perceptions of available career planning programs,
services, or resources by having parents assess the career needs of junior high and senior high
students. Surveys were completed by 765 junior high parents and 337 senior high parents and
consisted of 4 questions: 1. How prepared is your child for their next career step?; 2. What role
do you think you have to play in helping your child?; 3. What would help you better fill that
role?; and 4. What gaps in services, programs, or resources would help your child? The majority
of the parents felt that their child was somewhat or not at all prepared for career planning.
Based on the literature, career preparation programs are more effective when students
actually take part in developing programs. In addition, the type of college preparatory
information school counselors provides their students with is crucial to students’ decisions in
whether or not to further their education. Students are aware that counselors expect them to
continue their education; however, there is a gap between their aspirations for college and their
enrollment in college prep classes. It was also found that by involving parents the relationship
between home and school is strengthened through communication, which can help students be
better prepared for their future careers. The current study is designed to help fill the gap by
understanding how influential students’ feel their school counselors were in preparing them for
college. By understanding how students are prepared by their school counselors schools can
develop new ways to improve current career preparation programs.

Theoretical Framework
The theory used in this study is the Social Learning Theory, developed by psychologists
Julian Rotter and Albert Bandura (Strong, DeVault, & Cohen, 2005). This theory emphasizes the
 High School Counselors’ Influence

role of cognition in learning; human develop through interactions within culture, society, and the
family. This theory would predict that the influence of peers, teachers, and parents affects a
student’s attitude toward what they believe their school counselors are capable of regarding
college preparation. It is hypothesized that students’ relationships with their school counselors
affect preparation for their college career and their ability to graduate.

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the research question: “What are traditional college
freshmen male and female comparative attitudes regarding how influential high school
counselors were in preparing them for college?” It is our hope that the results from this study
will be used by professional researchers and school counselors to improve college preparation
programs for students. We also believe it is important for high school students to enter college
knowing what to expect academically, financially, socially, emotionally, etc. so they will be
more prepared to complete their education in a reasonable amount of time.

Methods
Participants
The site of this study was at a Midwestern university. Participants included 60 freshmen
students in a Strategies for Academic Success class; 20 were male and 40 were female. Of the 20
males, 14 were 18 years of age and six were 19 years of age. Of the 40 females, 29 were 18 years
of age and 11 were 19 years of age.

Research Design
The survey design type used in this study is best described as a cross-sectional design in that
it was used to capture attitudes, from a cross section of the population at one point in time. The
data collection method was self-administered questionnaires. The rationale for using this method
was convenience, low cost, and the quick return of data, which was necessary due to the fast
pace of our research course. The population was the university student population; our sample
was male and female students in three different sections of a Strategies for Academic Success
class. The study used a non-random purposive sample design since the study needed information
from freshmen students, which the classes we surveyed were comprised of. We used nonrandom
sampling in order to fulfill our sample quota in a short period of time and to ensure we would
collect data from the age group desired. To ensure the ethical protection of human subjects we
completed the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) training; our study was
approved by the IRB.

Data Collection Instrument

In order to address the attitudes of university freshmen students regarding the influence of
their school counselor, a survey was designed. The survey included a cover letter with an implied
consent which included a description of the study, definitions of any terms not commonly
known, risks and benefits, time commitment, confidentiality, voluntary participation, contact
information of the research team and the supervisor, and instructions for completing the survey.
The survey consisted of two demographic questions, gender and age. We chose gender to
compare groups and analyze the data. Participants were then given six closed-ended statements
based on a 5-point Likert scale which measured the intensity of the respondents’ attitudes
ranging from one (strongly disagree) to five (strongly agree). Questions were formed by the
 High School Counselors’ Influence

literature and theory regarding what factors related to the college freshmen’s attitudes on high
school counselor’s influence on students’ decisions about college.
The survey instrument has both face validity and content validity. The questions and
concepts addressed in the survey are literature-inspired; it was determined that they clearly
connected to the larger problem of lack of college preparation by school counselors. They also
addressed a broad range of student’s attitudes towards their school counselors. The survey was
not piloted due to time constraints.

Procedure
To collect the data for this study, the researchers approached students in classrooms on
October 31, 2006. The purposive sampling design led to the surveying of classes that were made
up of predominately freshmen students. Two professors were contacted prior to surveying
students. Professors were emailed a copy of the survey to review before distribution to their
classes. Upon entering classrooms, students were asked if they would be willing to fill the
survey. After distributing surveys the researchers went over the implied consent with the students
and encouraged them to keep the first two pages for their records. The researchers and professor
remained in the hallway while surveys were being completed to get the most accurate
information possible while maintaining confidentiality and eliminating any pressure that might
be felt. A volunteer brought returned the surveys after all surveys were completed. We over
sampled to ensure the target sample number in case of missing data. When the surveys were
collected, they were kept in a locked office until data analysis.

Data Analysis Plan

The data was first “cleaned” and checked for any missing data. The “cleaned” surveys were
then “coded” using acronyms for each variable. The first two questions on the survey were
demographic age and gender. The only independent variable was gender (GEN). Each survey
statement was a dependent variable and given an acronym name: To determine if the
participants’ high school counselors played the largest role in their preparation for college as
compared to the students’ parents, peers, and teachers (SLR), if the participants’ high school
counselors adequately prepared me to attend college (SAP), if the participants’ high school
counselors influenced their choice of major (SIM), if high school resources offered by students’
counselors highly influenced their decision in choosing a major (SRI), if participants’ high
school counselors’ took into consideration students’ values and goals regarding their potential
college careers (SVG), and if participants’ high school counselors spent enough individual time
with them addressing their college concerns (SIT) . To analyze the data, the data-analyzing
computer program the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used. The
individual was used as the level of analysis. Given that groups were compared groups based on
gender, the data analysis included: Frequencies, cross-tabulations, and a reliability analysis:
Chronbach’s Alpha.

Results
The first analysis conducted was a frequency distribution analysis, which indicated that there
was no data missing from the surveys. The Chronbach’s Alpha measure of reliability was 0.904.
This value indicates that the survey items were a reliable measure of our major concept. The
qualitative data, comments, from the survey are reported in the discussion section.
 High School Counselors’ Influence

Table 1

Cross Tabulations

SLR
GEN SD D U A SA Total
Male 35.0% 35.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 100.0%
Female 22.5% 35.0% 17.5% 20.0% 5.0% 100.0%

SAP
GEN SD D U A SA Total
Male 20.0% 35.0% 15.0% 30.0% 0.0% 100.0%
Female 15.0% 17.5% 25.0% 27.5% 15.0% 100.0%

SIM
GEN SD D U A SA Total
Male 50.0% 35.0% 5.0% 5.0% 5.0% 100.0%
Female 35.0% 27.5% 17.5% 15.0% 5.0% 100.0%

SRI
GEN SD D U A SA Total
Male 35.0% 25.0% 30.0% 10.0% 0.0% 100.0%
Female 30.0% 17.5% 27.5% 20.0% 5.0% 100.0%

SVG
GEN SD D U A SA Total
Male 30.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 10.0% 100.0%
Female 15.0% 22.5% 12.5% 25.0% 25.0% 100.0%

SIT
GEN SD D U A SA Total
Male 30.0% 10.0% 15.0% 40.0% 5.0% 100.0%
Female 17.5% 20.0% 10.0% 25.0% 27.5% 100.0%

Note. (SLR)= My high school counselor played the largest role in my preparation for college versus my parents,
peers, and teachers; (SAP)= My high school counselor adequately prepared me to attend college; (SIM)= My high
school counselor influenced my choice of major; (SRI)= The high school resources offered by my counselor highly
influenced my decision in choosing a major; (SVG)= My high school counselor took into consideration my values
and goals regarding my potential college career; (SIT)= My high school counselor spent enough individual time
with me addressing my college concerns.

Discussion
Overall, results supported the hypothesis that more male than females students felt they were
not adequately prepared for college by their high school counselor. Findings suggest that more
females than males felt that their school counselors played the largest role in their preparation for
college versus parents, peers, and/or teachers. However, similarly to Pyne et al. (2002), findings
 High School Counselors’ Influence

show that most students felt their parents, peers, and teachers played the largest role in college
preparation, instead of the school counselor. Even though more male than female students
disagreed that their school counselor adequately prepared them for college, both males and
females did not feel prepared for college by their school counselors. Those students who had full
intentions of attending college did not receive any academic expectations from their school
counselors, which is supported by Alexitch et al. (2004).
Participants did not feel their school counselors influenced their choice of major or provided
them with the necessary resources. Findings indicate that more female than male students felt
that their values and goals regarding their potential careers were taken into consideration by their
school counselor. This also supports the hypothesis that males would feel less prepared for
college by their counselors. According to a study by Bardick et al. (2005), the majority of parents
found that their child was somewhat or not at all prepared for career planning. Findings support
how more females than males felt their school counselor spent enough individual time with them
addressing their college concerns, which leads to students feeling unprepared for career planning.
Overall, both males and females were unsure that their school counselors spent enough
individual time with them addressing their concerns. However, Alexitch et al. determined that
students may not have the opportunity to receive guidance specific to their needs, abilities, and
interests.
The findings that were not supported by the literature were supported by the Social
Learning Theory (Strong, 2005). Finds support the findings that parents, peers, and teachers of
students play a more influential role, than school counselors, in the student’s choice of major.
More males than females disagreed that their school counselor influenced their choice of major;
however, this finding shows that overall both males and females disagreed. The Social Learning
Theory may explain this by giving males the impression that it is socially unacceptable for them
to approach others for any form of help. This theory supports that fewer male than female
students felt their school counselors influenced their choice of major and were not provided with
adequate resources to choose a major. The results show that males disagreed that the resources
offered to them highly influenced their choice of major. Again, these findings may be explained
by the Social Learning Theory. This theory relates to our findings since students were found to
develop through interactions with their family, with parents having more of an influence on the
development of their children’s values and goals. As a result, school counselors play a lesser role
when considering a student’s potential career. Which our findings support are overall due to
males disagreeing that their values and goals were considered, however that could be due to lack
of time spent one-on-one with the school counselor. The findings in this study state that both
males and females agreed they had spent enough individual time with their counselor; however,
there is the possibility that they were discussing several other concerns that may not have been
relevant to college. Our research clearly supports that there is a need for a stronger bond between
students and their counselors to help in the process of furthering their education. Overall, the
Social Learning Theory supports the social trend that females are more prepared than males to
enter college due to their experiences with their guidance counselors.
Qualitative information was obtained in the surveys additional comment section. The
majority of females had already declared a major while only a few had either changed their
major or were undecided. Some females stated they never saw their counselor, and that their
peers were not helped either. Some females stated their counselors influenced where they went to
college and some said that their counselors made their decisions for them. A few suggestions
made by females were that their school counselors needed to be more time efficient, pay less
attention to troubled students, spend more individual time with them focusing on the topic at
 High School Counselors’ Influence

hand, and provide them with appropriate schedules making sure to cover all curricula. Some
positive remarks were made by females about their counselors regarding their friendliness and
exposure to their desired field of study.
The majority of males had already declared a major while only a few had either changed their
major or were undecided. Some males had stated that their counselor did not even know their
name while others did not feel the need to even meet with their counselors. Some males stated
that their school counselors encouraged them to attend tech school versus a university to save
time and money. It was also mentioned that it was difficult to establish a relationship with a new
counselor after their old counselor had been let go.

Limitations
There was an uneven sample of males and females due to not being aware of the class
populations, which can lead to biased results. Another limitation is the lack of random sampling,
which was due to time constraints and number of available participants.

Implications for Practitioners

The results showed that there is a need to inform schools, counselors, and parents that males
are less apt to approach their school counselors to ask for assistance in furthering their education.
Improvements can be made by requiring students to take a semester-long course in their last two
years of high school that explores potential careers. It could also be a good idea to survey males
to find out what they think would help them to be able to approach their school counselor.
Schools should also require their counselors to meet with each student once each semester to
address future career plans. In doing this, both males and females would have an equal
opportunity to discuss their values and goals surrounding their career choices. There should also
be additional training for school counselors, which would aid their ability to better prepare their
students. The combination of these three goals will benefit males and females by giving them
more opportunities to discuss career concerns with their school counselors.

Implications for Future Research

It is recommended that the next step of research would be to use a more diverse sample in
different age groups with an even number of males and females. We feel this approach would
lead to more accurate results. Another possibility that may lead to more accurate results could be
to survey a larger and randomized sample to generalize to a larger population.

Conclusion
Students feel their parents, peers, and teachers play the largest role in their college
preparation instead of their school counselor. There are students that do not even receive any
academic expectations from their counselors regarding college. There is a need for a stronger
bond between students and their counselors to help in the process of furthering their education.
As a result of this study, it is hoped that males will feel more comfortable approaching their
school counselors to discuss their future career plans. Also we would like people to recognize
that school counselors are not adequately preparing students to further their education after high
school in today’s society. It is encouraged that action be taken to better prepare school
counselors to address the needs of their students.
 High School Counselors’ Influence

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