Chi Sigma Iota Chapter Leadership and Professional Identity Development in Early Career Counselors

As the academic and professional honor society of counseling, Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) has been recognized in developing advocacy, leadership, and professional identity in student and professional members. A qualitative, grounded theory study was conducted to investigate experiences of 15 early career counselors who were CSI chapter leaders as graduate students. An emergent theory of CSI chapter leadership and professional identity development in early career counselors is presented. Implications are discussed for counselor educators, CSI leaders, and counseling students and professionals, with suggestions made for future research.     

Becoming a White antiracist counselor: A framework of identity development

In this constructivist grounded theory study, 12 White mental health counselors committed to antiracism were interviewed to explore their professional identity development. The emergent theoretical model of antiracist counseling identity development is a multifaceted lifelong developmental process that manifests through personal and professional experiences and is enacted within antiracist actions.     

Professional Identity Development: A Grounded Theory of Transformational Tasks of New Counselors

Professional identity development is an important professional issue. Examining the lived experiences of counselors‐in‐training (CITs), the authors used grounded theory methodology to describe the transformational tasks that are required for professional identity development. Tasks include finding a personal definition of counseling, internalizing responsibility for professional growth, and developing a systemic identity—all simultaneously manifesting as students progress from focus on experts to self‐validation. Counselor educators can facilitate movement through these transformational tasks by helping CITs to increase self‐evaluating, self‐motivating, and self‐locating within a professional community.     

The resourceful facilitator: teacher leaders constructing identities as facilitators of teacher peer groups

The use of teacher peer groups is a prevalent strategy for school-based professional development and instructional improvement. Facilitation of such groups is an increasingly vital dimension of teacher leadership as a component of school improvement efforts. Drawing on a qualitative study of facilitation of teacher peer groups, the article investigates how teacher leaders integrate experiences from different domains of life in constructing a unique facilitator identity. Focusing on portraits of three teacher leaders, it demonstrates how teachers relate experiences outside of teaching, including academic experiences, other professional experiences, and social experiences, to the skills and orientation necessary for effective facilitation. The article argues for attention to reflexive practices of identity formation in the preparation of teacher leaders as facilitators and in the ongoing development of teacher leaders who already function as facilitators.     

Becoming teacher leaders in Israel: a meaning-making model

Consensus is growing that teacher leadership benefits teaching quality and student performance. Despite the recognition that teacher leadership contributes to teachers’ professional development, little is known about how it is developed and how teachers experience the transition to the teacher-leader role. This study explores the internal mechanisms underlying the transition to and formation of teachers’ professional identity as teacher leaders. It is based on 60 interviews: 41 teachers who were selected to participate in a leadership training programme, 10 principals and 19 teacher-leaders’ colleagues. The findings led to a model with four central components: (1) Overall professional identity; (2) The experience of ‘being chosen;’ (3) An internal meaning-making process; and (4) External forces.     

A “Chameleonic” Identity: Foreign-Born Doctoral Students in U.S. Counselor Education

This study explored the interplay between a multidimensional model of acculturation and professional identity development among eight foreign-born doctoral students in U.S. counselor education. Themes generated through an interpretive phenomenological analysis revealed that the participants, while trying to adapt to the Euro-American cultural context of their counselor programs, experienced a sense of conflict, loss, and grief, resulting in what they called a “chameleonic” professional identity. Findings illustrated that for international counseling students, professional identity development is an arduous and complex process deeply intertwined with their acculturation experiences. Implications for counselor programs and future research are further discussed.     

Professional identity development of international counseling doctoral students: A hybrid approach of deductive and inductive thematic analysis

We explored the professional identity development of nine international counseling doctoral students. Our findings broadly corroborated Dollarhide et al.’s general model but revealed further nuances that need to be carefully contextualized at the intersection of a constellation of identities and experiences that international students bring to the counseling profession.     

Teacher identity development through action research: a Chinese experience

This study explores how two language teachers constructed and reconstructed their professional identities through their action research (AR) facilitated by university researchers in China. Informed by the theory of ‘community of practice’, the findings of the study show that AR exerted a transformative impact on the teachers’ identity development. Four distinctive routes of identity change were noted, namely their transformation from ‘fisherman’ to ‘fishing coach’, from ‘craftsman’ to ‘teacher researcher’, from ‘lonely fighter’ to ‘collaborator’, and from ‘housekeeper’ to ‘change agent’. Such change can be attributed to their engagement and practice in different communities of practice. However, the participants’ identity development also encountered some contextual obstacles, including the rigid school curriculum, lack of research knowledge, as well as the power dynamics between them and the researchers. Several implications can be drawn for teachers, teacher educators, and school leaders to help teachers construct a solid and robust professional identity in seeking their continuing professional development through AR.     

Developing Urban School Leaders: Building on Solutions 15 Years after the Los Angeles Riots

The 15th Anniversary of the Los Angeles riots serves as an impetus to continue efforts in addressing how institutionalized theories, norms, and practices in schools and society lead to social, political, economic, and educational inequalities. The challenges of school inequalities continue to be chronic and remain unresolved through traditional practices, scholarship, theory, and professional training of school leaders. The intersection between urban school leadership and diversity is examined through critically reviewing hurdles that school leaders encounter, such as low socioeconomics, low representation of leaders of color, violence, and academic underachievement. We argue that urban school leaders can change school conditions by facilitating the development of proficient and culturally-competent teachers and administrators, and creating a positive school climate. Two existing frameworks were used to guide the researchers in the development of the Leadership in Diversity Continuum Model (LDCM) that can help guide leaders in their efforts to transform schools through an introspective analysis of their own identity development.     

School Counseling in Belize: Poised for Great Development

The majority of persons serving as school counselors in Belize do not have the formal training proposed by standard setting bodies, such as the U.S. National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) and the American School Counseling Association (ASCA). However, those serving as counselors readily identify responsibilities that parallel those advocated by the ASCA National Model (ASCA 2005). This article identifies characteristics of Belize school counselors, and reviews current school counseling practices and the implications of these for the future of school counseling in that setting. Opportunities for standardization and professional development for school counselors, solidification of a professional identity, and barriers to educational attainment are also explored.     

Induction seminars as professional learning communities for beginning teachers

This paper explores the operation and contribution of induction seminars operated as learning communities for new teachers. Mixed methods were used: 378 new teachers and 29 seminar leaders completed questionnaires, 16 new teachers and 14 seminar leaders were interviewed, and 20 seminar meetings were observed. Findings showed that seminar discussions focused primarily on coping with discipline problems, building self-confidence, and developing a professional identity. The main contribution of the seminars was emotional support provided in a non-threatening environment. Findings imply that seminars can be a significant supplement to in-school mentoring for the professional development and adjustment of new teachers.     

Critical Incidents Among Novice Counselor Trainees

The authors attempted to gain an understanding of critical incidents (CIs) from the perspective of novice counselor trainees during their 1st year of supervised clinical practicum. Journals kept by 9 trainees in master's‐level counseling programs were qualitatively analyzed using the discovery‐oriented research methodology (A. Mahrer, 1988). One hundred fifty‐seven CIs emerged in 5 major categories: (a) professional identity, (b) personal reactions, (c) competence, (d) supervision, and (e) philosophy of counseling. Implications of the findings are discussed for counselor development theory and research, as well as counselor training.     

Using Personal Growth Groups in Multicultural Counseling Courses to Foster Students' Ethnic Identity Development

This study was designed to examine the relationship between personal growth group (PGG) experiences in multicultural counseling courses and counseling students' ethnic identity development. Differences in ethnic identity development were compared between counseling students who participated in a PGG experience as part of a multicultural counseling course and those who did not. Group session impacts were also examined. Results indicated that counseling students who participated in PGGs as part of a multicultural counseling course experienced significantly greater ethnic identity development than did counseling students not participating in such groups. Recommendations for further research are provided.     

The emergence of unique elective identities in the professional identity development research in the counseling profession

In this study, a qualitative content analysis of the professional identity development research in counseling was conducted to describe elements of the development of “elective identities” of leader, research, counselor educator, and social justice practitioner. Predisposing, process, and outcome codes reveal experiences and contexts that influence this development in students, educators, and counselors.     

A Clearer Vision: Creating and Evolving a Model to Support the Development of Science Teacher Leaders

This paper describes a professional development model for developing science teacher leaders that has evolved and been refined through working with 16 high school chemistry and physics teachers in high-needs schools over the past 3 years. The theoretical framework draws upon Goodwin’s notion of professional vision and Dempsey’s four metaphors to inform an understanding of professional identity consistent with innovation and empowerment in (a) the classroom setting with students and (b) with teachers in collegial environments. Thus, leadership practices and purposes are discussed at two distinct levels and contexts, which interact reflexively. Sociolinguistic discourse analysis of multiple data sources enabled us to identify the professional development features that promoted or hindered the teachers’ growth toward a leadership perspective and disposition. Implications for science teacher renewal and retention as well as limitations of the study and proposed leadership model are also shared and discussed.     

The Relationship of Supervisory Experience, Counseling Experience, and Training in Supervision to Supervisory Identity Development

The relationship between supervisory identity development and supervisory experience, counseling experience, and training in supervision was examined for Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) members. Analyses indicated that supervisory experience and training were related to supervisory identity development, whilst counseling experience was not. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the importance of supervisor credentials.     

Integrating School Leadership Knowledge and Practice Using Multimedia Technology: Linking National Standards, Assessment, and Professional Development

This article presents an overview perspective on the potential benefits of applying multimedia technology to redesign and invigorate the career-long performance assessment and professional learning of school leaders. Funded design and development efforts of one multimedia project—the Administrator Case Simulation (ACS) Multimedia Library—focusing on the professional assessment and development of school principals involved in collaborative school leadership are highlighted. Project research teams at the ACS Multimedia Lab have focused in the past seven years on using available multimedia technologies to develop school leadership assessment and organizational learning case simulation resources for school principals and other school leaders. This article provides an overview of the multimedia case simulation concept, describes collaborative R&D project efforts involving regional and state school leaders, highlights multimedia case design features, and discusses implications of technology-integrated case designs for informing personnel assessment and evaluation programs and for enhancing the reflective thinking, decision making, and professional learning of school leaders. Finally, recommendations are offered for engaging in further research and development efforts using the integrated systems professional learning approach presented, and for creatively expanding technology-integrated case simulation designs to develop similar professional assessment and learning resources for all school leaders.     

National Devolution in Swedish Higher Education -- A Quest for New Local Leadership. The Case of Leadership Development at Göteborg University

In 1993 a new national form for governance was introduced in Swedish higher education. The new regime, best described in terms of deregulation and decentralisation, among other things, required a new individually based leadership at universities.The paper describes the development of one particular 10-day interfaculty leadership training course for heads of departments, directors of study and other local managers, its content and methods and some implications for strategic management in higher education institutions.Four such implications are covered: constructing a new social identity as leaders, getting leadership acceptance in an individualistic academic-freedom culture, training academic leaders in accordance with professional values, and dealing with accountability in a collegial decision-making environment.     

White Paper: A Multidimensional Understanding of Effective University and College Counseling Center Organizational Structures

Established in 1950, the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) is an international organization comprising universities and colleges (https://www.aucccd.org). AUCCCD members are the higher education leaders for student mental health. Our members represent a wide range of professional disciplines, public and private institutions, and a range of institutional student enrollment sizes. This white paper: (a) provides a historical background on counseling and mental health services on college campuses; (b) argues that, based on current research, there is no single organizational structure that is optimal; (c) makes recommendations about factors to consider when making decisions about the counseling center that are based on specific campus needs and resources rather than a preferred organizational structure; and (d) advocates for a collaborative care model regardless of organizational structure.