Effectiveness Related to Personality and Demographic Characteristics of Secondary School Counselors

In a study of 123 secondary school counselors in three states the authors found significant correlations among tested personality characteristics and supervisor-rated job performance. Counselors rated as effective by supervisors expressed higher job satisfaction, tested higher in tolerance for ambiguity and in self-esteem, and had more congruent personality-environment Holland codes than did their ineffective counterparts. Sex, age, years of experience, certification status, and academic degrees held were not correlated with effectiveness ratings. Results were considered tentative and heuristic in nature because many aspects of effectiveness could not be tested.     

A COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS FOR ESTABLISHING MINIMUM STANDARDS ON THE NATIONAL TEACHER EXAMINATIONS

Minimum standards were established for the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) area examinations in mathematics and in elementary education by independent panels of teacher educators who had been instructed in the use of either the Angoff, Nedelsky, or Jaeger procedures. Of these three procedures, only the Jaeger method requires that normative data be provided to the judges when evaluating the items. However, it was of interest to study the effect such information would have upon the standards obtained using the other two methods. Therefore, the design incorporated three sequential review sessions with the level of normative information different for each. A three-factor ANOVA revealed significant main effects for methods and sessions but not for subject area. None of the interactions was significant. The anticipated failure rates, the psychometric characteristics of the ratings, and other factors suggest that the Angoff procedure, as modified during the second session of this study, yields the most defensible standards for the NTE area examinations.     

AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF STANDARDIZING SCORES IN THE FORMATION OF LINEAR COMPOSITES1

Component scores with specified means, standard deviations and intercorrelations were generated by computer. Two linear composites were calculated; one using a given set of nominal weights with the raw component scores and the second using the same nominal weights with the standard component scores. Both sets of composite scores were scaled to the same mean and standard deviation. The distribution of differences between the two scaled composite scores was examined to determine the effect of standardization. Specifically, the standard deviation of the difference scores, the largest single difference, and the number of differences greater than two were related to the number and characteristics of the original components. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Counselor Education Courses in Program Evaluation and Scientific Research: Are Counselors Being Prepared for the Accountability Press?

Counselor education programs listed in Counselor Preparation 1980 were surveyed to determine the proportion of required coursework devoted to instruction in scientific research and program evaluation. Regardless of area specialization, department size, or academic unit in which the program is housed, responding counselor education programs were found to devote approximately twice as much required instructional time to scientific research as to program evaluation. A rationale and suggestions for change are presented.     

The Effect of Touch on Perception of Counselors

The authors examine observers' perceptions of counselors using touch as part of the client-counselor interaction. Results indicate that touch conveys a sense of caring but does not encourage understanding or client self-disclosure.     

Physical Dimensions of Counseling: Perspective for the Helping Professions

Fifteen graduate students in the helping professions registered in a course that teaches helpers to use physical fitness as a counseling medium. The enrolled graduate students were matched with controls in four relevant areas, and both groups were pretested on 7 physiological and 11 psychological variables. The experimental students were given a 10-week treatment of physical fitness training, counseling in health habits, a life-style of well-being, and instruction in how to deliver these kinds of treatments to clients. For eight weeks the students used the skills in working with real clients. The experimental and control groups were posttested on the same variables; and multivariate and univariate analyses revealed significantly positive changes made by the experimental group. This article reports implications for graduate programs in the helping professions.     

Coordination of Clinical Supervision in Practicum and Internship Programs

The authors examine practicum/internship coordination, viewing it as a system. Important components of the system are identified, and their impact on the system is explored.