Some Impressions of Competency-Based Training Programs

This article presents some impressions gained after two years of involvement in a competency-based training program in the pupil personnel services area, and it raises questions concerning the major features of such programs. The article includes discussion of program goals, the instructional process, assessment of student progress, and student attitudes. The danger of competency-based training becoming another fad in education is considered, and possible causes of this are noted.     

Expectations and Perceptions of the Role of the Guidance Counselor as Described by Students and Parents

This study compared the students' and parents' views with respect to both the perceived and the ideal role of the secondary school counselor. It was found that parents assigned higher ratings to both perceptions and expectations of counselors than did students, and both parents and students held higher expectations than perceptions of counselors. Apparently irreconcilable conflicts among idealized roles were found, which suggested implications for counselor training programs.     

Q-Sorting Gloria

The authors assessed differences in viewers' perceptions of a client (Gloria) as a function of treatment (i.e., client-centered, gestalt, rational-emotive) received. The stimulus material used was the film series, Three Approaches to Psychotherapy. Gloria was perceived differently as a result of the type of treatment received, although some of the differences were not statistically reliable. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Personality and Functional Specialty Preference of Prospective Counselor Educators

This study examined the personality needs of doctoral students in counselor education who preferred functional specialties as administrators or practitioners. The sample consisted of doctoral students in counselor education at 20 southern universities. Achievement, dominance, order, and social recognition needs, as measured by the Personality Research Form (PRF), were found to differentiate between the groups.     

Development and initial validation of an instrument to assess the motivational qualities of music in exercise and sport: The Brunel Music Rating Inventory

Equivocal results of the psychophysical effects of music have been explained in part by the insensitivity of researchers to important personal and situational variables when selecting music. The aim of the present study was to operationalize a conceptual framework for the prediction of psychophysical responses to music into a music rating inventory to assess the motivational qualities of music in exercise and sport environments. An initial item pool was developed and administered to 334 aerobics instructors. Exploratory factor analysis produced a 13-item, four-factor structure (association, musicality, cultural impact and rhythm response), which accounted for 59.2% of the variance. This model demonstrated acceptable fit indices when tested using confirmatory factor analysis on 314 exercise-to-music participants, and was better than an alternative two-factor model. When cross-validated using multisample confirmatory factor analysis, the model also showed an acceptable fit overall, although some invariance in the rhythm response factor was evident that can be attributed to the exclusive use of synchronous music by aerobics instructors. The Brunel Music Rating Inventory appears to be a valid and reliable tool for both researchers and practitioners to assess the motivational qualities of music in exercise and sport environments.     

Meeting Needs but not Changing Goals: evaluation of in-service teacher training for sex education

Teachers' lack of sex education training has been widely regarded as a barrier to delivery, but very few in-service programmes have been evaluated. This paper evaluates the teacher training component of a theoretically-based behavioural sex education programme for 13–15-year-olds called SHARE. It combines data from participant observation, in-depth interviews, questionnaires and lesson observations. The teachers found the training very valuable, particularly in relation to collegiate support, familiarisation with the SHARE pack and reducing discomfort. The two main objectives of the training programme that were congruent with teachers' perceived needs were fulfilled: to make teachers more comfortable and confident to deliver sex education and to prepare them to deliver the SHARE pack. However, the introduction of social-psychologically informed skills based exercises, radically different to those normally followed, was the least successful aspect of the training, as one might predict from previous research on in-service training. This might suggest that theoretically based, behavioural health education programmes might be best delivered by specialist staff.