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.     

Ethical Concerns for Counselor Educators

This article identifies four areas of ethical concern in counselor education. Counselor educators in the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) region were surveyed regarding their attitudes and practices concerning these four areas. Survey results with conclusions and recommendations are given. Vignette 1: J. Jones, a single counselor education professor, is told by K. Adams, a single female graduate student in one of his classes, that she finds him very attractive. She then invites him to her home for dinner. Vignette 2: J. Smith, a student and advisee of counselor educator M. Thompson, is taking a group dynamics course from her this semester. He believes that participation in the course has triggered his desire to work on some issues in his personal life. He approaches Dr. Thompson to be his counselor. Vignette 3: Counselor educator F. Rogers suggests an idea for a research study to graduate student P. Collins. Ms. Collins carries out the study and submits a paper describing it in order to meet a requirement in Dr. Rogers's class. Dr. Rogers later decides that with some revision this paper could be publishable. He spends many hours revising the paper so that it is suitable for publication. When he submits it, he lists himself as first author. Vignette 4: Counselor educator A. Johnson is serving on C. Young's dissertation committee. Ms. Young, who is a training director at a major business in the community, offers Dr. Johnson a lucrative consulting contract with her company.