The evaluation of classroom guidance activities in primary schools

Abstract

Psychological counseling and guidance services are significant and inseparable parts of the education process. Guidance is a psychological help given by experts in order to direct a person to understand himself/herself, to solve his/her problems, to make realistic decisions, to improve his/her capacities up to his/her best, to adapt to his/her environment with balance and to perform himself/herself. The aim of this study is to evaluate the classroom guidance activities carried out by class guidance teachers in primary schools. The data of this study, which aimed to determine the questions related with the application process and to find answers for several questions, was obtained through a semi structured interview form. The data gathered from eight school counselors and 32 class guidance teachers were analyzed with descriptive analysis technique. Teachers claimed that they found an opportunity to get to know their students more than ever with the help of these guidance activities, the importance given to the guidance has increased in schools, and that they are able to find opportunities to make systematic and planned applications. The result of the interviews showed especially the lack of equipment for teachers to carry out the applications and the fact that the number of school counselors is not sufficent and it diminishes the functionality of the curriculum. In the interviews, we found that the weekly time allocated for guidance applications and the fact that the applications require more time then an average course makes the guidance curriculum harder to apply. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.