Action Research in Counseling 1

RUNNING HEAD: ACTION RESEARCH IN COUNSELING

ACTION RESEARCH AS A GRADUATE PROJECT IN COUNSELING

John Addy S. Garcia De La Salle University, Philippines

Authors Notes: Initial version of this paper was presented during the National Convention Workshop of the Philippine Guidance and Counseling, Inc., held on May 21, 2009 at the University of Sto. Tomas, Manila. Correspondence can be addressed to: John Addy S. Garcia, Counseling and Educational Psychology Department, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila, Philippines 1004; email john.addy.garcia@dlsu.edu.ph

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Abstract

The study investigated how action research was integrated in a graduate course on management and development of counseling programs. Specifically, the study surveyed the nature and scope of the action researches, described the processes and products related to the action research projects, identified the learning difficulties and outcomes experienced by the graduate students as they engage in action research. Nine action research projects by 16 counseling graduate students from a private university in Manila focused on different counseling concerns, which include: academic procrastination, bullying, career indecision, sense of belongingness, and study skills. During the research process, participants reported encountering difficulties related to: action research task and time management; inadequate research knowledge and skills; coordinating research activities; and negative attitudes towards research. On the other hand, after they have finished the action research projects, participants learned how to: connect counseling research and practice; value research more positively; conduct an action research; motivate oneself to learn new knowledge and skills; strategize and solve problems related to the implementation of the research project.

Keywords: action research, counseling programs, school counseling, Philippines

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Research is something school counselors value, but they do not want to be directly involved in. The general observation seems to be that school counselors have minimal interest in research, do not typically see the value of research to practice, but more than willing to accept and utilize research done by others (Deck, Cecil, & Cobia, 1990). School counselors minimally engaged in research because it is not considered a major competency, function, and work priority (Allen, 1992; Allen, Gallagher, & Radd, 1992; Whiston, 1996). Similarly, in the Philippines, the low levels of research engagement among school counselors had been consistently noted and observed (e.g., Garcia, 2003a; Pabiton, 2003). Even a cursory review of job descriptions of

local counselors shows little emphasis on research tasks. Ironically, a good number of Filipino school counselors consider research as necessary for effective practice, but very few actually engage in research as an essential professional activity. Among Filipino school counselors across levels, very few reported that engaging in research actually contributed to improved counseling interventions (Pabiton, 2004). Likewise, a review of credentials of published authors in local and regional scientific journals indicate that majority of the researchers in counseling are counselor educators rather than frontline school counselors. If ever school counselors engage in research, they do to comply with the requirements for graduate degrees or promotion. Majority of these scholarly outputs, in turn, unfortunately do not get published due to various reasons, including lack of motivation from the authors, an aversion towards research writing, low writing self-efficacy, or lack of technical support from institutions. The international trends in counseling underscore applied research, although researchers continue to pursue basic research (Hadley & Mitchell, 1995; Mertens, 1998; Mertler & Charles, 2005). Applied research need to be pursued by school counselors, in order to build the There is so much need for evidence for

knowledge based for scientific practice in the field.

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effective and optimal interventions directed toward academic, personal-social, and career development outcomes (McGannon, Carey, & Dimmitt, 2005; Whiston & Sexton, 1998). The

lack of a strong empirically-based knowledge on school counseling may undermine the very identity of practitioners. Without empirically based research, school counseling would

continue to have a difficult time gaining recognition and respect among profession (Loesch, 1988). In the Philippines, much of the energy and initiative related to professional identity development had been directed towards implementing the legislated licensure examination (Garcia, 2003b; Villar, 2000) rather than advocating for developing competencies, including research. In an effort to advocate for improving research competency among school counselors, the study attempted to integrate research in implementing and evaluating counseling interventions in local schools. Authors had proposed that school counselors should engage in action research in order to bridge the gap between research and practice, and as well as to develop research competencies (e.g., Abrenica, 1987; Abrenica, 2000; Rowell, 2005; Salazar-Clemea, 2000; Salazar-Clemea, 2008; Whiston, 1996). Engaging in action research were found to contribute empowerment of school counselors, while making them more accountable (McGannon, Carey, & Dimmitt, 2005; Rowell, 2005) and their school counseling programs more evidence-based. Action research can also be utilized to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness and responsiveness of teaching (Cunningham, 2008), like just in case of counselor education courses. Based on the idea that research and practice are intertwined (Lasky & Hayes, 2001; Whiston, 1996), the purpose of the study was to describe the experiences of counselors-in-training as they conducted action researches, in order to determine ways on how research can be effectively incorporated in graduate courses in counseling.

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Specifically, the study answered the following research questions: 1. What is the nature of the action research projects? a. What are the school counseling problems addressed by the action researches? b. What are the areas of development emphasized in the action research? c. What are the specific characteristics of target participants? d. What are the school counseling program interventions? e. What are the school counseling outcomes? 2. What difficulties did graduate students encountered while doing their action research projects? 3. What are the important experiences graduate students learned from their action research projects? Method The study employed a practical action research design to investigate how action research was integrated as a requirement for a graduate course on management and development of counseling programs in a private university in Manila. In lieu of the traditional practice of

requiring graduate students to create sample programs for a fictitious client, graduate students conducted action research projects for existing local school counseling programs. Sixteen

graduate students planned, implemented, and evaluated nine action research projects in collaboration with local school counselors. The graduate students either worked on the action

research projects individually or in pairs. Ten out of the 16 participants were Filipinos, while the rest came from different countries, namely, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. In terms of counseling work experience, nine of 16 reported having none, while seven stated that they were either working as counselors or had worked as one before.

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Prior to the field work, the graduate students attended a nine-hour workshop (equivalent to three class sessions) on action research facilitated by the author. During their field work and report writing, the author held regular consultation hours with the graduate students to coach and provide feedback regarding the conduct the research and the preparation of the research manuscript. Feedback was also given through emails. Moreover, online resources on APA

publication style and technical writing were also made available to guide the graduate students in data analysis and report writing. Students were also expected to apply the school counseling

program models and program development skills, learned through class discussion and workshops, in the design and evaluation of school counseling programs. After the training, the graduate students identified local school counselors who were willing to work with them. collaborators. Half of the group initially encountered difficulty in finding

Referrals were made by the author and the practicing counselors from the class After local school counselors expressed willingness to

to locate willing collaborators.

collaborate, graduate students were then properly endorsed and the necessary permits secured. Meetings with local school counselors included rapport building, needs assessment, and program activity planning. The graduate students contributed significantly to the design and

planning of the psychoeducational interventions and the preparation of the research manuscripts, while school counselor-collaborators served as content experts and intervention co-facilitators. Due to time constraints, graduate students had to design psychoeducational interventions that can address relevant student outcomes within a short term (4-5 weeks). Data Collection and Analysis In order to describe the nature and scope of, and as well as, the processes and products related to the action research projects, document analysis (program plans and manuals) and

Action Research in Counseling 7

interviews were employed. The categories of the school counseling interventions, areas of development, and outcomes were based on the comprehensive school counseling program model (ASCA, 1997; Borders, Drury, & Gerler, 1992). To identify the learning difficulties and outcomes experienced by the graduate students as they engage in action research, open-ended questionnaires and brief interviews were done. Data from the document analysis and interviews were content analyzed. Results The results of study focus on two three areas, namely, the descriptions of: the nature and conduct of the action research projects, difficulties in doing action research, and the learning experiences of the graduate students. As mentioned earlier, the purpose of the study was to

determine how action research can be effectively integrated in a graduate course in counseling. The study also aimed to explore how whether engaging in action research could enhance the learning experiences of the graduate students. The Nature of the Action Research Projects Table 1 shows that personal-social development received the most attention with bullying as the most commonly reported counseling concern. Three out of nine action researches were done in the academic development area focusing on two related academic problems, procrastination and ineffective study habits. addressed career indecision among adolescents. ----------------------Insert Table 1 here ----------------------The only action research on career development

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Table 2 describes the profile of the participants in the graduate students action research projects, in terms of age, year level and type of school. Although majority of the participants

were adolescents, the action researches also targeted children and young adults (specifically outof-school youth). Most of the participants came from private coeducational schools. Majority were from sectarian (largely Catholic and Christian) schools. Sample sizes varied depending on the target participants and identified needs. They ranged from as little as 9 (identified bullies)

to 120 students (for schoolwide awareness intervention). ----------------------Insert Table 2 here ----------------------Table 3 indicates the specific interventions and client outcomes included in the different research projects. It is interesting to note that although same action research projects focused on the same counseling problems, they relatively differed in terms of the outcomes targeted and the specific strategies utilized in the interventions. The nature and dimensions of the identified For instance, the first

needs accounted for the differences in emphasis and outcome focus.

action research on academic procrastination higlighted social anxiety, whereas the second one emphasize goal setting aside from directly addressing procrastination. In the case of the

bullying projects, the first and fourth action researches focused on training bullies, while the second and third action research projects concentrated on informing the general student population on how to handle bullies and bullying incidents. ----------------------Insert Table 3 here -----------------------

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Difficulties Encountered When asked about the difficulties they encountered while doing action research, the participants reported problems related to: task and time management, inadequate research knowledge and skills, planning and conducting the research, and having negative notions about research (see Table 4). Most of the participants noted that they had difficulty balancing the demands of doing action research and fulfilling the requirements of their other graduate courses. Conducting the action research required the participants to spend considerable time in the field (establishing contacts, securing permits, planning entry into the research site, orienting collaborators, conducting needs assessment, implementing and evaluating the intervention), in the university (researching and planning the interventions, analyzing data, meeting with partners, consulting with the author), and at home (analyzing data, and writing up the manuscript). Most failed to strategically determine the magnitude of the tasks and challenges related to their research projects. Thus, they failed to strategize effectively and efficiently their research

projects within the 14-week trimestral term. For other students, having a project partner proved to be more burdensome rather than helpful, since negotiating and dividing the research tasks took more effort than what was anticipated. ----------------------Insert Table 4 here ----------------------Another area of difficulty refers to the participants perceived inadequacy in research knowledge and skills. The data show the apparent lack of research competency among the

participants, which was further complicated by the relative difficulty in finding a collaborator and a research site. About half of the participants encountered difficulty in identifying a research

Action Research in Counseling 10

site.

The author had to directly intervene by referring the graduate students to the partner

schools of the university, and to encourage the practitioners in the group to refer their classmates to their schools or colleagues from other schools. Unfortunately, the problems did not end with the placement of the students in specific research sites. Although the schools willingly

accommodated the graduate students, most were not willing to compromise their existing school calendars. Majority of the graduate students still had to work around the schedule of school

activities, although they should had been working on existing school counseling programs, with predetermined set of activities for the entire schoolyear. Lastly, about a quarter of the participants reported having negative notions of research. They consider research to be frustratingly difficult or overwhelming challenging. Learnings from Doing Action Research Table 5 notes that participants reported learning how to: connect counseling research and practice, value research more positively, conduct research, increase motivation to learn, and solve learning issues as graduate students. The first three major findings refer to knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to doing research, while the last two findings refer to the participants learning insights. ----------------------Insert Table 5 here ----------------------The participants pointed out that in doing action research they learned how research is relevant to and intertwined with program development and evaluation. research is valuable, doable, and practical. They also realize that

Some participants noted that facing all the

challenges were worth their time and effort, considering what and how much they have learned

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from their research experience. The practical experience also proved to be enriching, inspiring, and motivating for a few participants. It also built up their confidence and skills in doing research particularly how to conceptualize an action research and write a research manuscript. In relation to their learning insights, participants indicated that in doing action research they became aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. They learned how to face academic challenges and difficulties by motivating themselves, managing tasks, and maximizing collaboration. Discussion Results shows that the action research projects focused on the efficacy of psychoeducational interventions in facilitating competency-based outcomes, including: goal setting, prosocial behaviors, cooperation, empathy, career choice, study habits, and other related outcomes. The counseling interventions also addressed client needs related to the three areas of development: academic, personal-social, and career. The focus and characteristics of the

interventions reveal their consistency with the principles of comprehensive school counseling programs (ASCA, 1997; Borders, Drury, & Gerler, 1992). Since the comprehensive school

counseling programs are competency-based and results-oriented (Borders, Drury, & Gerler, 1992), they are appropriate and rational venues for integrating research and counseling practice. Comprehensive school counseling models (e.g., ASCA National Model) can serve as frameworks for conceptualizing practical action research. The program-based interventions

(operationalized in terms of responsive services, guidance curriculum, individual planning, coordination, consultation, see Borders, Drury, & Gerler, 1992) can serve as the independent variables, and the students outcomes (operationalized in terms of competencies related to academic, personal-social, and career development) as the dependent variables. With its

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emphasis on developing student competency, comprehensive school counseling programs are basically outcomes oriented which is similar to the nature of action research as a form of outcome research. Furthermore, school counseling interventions formulated as programs, as

opposed to an arbitrary array of services, directly address the call for evidence-based practice. And with the emerging responsibility of making school counseling more accountable, the best option for school counselors is to adapt the comprehensive models, so that research can be consistently integrated in the design, implementation, and evaluation of counseling programs and services. The results of the study did provide some evidence for the feasibility for the

aforementioned recommendation. Beyond describing the nature of the action research projects, the results also gave details about the learning issues and experiences of the graduate students as researchers. The results

gave substantial information about both difficulties encountered and learning insights gained by the participants. They provided some explanation to the minimal research engagement and

activity among school counselors, as pointed out by critics (Deck, Cecil, & Cobia, 1990; Garcia, 2003a; Loesch, 1988; Pabiton, 2003; Rowell, 2005). In the study, the participants reported being overwhelmed by the nature of the research tasks, their perceived lack of research self-efficacy, and negative notions about research. Similarly, school counselors apparent minimal research engagement may be aggravated by unfamiliarity with research tasks, lack of training in research (see Pabiton 2003, 2004), and lack of understanding of how research and practice are integrated (see Rowell, 2005). The experiences of the participants further provided ideas of how counselor education and counseling work settings can be transformed in order to promote research engagement. Reforms in counselor education programs can focus on instilling an understanding of the value of research in counseling practice, highlighting the importance of evidence-based

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practice to professional identity, and providing the necessary research competency training for both pre- and in-service school counselors. In relation to workplace reforms, school counselors and administrators need to take deliberate steps to inculcate a culture of research in the workplace. They can start by adapting comprehensive school counseling models to redefine and transform how they design and deliver services to their clients. Thus, eliminating the perceived disconnection between research and practice, because, as mentioned earlier, research is inherently integrated in comprehensive school counseling programs (Boarders, Drury, & Gerler, 1992). Research is an integral professional activity of school counselor implementing

comprehensive models. More specifically, the results also provided information useful for improving how the integration of action research was done. I would like to underscore that critical self-reflection and cyclical actions characterize action research (Cunningham, 2008). Thus, I also utilized the results in order to assess how the course was designed and delivered. The results indicated that the participants had several unanticipated difficulties. For one, most of the participants found it difficult to initiate the research process. They took so much time identifying willing

collaborators. They also had to deal with their lack of knowledge and skills in doing research, while grappling with work and stress associated with graduate studies. In short, participants

faced challenges, which were not anticipated in planning how action research was integrated in the graduate course. Future replications of the current study can include a more thorough needs assessment, so that inadequacies in terms of competencies can be addressed in the action research training prior to the actual field work. Future studies can also consider predetermining collaborators so more time can be spent on planning, conducting, and evaluating the counseling interventions. Furthermore as an action researcher, I also realized the need for more thorough

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self-reflection on how I designed the learning tasks and created the learning environment. Selfreflection, as a process, opened up more ideas about the course itself. I realized that requiring student to do an outcome-based field research bridge the gaps not only between research and practice, but between pre-service training and in-service experiences. Through self-reflection, I

also realized that I need to engage more in critical reflection in every phase of the action research cycle, and likewise, learn how to document the thinking as well. Conclusions The study provided practical experiences for the participants to engage in research, as they learn how to develop interventions based on the comprehensive school counseling models. It also

evaluated how the integration of action research as a graduate project in a course in program development facilitated positive attitudes towards research, and developed relevant research competencies. Results indicated that action research is: doable and meaningful for in-service counselors; strategically tied with school counseling practice; and, a practical tool for increasing research engagement among school counselors. For research to be successfully integrated into school counseling practice, it requires professional development initiatives and workplace policies that support and promote school counseling services that are programmatic, empiricallydriven, and evidence-based. The study demonstrated a small-scale attempt to contribute to the large-scale challenge of integrated counseling research and practice. It also showed how

teaching a graduate course on program development can be improved through action research.

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References Abrenica, A.P. (1987). Research: Counselors tool for more effective practice. Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1, 97-103. Abrenica, A.P. (2000). Research: Counselors tool for more effective practice. Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology, 3, 34-39. American School Counselor Association. (1997). The national standards for school counseling programs. Alexandria, VA: Author. Borders, L.D., Drury, S. M., & Gerler, E. R., Jr. (1992). Comprehensive school counseling programs: A review for policymakers and practitioners. Journal of Counseling and Development, 70, 487-498. Cunningham, B. M. (2008). Using action research to improve learning and the classroom learning environment. Issues in Accounting Education, 23, 1-30.

Deck, M. D., Cecil, J. H., & Cobia, D. C. (1990). School counselor research as perceived by American School Counselor Association leaders: Implications for the profession. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 25, 12-20.

Garcia, J.A. (2003a). Situation-based curriculum design (SiBCD): Implications to counselor education programs. The Guidance Journal, 23, 15-24. Garcia, J.A. (2003b). Professionalizing counseling in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology, 5, 68-80. Lusky, M.B. & Hayes, R. L. (2001). Collaborative consultation and program evaluation. Journal of Counseling and Development, 79, 26-38.

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McGannon, W., Carey, J., & Dimmitt, C. (2005). The current status of school counseling outcome research (Research Monograph No. 2). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts, Center for School Counseling Outcome Research. Pabiton, C. P. (2003). School counselors perceptions of workplace competencies and their readiness to perform job functions. Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology, 5, 81100. Pabiton, C. P. (2004). Concerns and issues of practicing school counselors: Implications for counselor education programs. Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology, 6, 67-80. Rowell, L. L. (2005). Collaborative action research and school counselors. Professional school counseling, 9, 28-36. Salazar-Clemea, R. M. (2000). Trends and prospects in counseling in the third millenium. Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology, 3, 1-9. Salazar-Clemea, R. M. (2009). Nurturing a research culture in the counseling profession. Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology, 11,123-137. Whiston, S. C. (1996). Accountability through action research: Research methods for practitioners. Journal of Counseling and Development, 74, 616-623. Whiston, S. C., & Sexton, T. L. (1998). A review of school counseling outcome research: Implications for practice. Journal of Counseling and Development, 76, 412-426. Villar, I.V.G. (2000). Counselor professionalization: An imperative. Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology, 3, 10-16.

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Table 1. Summary of action research focus

Counseling roblems Bullying Academic procrastination Ineffective study habits Career indecision Need for social support and school belongingness

Areas of Development Personal-Social Academic Academic Career Personal-Social

f 4 2 1 1 1

Rank 1st 2nd 4th 4th 4th

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Table 2. Summary of the characteristics of the action research participants

Problems Academic procrastination 1 Academic procrastination 2 Bullying 1 Bullying 2 Bullying 3 Bullying 4 Career indecision Ineffective Study Habits Need for social support and school belongingness Age Range 14-18 14-17 11-13 13-15 7-8 12-13 14-17 13-15 above 18 School Level HS/ELEM Level High school Mixed High school 4th Year Elementary Grade 7 High school 1st Year Elementary Grade 2 Elementary Grade 6 High school 4th Year High school 1st Year High school Mixed Description of Participants Type of Schools Private/Public Coed/Exclusive Private Coed Public Coed Private Coed Private Coed Private Coed Private Coed Private Coed Private Coed Private Exclusive (female)

Sectarian/NS Non-sectarian Non-sectarian Non-sectarian Sectarian Sectarian Sectarian Sectarian Sectarian Sectarian

n 116 45 43 29 120 9 35 30 24

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Table 3. Description of counseling interventions and outcomes

Academic procrasti ation 1 Academic procrastination 2

Procrastination; social anxiet

goal setting, behavioral training self awareness exercises, information on effects of bull ing information drive; bull ing awareness; discussion of effects of bull ing information drive self awareness; perspective taking; personal accountabilit ; teamwork and camaderie; interpersonal skills training career decision tool developing positive attitudes towards learning, time management, effective learning strategies interpersonal and conflict management skills training; building social support

Academic procrastination, goal setting

Bull ing 1

Prosocial behaviors, propensit to bull

Bull ing 2 Bull ing 3

Bull ing awareness Bull ing attitudes

Bull ing 4

Levels of cooperation, empathy, respect

areer indecision

areer choice

Ineffective Study Habits Need for social support and school belongingness

Study habits and attitudes

Sense of school belongingness

self awareness exercises; time management; reducing social anxiet ; identif ing behaviors related to procrastination

 

Probl

ifi Interventions

O t omes

   

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Table 4. Summary of difficulties encountered by authors during the conduct of action research
Categories Task and time management Characteristic Responses Managing time for the project vis--vis other course requirements Dividing the tasks equally with my research partner Planning tasks in order to fulfill the project requirements within the semester and submit output on time Finding it difficult to conceptualize research problems Being unfamiliar with action research Having limited knowledge about research process and technical writing Finding a school which is willing to accommodate the research Unplanned changes in school calendar Being given limited time to conduct the program and research activities Finding research as difficult and frustrating f 15

Inadequate research knowledge and skills Finding a research venue and coordinating research activities

12

Having negative notions of research

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Table 5. Summary of important competencies learned by engaging in action research

Cate ries How to connect researc and practice Characteristic es ses erst researc is i rta t i e el i le e ti , a e al ati sc l c r ra s reciati researc as a i rta t f cti c sel rs It is i rta t t e al ate sc l c seli r ra s facilitate c a es i r st e I

How to val e researc ore positivel How to conduct researc

I realize al a le researc is f r c sel rs ractical I realize t at acti researc is a le a i t e r ject i s ire et re acti researc t i e tif a f r late researc r le s I lear e re a t researc I lear e a l t a t riti a researc a scri t e iffic lties I e c tere a e e t r ar er i t e r ject ilt c fi e ce i r I lear e t e re eter i e t fi is all t e c rse re ire e ts i a r ject it a art er as er el f l si eri r li itati s, e l f r e le i t e sc l c l el s it t e acti researc r i it a ers are fa iliar it a es r r easier I lear e

How to otivate oneself to learn

How to strategize and solve problems

  



f i , seli f sc l

ts