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Exploring novice Indian school counsellors’ experiences collaborating with teachers and administrators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2021

Aashna Sadana Open the ORCID record for Aashna Sadana [Opens in a new window]  and
Aneesh Kumar Open the ORCID record for Aneesh Kumar [Opens in a new window]
Aashna Sadana*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Aneesh Kumar
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
*
*Corresponding author. Email: aashna.sadana@gmail.com
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Abstract

Previous studies have shown that collaboration between school counsellors and other stakeholders such as teachers and administrators leads to improved outcomes for students and a better school climate. The current qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of novice school counsellors in India regarding collaboration with teachers and administrators. The sample included 11 novice school counsellors working in five different cities who were recruited using purposive sampling. The thematic analysis of the data collected via semistructured interviews revealed six main themes: ‘Counsellors’ perceptions about collaboration’, ‘Collaboration with teachers’, ‘Collaboration with administrators’, ‘Challenges faced during collaboration’, ‘Strategies helpful in collaboration’ and ‘Impact of training’. Implications discussed include the need for school counsellors to advocate for their role, the need for training programs to prepare stakeholders for collaboration, and the need for policies to integrate the role of a school counsellor into schools.

Keywords

Collaborationnovice school counsellorsIndiathematic analysisteachers and administrators
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , December 2023 , pp. 146 - 160
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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