موجز عن البحث:
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This research study examines the
existing cultural, social, and psychological (CSP) attitudes towards school
counselling and school counsellors (SCs) in schools located in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia (KSA). The research study used a mixed methods design with
qualitative data consisting of semi-structured interviews of SCs, and
quantitative data consisting of questionnaires completed by a sample of head
teachers and SCs working in secondary schools based in the city of Afif in
the KSA. It was found that: (1) SCs faced a number of difficulties preventing
them from effectively carrying out school counselling duties, including
negative perspectives of SCs by head teachers, teachers, parents, students,
and even SCs themselves; (2) there was a lack of understanding regarding the
role of SCs, as well as a distinct lack of cooperation from teachers and
parents influenced by Saudi cultural traditions; and (3) SCs were
unqualified, given insufficient training, or were given work beyond their
expected roles. The research study proposes theories why CSP attitudes
towards school counselling in the KSA are hindering progress in developing
the field of school counselling in general. It attempts to differentiate and
understand CSP attitudes of teachers, head teachers, parents, and SCs to
school counselling.
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ملخص المشاركة:
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There has been a sizeable amount
of qualitative and quantitative research that has been undertaken in relation
to the roles, impacts, and subjective and objective perceptions of ‘student
counsellors’ or ‘school counsellors’ (SCs) in ‘Western’ countries such as the
UK and the US. This type of research has often lauded the benefits of school
counsellors, or positive attitudes of students and teachers towards school
counselling and its conceptualisation.
Yet there has been very little quantitative, qualitative, or mixed
methods research of this type undertaken in developing countries, especially
in countries with arguably more ‘conservative’, ‘traditional’, or ‘closed’
cultures such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). There are potentially
many reasons why this is so, including, for example, the more conservative
and closed culture in KSA, close knit familial ties, and the high
power-distance relationships inherent in a predominantly tribal culture. The
research aimed to examine the existing psychological, cultural and social
attitudes towards school counselling in KSA.
A mixed methods research design was used with qualitative data
consisting of semi-structured interviews of school counsellors, and
quantitative data consisting of questionnaires completed by a sample of Saudi
head teachers and SCs working in Afif schools. The research found SCs faced a
number of difficulties preventing them from effectively carrying out school
counselling duties, including negative perspectives of SCs by head teachers,
teachers, parents, students, and even SCs themselves. It was found there was
a severe lack of understanding regarding the role of SCs, as well as a
distinct lack of cooperation from teachers and parents influenced by Saudi
cultural traditions. Other problems included SCs being unqualified, given
insufficient training, or being given work beyond their expected roles. This
research proposes theories why cultural, social, and psychological attitudes
towards school counselling in KSA are hindering progress in developing the
field of school counselling in general. It attempts to differentiate and
understand cultural, social, and psychological attitudes of teachers, head
teachers, parents, and SCs to school counselling.
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