Examining the Effect of the Involvement of High School Guidance Counselors on a Successful College Transition
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between high school guidance counselors’ relationships with students and successful students’ transitions from high school to college. This study examined whether students’ emotional, social, and academic success and the number of extracurricular activities correlate with students’ relationships with their counselor. There were 93 traditional college students tested on their experiences in high school, college, and their relationship with their counselor to determine whether their experiences were affected by their relationship with their high school counselor. The findings of this study show that students who were prepared socially and emotionally by their counselor were better prepared for their transition from high school to college socially and emotionally. The findings indicate the importance of social-emotional well-being and the preparation needed from their school counselors.
Keywords: college transition, school counselors, career planning, career development
Examining the Effect of the Involvement of High School Guidance Counselors on a Successful College Transition
The role of career planning is essential to ensure students’ success in college. Without preparation for college, students are not likely to have a successful transition from high school to college. Students’ preparation for college is a job for their high school guidance counselor. This article examines the role of guidance counselors in the preparation of students for college and examines if their success in college correlates with their relationship with their counselor.
Career Choices, Planning, and the Counselors’ Role
While examining career choices, students’ personal skills and abilities are important. Discovering these personal skills and abilities allows the students to discover careers that involve using their skills. Shearer & Luzzo (2009) applied Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence test to career counseling. Shearer & Luzzo (2009) hypothesized that when the Multiple Intelligence test is applied, students would be more aware of their abilities, the skills needed for various jobs, and would in turn be able to apply the two and discover what career best fits them. Shearer & Luzzo (2009) found that when applying the Multiple Intelligence test, students were able to examine their own personal skills and find ways to apply those characteristics to potential career paths.
Once students have made their college choice, their career choices becomes the next focus. When planning around this career choice, examining whether students are being pushed to become too ambitious with their career plans is essential. Reynolds, Stewart, MacDonald, & Sischo (2006) assessed the changes in high school seniors’ educational and occupational plans to determine whether the plans that were initially made by the high school students were unrealistic. Reynolds et al. (2006) found that high school students were highly ambitious and that their plans were very unrealistic. The students created very ambitious plans for their careers after high school and were highly unlikely to seek out those plans (Reynolds et al., 2006).
Certain things are important when developing a method of career planning for the students. Career planning involves certain aspects. Bloch (1996) compared different career planning strategies and discusses the need for four essential components to career planning. These strategies are social policy, individual career behavior, career guidance theory, and ecological context. Bloch (1996) described social policy as the level of skills that students have when they are contributing to society. Individual career behavior occurs as students interact with their different environments. Career guidance theory helps answer personal questions that students seek help for with their school counselors. Bloch (1996) described the last essential component, ecological context, as the physical, social, political, and economic environments that the students are placed in that create ways for students to build their beliefs and identities. The interlocking of these four concepts makes up the essential components of career planning (Bloch, 1996).
When considering the different methods of discovering the correct career path, the help needed by students can be identified early in students’ careers. Gibbons, Borders, Wiles, Stephan, & Davis (2006) examined the needs of ninth graders by simply asking them what would be beneficial to them when planning their career. Gibbons et al. (2006) found that students wanted knowledge about postsecondary programs, financial aid, and different college options.
When career planning is provided and others are actively involved with the student’s career and college choices, there are certain career expectations of students as well as certain difficulties that students face. Using student athletes, Lee (1983) investigated the career expectations of students. Lee (1983) found that when students were not given career expectations, they were less likely to create a plan, especially if counselors don’t use a model for career planning. Gati & Amir’s (2010) response to career decision difficulties was to apply a four step method. Their method involved identifying the student’s responses to a self-evaluation, provide them with feedback on their areas of career difficulty, highlight the career difficulties that need to be addressed, and discover the level of confidence of the student in the interpretation of the test.
Career decision difficulties must be examined to determine what help is necessary for the students from the high school guidance counselors. Holland (2010) assessed the way that information was portrayed regarding college by students who were planning to attend college in the fall. Holland (2010) found that the primary focus of counselors’ methods was on motivational support from the counselors. Motivational support from others is essential; however, this is not always enough. Giving access to resources to students with low socioeconomic status is equally important as motivational support to students (Holland, 2010).
The counselors’ perceptions of what is important are also essential to discovering the correct method for career discovery. Barker & Satcher (2000) measured the perceptions of high school guidance counselors on working skills and levels of career development involving the different requirements for different jobs. The main purpose of the study was to determine whether high school counselors see differences between their duties to help those who are bound for work after high school and those who are bound for college. Barker & Satcher (2000) found that counselors believed that the learning of different skills were equally important in both college bound and work bound students. The counselors felt that it is more important for students who plan to enter the workforce to be given the skills of finding jobs and having work based skills as well as skills to see those jobs. Though their need to acquire these skills is more immediate, students who go to college also need these skills even though they may not be applied until after receiving their degree (Barker & Satcher, 2000).
Tang, Pan, & Newmeyer (2008) examined the processes and steps of high school students’ career development. Tang et al. (2008) found that students have to be aware of the role of learning experiences and be able to relate it back to the career programs and career planning for each student. Learning experiences as well as self-efficacy are the two main factors in determining the career path. The implications of the research are to provide career development programs that provide meaningful learning experiences, which will increase the students’ self-efficacy (Tang et al., 2008).
Once those students have their plan for their desired careers, researchers have examined whether their formation of their plans makes them more likely to be successful than those who don’t make a career plan. Lapan, Aoyagi, & Kayson (2007) focused on rural adolescents and examined whether students who were able to develop more thoroughly in high school and who had clear career plans would be more successful after high school. Lapan et al. (2007) assessed the students’ curriculum strategies, for example, how well their schedules were organized and whether they aligned with their career plans, and their perceived support from their counselors, teachers, and overall peer support. The students were asked how helpful each group had been towards their career development. The researchers predicted that students who had solid career development in high school would have a more successful post-high school transition. Their hypothesis was supported. Students who were given emotional support and opportunities to develop their career plans were significantly more likely to have high expectations of themselves, to construct positive goals, to find career paths that were self-motivating, and have a successful transition into work experiences or education, depending on which they decided to pursue (Lapan et al., 2007).
Lapan et al.’s (2007) research shows the greater success of students who develop a career plan. Since career plans are shown to be important, which students are most likely to visit or consult with the counselor is an important factor to determine whether the participation of the school counselor has an effect on the successful transition from high school to college. Bryan, Holcomb, Moore, & Day-Vines (2009) tested who is more likely to seek out help from school counselors about college information and the characteristics of those students. The characteristics examined were race, gender, parents’ education, school level, school setting, number of students on free or reduced lunch, size of school, the number of school counselors, the level of parental involvement, and the counselors’ expectations for the students. Bryan et al. (2009) found that females, students at smaller schools, and students with higher socioeconomic status were most likely to seek out counselors’ help for college information. Results of this study show that the career planning method the counselor is using as well as the availability and level of interaction with the students also play a significant role in students’ success with career planning.
Taking all of the factors of career planning and successful transitions, the question then becomes whether counselors actually do have an impact on the success of students in their transition from high school to college. DeStefano, Mellott, & Petersen (2001) assessed the success of students’ transition into college in regards to them receiving counseling at a university counseling center. Students who received counseling reported an increase in scores of their adaptation to college (DeStefano et al., 2001). Though DeStefano et al. (2001) focused on the success of counseling during college, this study produced implications of success of general counseling for the transition from high school.
Determinants of a Successful Transition.
DeStefano et al. (2001) measured their level of adaptation by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire examines students’ adjustment to college by measuring academic adjustment, personal-emotional adjustment, and social adjustment, which all are focuses of what determines a successful transition.
Social-emotional development.
Emotional support from others is essential to a successful transition. Tamir, John, Srivastava, & Gross (2007) investigated the different views of emotions, fixed emotions, and flexible emotions. Tamir et al. (2007) found that students with fixed theories of emotions reported feeling less likely to be able to control their emotions and had a weaker sense of emotion regulation. They also reported feeling fewer positive and negative emotions and also received less social support from their peers.
Similarly, Christie (2009) examined the emotional aspects of choosing schools and developing their identities in college. Emotions added to the understanding of the students’ transitions into college. Emotions are important to understanding the pathways that students use when attaining a higher education. It is more important to determine the connection between emotions and transitions rather than to determine if there is a connection at all (Christie, 2009).
Another essential contribution to success in the transition from high school to college is the regulation of emotions. Srivastava, Tamir, McGonigal, John, & Gross (2009) investigated the way students regulate their emotions and hypothesized that expressive control has substantial consequences for the way that students function. There were lower levels of social support from parents during the first term in college than there was in the two months prior to college. The students who had expressive control of their emotions were also more likely to have received social support from their family and peers (Srivastava et al., 2009).
Overall emotional satisfaction also contributes to the success or lack of success of students in college. Aspinwall & Taylor (1992) examined cognitive adaptation theory, optimism, psychological control, and self-esteem as it relates to adjustment to college. Students with high self-esteem, high levels of optimism, and high levels of control reported greater use of beneficial coping strategy. Self-esteem and desire for control of academic performance had a high rate of success in the transition to college. Levels of motivation also contributed to the level of success for students during the transition from high school to college (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992). Kim, Newton, Downey, & Benton (2010) assessed whether academic self-efficacy, organization and attention to studies, stress and time management, involvement in college activities, overall emotional satisfaction, and class communication contributed to success for students in college. All of these factors contributed to the success of students in college. Internal thoughts, such as motivation and self-confidence, as well as external behaviors, such as campus involvement, similarly contributed to the success of students (Kim et al., 2010).
The regulation of emotions feeds into how students interact in social situations. Their attachment styles play a role in how their emotions and social skills interact. Lopez & Gormley (2002) examined which emotional attachment styles were associated with self-confidence, effective problem coping styles, and ways to deal with distress. Students with stable attachment styles were more confident in their abilities and had stronger relationships in college (Lopez & Gormley, 2002). Similarly, Marmarosh & Markin (2007) conducted a study to examine both group and personal attachment styles in relation to college adjustment. Students’ emotional attachment styles impacted the students’ level of adjustment (Marmarosh & Markin, 2007).
Ponzetti (1990) examined loneliness in college students and how it has become a common problem for current college students. Students stricken with loneliness may not be able to change their dysfunctional attitudes, dispositions, or patterns and be able to have fully satisfying lives and create meaningful relationships. Loneliness of college students involved their social success or lack of success. Students’ expectations of future success with interpersonal relationships resulted in the inability to adapt to college. This is because students with self-reported loneliness approached social encounters with initial mistrust and are usually overly alert to potential threats in their social situations (Ponzetti, 1990).
Similar research has been done to examine the role of social support in similar transitions. Murphy, Blustein, Bohlig, & Plat (2010) examined the important factors for the transition for college students’ from college into work. Murphy et al. (2010) found that the most common theme was the significant role of social support during students’ transition. Pittman & Richmond (2008) examined students’ relationships with their peers and their success in college. When students had positive self-perceptions of their acceptance by peers and their academic achievements, they were more likely to have a successful transition from high school to college (Pittman & Richmond, 2008).
Academics and academic ethics.
The relationship between psychological fulfillment, psychosocial development, and academic motivation in college students is an important relationship. Faye & Sharpe (2008) examined this relationship. When students had a better sense of their identity, they had increased perceptions of autonomy and competence, which encourages intrinsic motivation. Also, competence correlated with academic motivation, which was due to early and complete identity formation. If students had feelings of competency, they were more likely to have more self-confidence, which showed higher grades (Faye & Sharpe, 2008).
Academic ethics in high school can potentially predict the same academic ethics in college. Smith & Zhang (2009) examined whether students who had an academic ethic in high school performed better in their first semester of college than those who didn’t have any type of academic ethic. Students who had an academic ethic in high school were more likely to have higher academic achievements in college. Also, students who had an academic ethic in high school were more likely to have higher GPA’s than students who didn’t have an academic ethic (Smith & Zhang, 2009).
Some studies have found direct links to high school GPA’s and college GPA’s. Zwick & Sklar (2005) conducted a study to examine the degree of impact that high school GPA and SAT scores had on first-year college GPA. High school GPA was a much stronger predictor for college GPA than SAT scores. Also, students who had higher high school grades and SAT scores had a greater probability of graduating (Zwick & Sklar, 2005).
Involvement in extracurricular activities.
In addition to support, both emotional and social, involvement in extracurricular activities is another aspect that helps promote successful transitions from high school to college. Marks & Jones (2004) conducted a study to examine the relationship of community service activity in high school and college students. Students who participated actively in community service in high school were much more likely to continue their community service involvement in college. This involvement was especially true for students whose participation in community service was consistent with their religious and personal values (Marks & Jones, 2004).
Studies have also been done to find what causes people to remain engaged with certain activities, such as extracurricular activities. Higgins, Cesario, Hagiwara, Spiegel, & Pittman (2010) examined the level of motivation and found strong importance of positive influence on students’ interests and activities as related to their likelihood to complete these tasks. Higgins et al. (2010) also reinforced the importance of positive influence towards activities when it comes to helping students recognize the benefits of certain important activities.
After examining the aspects of career choice, what career planning should involve, and what important factors determine a successful transition, the question becomes whether the career planning for the students actually helps create an environment where the students will have a successful transition. Kenny, Blustein, Haase, Jackson, & Perry (2006) assessed the relationship between students’ career development and their level of immersion in school functions and activities. The researchers predicted that if students were forced to explore their career options, they would begin to place value on doing well in school. This would motivate them to do well in school so that they could successfully step into the career that they had chosen. Kenny et al. (2006) found a significant relationship between career development and their level of school involvement over a period of time. Higher levels of career planning were related to higher levels of school engagement (Kenny et al., 2006).
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between high school guidance counselors’ student relationships and students’ success in college. This study tests the following hypotheses: (a) students whose counselor was actively involved in preparing them socially and emotionally for college will be better adjusted in college socially and emotionally, (b) students whose counselor actively encouraged extracurricular activities will be better adjusted in college and be actively involved in extracurricular activities in college, (c) students whose counselor had an active role in the students’ career preparation will have higher or similar GPA’s in college as they did in high school, (d) students whose counselor enforced academic ethics will be better adjusted academically in college, and (e) students who had an overall good relationship with their high school guidance counselor would have an overall better high school to college transition than those whose relationship with their counselor was not a good relationship.
Method
Participants
The participants in this study were students at Shepherd University. Some of the students were selected using a participant pool. Students enrolled in an introductory to psychology course were required to complete four hours of credit by participating in research studies. The students were traditional students only, as to get better results. These students recently finished high school, and their relationship with their counselor was fresh in their minds. Other students were selected using convenience sampling. These students were tested by asking students in the student center as well as in the university dining hall.
There were 93 participants tested. For justification of the number of participants, see Table 1. Of the 93 participants, four were removed because of incomplete questionnaires. The ages ranged from 18 to 24. The mean age was 20.01 (SE=1.50). The students ranged from 1st year to 6th year students. Of the participants, 23 were male and 66 were female.
Materials
The students were given a survey consisting of sixty-seven questions. The survey consisted of four parts. The first part of the questionnaire asked the students’ age and gender as well as the students’ self reported cumulative high school grade point average and the students’ self reported first semester college grade point average. GPA is a strong predictor for college GPA (Zwick & Sklar, 2005), which implies an important measure to be considered in regards to a successful transition. The second section consisted of students’ high school experiences. One of the variables of the second section asked about the quality of their social lives. A major factor in transitions is the role of social support (Murphy et al., 2010), which implies the importance of using social support as a determinant of a successful college transition. The final variable in the second section was the number of extracurricular activities that the students were involved in during high school and were involved in during college at the time of the survey. Students who participate actively in community service and other extracurricular activities in high school are much more likely to continue their extracurricular involvement in college (Marks & Jones, 2004). These questions were measured using a Likert scale of one to four except for the last question, which asked for the number of extracurricular activities the students participated in. The third section was about their college experience so far and asked the same questions as the previous section but about their experience in college with the same Likert scale excluding the last question, which asked for the number of extracurricular activities that the students participated in.
The fourth section of the questionnaire consisted of questions about their relationship with their high school guidance counselors. These questions pertained to their involvement with encouraging college, preparing them socially and emotionally in high school for college, and promoting good academic ethics, all of which are variables considered in the second and third section of the questionnaire. This section also asked for the answers in a Likert scale from one to four. The students were not given a time limit to complete the questionnaire. For the complete questionnaire, see the Appendix.
Procedure
The students that were selected through the participant pool had scheduled times to come to take the questionnaire. However, the students who were given the questionnaire in the dining hall or student center simply took the questionnaire when it was given to them. The students were given an informed consent form and the questionnaire. To maintain confidentiality, the questionnaire was placed in one envelope and the informed consent form was placed in the other so that the questionnaire would not correspond with the students’ consent form and reveal their identities.
Results
It was hypothesized that students whose counselor was actively involved in preparing them socially and emotionally for college would be better adjusted in college socially and emotionally. For all analyses, α was set to .05. There was a significant positive correlation between the students’ social-emotional well-being in high school and their high school counselors’ emphasis on social-emotional well-being, r (87) = .24, p = .03, r2 = .06. There was also a significant positive correlation between the students’ social-emotional well-being in college and their high school counselors’ emphasis on social-emotional well-being, r (87) = .34, p = .001, r2 = .12.
It was hypothesized that students whose counselor actively encouraged extracurricular activities would be better adjusted in college and be actively involved in extracurricular activities in colleges they did in high school. There was not a significant correlation between the students’ numbers of extracurricular activities in high school and their high school counselors’ emphasis on extracurricular activities, r (87) = -.07, p= .511, r2=.005. Similarly, there was not a significant correlation between the students’ numbers of extracurricular activities in college and their high school counselors’ emphasis on extracurricular activities, r = -.14, p= .206, r2=.02.
It was hypothesized that students whose counselor had an active role in the students’ career preparation would have higher or similar GPA’s in college as they did in high school. There was not a significant correlation between the students’ high school GPA and their high school counselors’ emphasis on academics and academic ethics, r= .03, p=.776, r2<.001. Similarly, there was not a significant correlation between the students’ college GPA and their high school counselors’ emphasis on academics and academic ethics, r= .17, p=.103, r2=.03.
It was hypothesized that students whose counselor enforced academic ethics would be better adjusted academically in college. There was not a significant correlation between students’ high school academic ethics and their high school counselors’ emphasis on academics and academic ethics, r= -.01, p= .939, r2<.001. Similarly, there was not a significant correlation between students’ college academic ethics and their high school counselors’ emphasis on academics and academic ethics, r= -.07, p= .513, r2=.005.
It was hypothesized that students who had an overall good relationship with their high school guidance counselor would have an overall better high school to college transition than those whose relationship with their counselor was not a good relationship. There was not a significant correlation between students’ overall high school experience and their overall relationship with their high school counselor, r= .13, p= .216, r2= .02. Similarly, there was not a significant correlation between students’ overall college experience and their overall relationship with their high school counselor, r= .17, p= .118, r2= .03.
Discussion
Of the tested hypotheses, there was a significant correlation supporting the hypothesis that students whose counselor was actively involved in preparing them socially and emotionally for college would be better adjusted in college socially and emotionally. The main limitation of this study was the self-made questionnaire. This was the first time that the questionnaire was used, which shows that the survey has little validity. This questionnaire hasn’t been shown to truly depict the relationship of students with their counselors and their experiences in high school and college. For further studies, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (DeStefano, Mellott, & Petersen, 2001) could be used to measure the level of success in students’ transition since it has been tested several times and has been shown to be valid. Though the questionnaire designed for this study tested similar aspects to those of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, the questions were constructed primarily around what exactly a high school counselor should do in order to prepare students socially, emotionally, academically, and for extracurricular activities.
These results question what a high school guidance counselor should truly focus on when preparing students for their transition into college. Should they focus merely on preparing them socially and emotionally? Or should they continue to focus on all aspects? Gibbons, Borders, Wiles, Stephan, & Davis (2006) simply asked students what would be beneficial to them when planning their career and examined students’ plans for their lives after high school. Gibbons et al. (2006) found that students wanted knowledge about postsecondary programs, financial aid, and different college options. This basic information is what students feel they need in order to best prepare themselves for graduation. Though this is contradictory to the results in this study, there may be a relationship between knowing this basic information and students’ emotional and social well-being. The students who receive this basic information that they ask for may feel better prepared and feel better emotionally. The present study didn’t examine the level of basic knowledge that they had and that they had received from their counselor, so an aspect worth examining is whether this knowledge assists students in their transition from high school to college or whether it is just something that assists them into getting in colleges.
Also, transitioning from high school when things are taken care of primarily by your parents to college where your independence truly begins is a truly tough transition. Aspinwall & Taylor (1992) examined various emotional aspects and their relationship to adjustment to college. Students with high self-esteem, high levels of optimism, and high levels of control reported greater use of beneficial coping strategy. Self-esteem and desire for control of academic performance had a high rate of success in the transition to college. The findings of this study imply the dramatic change that students experience when transitioning from high school to college, which leads to the conclusion that their emotional well-being should be one of the primary focuses for high school guidance counselors when preparing their students for college. For further studies, emphasis could be placed on examining the motivation behind students’ decision to actually go to college and whether their decision to choose to go relates to their relationship with their counselor and their level of social-emotional well-being during high school.
In this study, students whose counselor prepared them emotionally and socially were better adjusted emotionally and socially. Though only one relationship of the four tested was found significant, there are still implications of the importance of high school guidance counselors’ role in students’ preparations for their transition from high school to college. One of the many roles of a high school guidance counselor is to prepare them for their transition from high school to either work, more schooling, military, etc. The implications of this study are that the most important aspect of preparation is the emotional and social preparation needed by students for their next step after high school.
Another aspect that should be examined is the role between social-emotional well-being and the success of students academically, through extracurricular activities, and overall. These findings could also implicate that by primarily focusing on the social and emotional aspects on the transition, students are better prepared to handle the other aspects of the transition, such as the academics and remaining involved in extracurricular activities. As previously discussed, Christie (2009) examined the role that emotions play in the transition from secondary to post-secondary schooling and theorized that fear in the transitional process is part of the process of choosing a school as well as the different characteristics that cause students to seek higher education. A wide variety of social characteristics cause students to seek higher education. Part of their motivation or lack of motivation is based on achieving or not achieving stages such as leaving school, going to the university, and acquiring things such as independent living and a romantic relationship. Also, the transition into higher education is an emotional process for any type of student (Christie, 2009). Since the emotional aspects of the transition seem to be such an overwhelming aspect to students, perhaps a relationship exists between their emotional and social well-being and their level of success in academics and extracurricular activities. Further research should examine whether preparation socially and emotionally would also lead to better successes in the other aspects of the transition from high school to college.
References
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Table 1. Studies that justify the sample size selected
Study Sample Size
Lapan, Aoyagi, and Kayson (2007) 87
DeStefano, Mellott, and Petersen (2001) 173
Higgins, Cesario, Hagiwara, Spiegel, and Pittman (2010) 75
Christie (2009) 27
Marmarosh and Markin (2007) 109
Lopez and Gormley (2002) 207
Pittman and Richmond (2008) 79
Murphy, Blustein, Bohlig, and Platt (2010) 10
Barker and Satcher (2000) 151
Holland (2010) 50
Tang, Pan, and Newmeyer (2008) 141
Shearer and Luzzo (2009) 1
Total 1,110
Average 93
Appendix
Questionnaire Regarding the Effect of High School Counselors on a Successful College Transition
Gender: ________ (M or F) Age: _____________
Year in School: ______________________ (For example, 1st year, 2nd year, etc.)
Approximately, what was your cumulative grade point average (GPA) in high school? _________
Approximately, what was your grade point average (GPA) for your first semester in college? _________
High School Experience
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience in high school using the following scale.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
1. I had a consistent network of friends.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
2. I had good study habits.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
3. I felt that my academics were important to me.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
4. I felt comfortable with my ability to achieve work for my classes.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
5. I had a good relationship with my friends.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
6. I was happy with my overall life in high school.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
7. I frequently missed classes or school.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
8. I had a good relationship with my family.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
9. I was generally content with my social life.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
10. I tended to leave my school work until the last minute.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
11. I felt that I had good organizational skills that contributed to my success with my
school work.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience in high school using the following scale.
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
12. How often were you worried about your academics and academic success?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
13. How often did you feel secure with yourself in social situations?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
14. How often did you feel depressed?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
15. How often did you feel lonely?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
16. How often were you happy with yourself?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
17. How often did you find it hard to pay attention to the instructor during class?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
18. How often did you have trouble turning assignments in on time?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
19. Were you satisfied with your academic ethic?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
20. Were you satisfied with your social life?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
21. Were you satisfied with your emotional well-being?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
22. In high school, how many organizations were you actively involved in? This can include sports teams, community service organizations, religious groups, church groups, political groups, etc.
College Experience
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your college experience using the following scale.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
1. I have a consistent network of friends.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
2. I have good study habits.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
3. I feel that my academics are important to me.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
4. I feel comfortable with my ability to achieve work for my classes.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
5. I have a good relationship with my friends.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
6. I am happy with my overall life in college.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
7. I frequently miss classes or school.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
8. I have a good relationship with my family.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
9. I am generally content with my social life.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
10. I tend to leave my school work until the last minute.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
11. I feel that I have good organizational skills that contribute to my success with my
school work.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience in college using the following scale.
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
12. How often are you worried about your academics and academic success?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
13. How often do you feel secure with yourself in social situations?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
14. How often do you feel depressed?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
15. How often do you feel lonely?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
16. How often are you happy with yourself?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
17. How often do you find it hard to pay attention to the instructor during class?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
18. How often do you have trouble turning assignments in on time?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
19. Are you satisfied with your academic ethic?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
20. Are you satisfied with your social life?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
21. Are you satisfied with your emotional well-being?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
22. How many organizations are you currently actively involved in? This can include
sports teams, community service organizations, religious groups, church groups,
political groups, etc.
Experience with School Guidance Counselors
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience and relationship with your high school guidance counselor using the following scale.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
1. Was your counselor actively involved in encouraging your attendance in college?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
2. Did your counselor encourage a good academic ethic in order to better your future?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
3. Was your counselor active in helping you explore and find college options?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
4. Did your counselor place emphasis on explaining the importance of maintaining
friendships in both high school and college?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
5. Did your counselor encourage you to take classes in high school that would best
prepare you for college?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
6. Did your counselor place emphasis on explaining the importance of maintaining
family relationships in both high school and college?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
7. Did your counselor encourage and help you schedule classes around your planned
career?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
8. Do you feel that your school counselor had an impact on helping you maintain your
relationships with friends?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
9. Do you feel that your school counselor had an impact on helping you maintain your
relationships with your family?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
10. Did your counselor help you find a potential career path based on your skills and
personality characteristics?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
11. Did your counselor fully and clearly explain to you the college admission
requirements?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
12. Was your counselor active in helping you identify your personal strengths and
weaknesses?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
13. Did your counselor encourage your involvement in extracurricular activities?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
14. Did you have an overall good relationship with your counselor?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
15. Did your counselor help you complete your college applications?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
16. Did your counselor teach you the importance and ways of balancing social and
academic time?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
17. Did your counselor help you set goals for after high school?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
18. Did your counselor stress the importance of maintaining a high GPA (Grade Point
Average)?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience and relationship with your high school guidance counselor using the following scale.
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
19. Did your counselor offer or provide counseling on forming and maintaining
friendships?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
20. Did your counselor offer or provide counseling on forming and maintaining
relationships with family?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
21. Did your counselor offer or provide counseling on feeling secure in various
environments?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
22. Did your counselor offer or provide counseling on maintaining a positive self-
esteem?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
23. Did your counselor stress the importance of academics?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between high school guidance counselors’ relationships with students and successful students’ transitions from high school to college. This study examined whether students’ emotional, social, and academic success and the number of extracurricular activities correlate with students’ relationships with their counselor. There were 93 traditional college students tested on their experiences in high school, college, and their relationship with their counselor to determine whether their experiences were affected by their relationship with their high school counselor. The findings of this study show that students who were prepared socially and emotionally by their counselor were better prepared for their transition from high school to college socially and emotionally. The findings indicate the importance of social-emotional well-being and the preparation needed from their school counselors.
Keywords: college transition, school counselors, career planning, career development
Examining the Effect of the Involvement of High School Guidance Counselors on a Successful College Transition
The role of career planning is essential to ensure students’ success in college. Without preparation for college, students are not likely to have a successful transition from high school to college. Students’ preparation for college is a job for their high school guidance counselor. This article examines the role of guidance counselors in the preparation of students for college and examines if their success in college correlates with their relationship with their counselor.
Career Choices, Planning, and the Counselors’ Role
While examining career choices, students’ personal skills and abilities are important. Discovering these personal skills and abilities allows the students to discover careers that involve using their skills. Shearer & Luzzo (2009) applied Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence test to career counseling. Shearer & Luzzo (2009) hypothesized that when the Multiple Intelligence test is applied, students would be more aware of their abilities, the skills needed for various jobs, and would in turn be able to apply the two and discover what career best fits them. Shearer & Luzzo (2009) found that when applying the Multiple Intelligence test, students were able to examine their own personal skills and find ways to apply those characteristics to potential career paths.
Once students have made their college choice, their career choices becomes the next focus. When planning around this career choice, examining whether students are being pushed to become too ambitious with their career plans is essential. Reynolds, Stewart, MacDonald, & Sischo (2006) assessed the changes in high school seniors’ educational and occupational plans to determine whether the plans that were initially made by the high school students were unrealistic. Reynolds et al. (2006) found that high school students were highly ambitious and that their plans were very unrealistic. The students created very ambitious plans for their careers after high school and were highly unlikely to seek out those plans (Reynolds et al., 2006).
Certain things are important when developing a method of career planning for the students. Career planning involves certain aspects. Bloch (1996) compared different career planning strategies and discusses the need for four essential components to career planning. These strategies are social policy, individual career behavior, career guidance theory, and ecological context. Bloch (1996) described social policy as the level of skills that students have when they are contributing to society. Individual career behavior occurs as students interact with their different environments. Career guidance theory helps answer personal questions that students seek help for with their school counselors. Bloch (1996) described the last essential component, ecological context, as the physical, social, political, and economic environments that the students are placed in that create ways for students to build their beliefs and identities. The interlocking of these four concepts makes up the essential components of career planning (Bloch, 1996).
When considering the different methods of discovering the correct career path, the help needed by students can be identified early in students’ careers. Gibbons, Borders, Wiles, Stephan, & Davis (2006) examined the needs of ninth graders by simply asking them what would be beneficial to them when planning their career. Gibbons et al. (2006) found that students wanted knowledge about postsecondary programs, financial aid, and different college options.
When career planning is provided and others are actively involved with the student’s career and college choices, there are certain career expectations of students as well as certain difficulties that students face. Using student athletes, Lee (1983) investigated the career expectations of students. Lee (1983) found that when students were not given career expectations, they were less likely to create a plan, especially if counselors don’t use a model for career planning. Gati & Amir’s (2010) response to career decision difficulties was to apply a four step method. Their method involved identifying the student’s responses to a self-evaluation, provide them with feedback on their areas of career difficulty, highlight the career difficulties that need to be addressed, and discover the level of confidence of the student in the interpretation of the test.
Career decision difficulties must be examined to determine what help is necessary for the students from the high school guidance counselors. Holland (2010) assessed the way that information was portrayed regarding college by students who were planning to attend college in the fall. Holland (2010) found that the primary focus of counselors’ methods was on motivational support from the counselors. Motivational support from others is essential; however, this is not always enough. Giving access to resources to students with low socioeconomic status is equally important as motivational support to students (Holland, 2010).
The counselors’ perceptions of what is important are also essential to discovering the correct method for career discovery. Barker & Satcher (2000) measured the perceptions of high school guidance counselors on working skills and levels of career development involving the different requirements for different jobs. The main purpose of the study was to determine whether high school counselors see differences between their duties to help those who are bound for work after high school and those who are bound for college. Barker & Satcher (2000) found that counselors believed that the learning of different skills were equally important in both college bound and work bound students. The counselors felt that it is more important for students who plan to enter the workforce to be given the skills of finding jobs and having work based skills as well as skills to see those jobs. Though their need to acquire these skills is more immediate, students who go to college also need these skills even though they may not be applied until after receiving their degree (Barker & Satcher, 2000).
Tang, Pan, & Newmeyer (2008) examined the processes and steps of high school students’ career development. Tang et al. (2008) found that students have to be aware of the role of learning experiences and be able to relate it back to the career programs and career planning for each student. Learning experiences as well as self-efficacy are the two main factors in determining the career path. The implications of the research are to provide career development programs that provide meaningful learning experiences, which will increase the students’ self-efficacy (Tang et al., 2008).
Once those students have their plan for their desired careers, researchers have examined whether their formation of their plans makes them more likely to be successful than those who don’t make a career plan. Lapan, Aoyagi, & Kayson (2007) focused on rural adolescents and examined whether students who were able to develop more thoroughly in high school and who had clear career plans would be more successful after high school. Lapan et al. (2007) assessed the students’ curriculum strategies, for example, how well their schedules were organized and whether they aligned with their career plans, and their perceived support from their counselors, teachers, and overall peer support. The students were asked how helpful each group had been towards their career development. The researchers predicted that students who had solid career development in high school would have a more successful post-high school transition. Their hypothesis was supported. Students who were given emotional support and opportunities to develop their career plans were significantly more likely to have high expectations of themselves, to construct positive goals, to find career paths that were self-motivating, and have a successful transition into work experiences or education, depending on which they decided to pursue (Lapan et al., 2007).
Lapan et al.’s (2007) research shows the greater success of students who develop a career plan. Since career plans are shown to be important, which students are most likely to visit or consult with the counselor is an important factor to determine whether the participation of the school counselor has an effect on the successful transition from high school to college. Bryan, Holcomb, Moore, & Day-Vines (2009) tested who is more likely to seek out help from school counselors about college information and the characteristics of those students. The characteristics examined were race, gender, parents’ education, school level, school setting, number of students on free or reduced lunch, size of school, the number of school counselors, the level of parental involvement, and the counselors’ expectations for the students. Bryan et al. (2009) found that females, students at smaller schools, and students with higher socioeconomic status were most likely to seek out counselors’ help for college information. Results of this study show that the career planning method the counselor is using as well as the availability and level of interaction with the students also play a significant role in students’ success with career planning.
Taking all of the factors of career planning and successful transitions, the question then becomes whether counselors actually do have an impact on the success of students in their transition from high school to college. DeStefano, Mellott, & Petersen (2001) assessed the success of students’ transition into college in regards to them receiving counseling at a university counseling center. Students who received counseling reported an increase in scores of their adaptation to college (DeStefano et al., 2001). Though DeStefano et al. (2001) focused on the success of counseling during college, this study produced implications of success of general counseling for the transition from high school.
Determinants of a Successful Transition.
DeStefano et al. (2001) measured their level of adaptation by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire examines students’ adjustment to college by measuring academic adjustment, personal-emotional adjustment, and social adjustment, which all are focuses of what determines a successful transition.
Social-emotional development.
Emotional support from others is essential to a successful transition. Tamir, John, Srivastava, & Gross (2007) investigated the different views of emotions, fixed emotions, and flexible emotions. Tamir et al. (2007) found that students with fixed theories of emotions reported feeling less likely to be able to control their emotions and had a weaker sense of emotion regulation. They also reported feeling fewer positive and negative emotions and also received less social support from their peers.
Similarly, Christie (2009) examined the emotional aspects of choosing schools and developing their identities in college. Emotions added to the understanding of the students’ transitions into college. Emotions are important to understanding the pathways that students use when attaining a higher education. It is more important to determine the connection between emotions and transitions rather than to determine if there is a connection at all (Christie, 2009).
Another essential contribution to success in the transition from high school to college is the regulation of emotions. Srivastava, Tamir, McGonigal, John, & Gross (2009) investigated the way students regulate their emotions and hypothesized that expressive control has substantial consequences for the way that students function. There were lower levels of social support from parents during the first term in college than there was in the two months prior to college. The students who had expressive control of their emotions were also more likely to have received social support from their family and peers (Srivastava et al., 2009).
Overall emotional satisfaction also contributes to the success or lack of success of students in college. Aspinwall & Taylor (1992) examined cognitive adaptation theory, optimism, psychological control, and self-esteem as it relates to adjustment to college. Students with high self-esteem, high levels of optimism, and high levels of control reported greater use of beneficial coping strategy. Self-esteem and desire for control of academic performance had a high rate of success in the transition to college. Levels of motivation also contributed to the level of success for students during the transition from high school to college (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992). Kim, Newton, Downey, & Benton (2010) assessed whether academic self-efficacy, organization and attention to studies, stress and time management, involvement in college activities, overall emotional satisfaction, and class communication contributed to success for students in college. All of these factors contributed to the success of students in college. Internal thoughts, such as motivation and self-confidence, as well as external behaviors, such as campus involvement, similarly contributed to the success of students (Kim et al., 2010).
The regulation of emotions feeds into how students interact in social situations. Their attachment styles play a role in how their emotions and social skills interact. Lopez & Gormley (2002) examined which emotional attachment styles were associated with self-confidence, effective problem coping styles, and ways to deal with distress. Students with stable attachment styles were more confident in their abilities and had stronger relationships in college (Lopez & Gormley, 2002). Similarly, Marmarosh & Markin (2007) conducted a study to examine both group and personal attachment styles in relation to college adjustment. Students’ emotional attachment styles impacted the students’ level of adjustment (Marmarosh & Markin, 2007).
Ponzetti (1990) examined loneliness in college students and how it has become a common problem for current college students. Students stricken with loneliness may not be able to change their dysfunctional attitudes, dispositions, or patterns and be able to have fully satisfying lives and create meaningful relationships. Loneliness of college students involved their social success or lack of success. Students’ expectations of future success with interpersonal relationships resulted in the inability to adapt to college. This is because students with self-reported loneliness approached social encounters with initial mistrust and are usually overly alert to potential threats in their social situations (Ponzetti, 1990).
Similar research has been done to examine the role of social support in similar transitions. Murphy, Blustein, Bohlig, & Plat (2010) examined the important factors for the transition for college students’ from college into work. Murphy et al. (2010) found that the most common theme was the significant role of social support during students’ transition. Pittman & Richmond (2008) examined students’ relationships with their peers and their success in college. When students had positive self-perceptions of their acceptance by peers and their academic achievements, they were more likely to have a successful transition from high school to college (Pittman & Richmond, 2008).
Academics and academic ethics.
The relationship between psychological fulfillment, psychosocial development, and academic motivation in college students is an important relationship. Faye & Sharpe (2008) examined this relationship. When students had a better sense of their identity, they had increased perceptions of autonomy and competence, which encourages intrinsic motivation. Also, competence correlated with academic motivation, which was due to early and complete identity formation. If students had feelings of competency, they were more likely to have more self-confidence, which showed higher grades (Faye & Sharpe, 2008).
Academic ethics in high school can potentially predict the same academic ethics in college. Smith & Zhang (2009) examined whether students who had an academic ethic in high school performed better in their first semester of college than those who didn’t have any type of academic ethic. Students who had an academic ethic in high school were more likely to have higher academic achievements in college. Also, students who had an academic ethic in high school were more likely to have higher GPA’s than students who didn’t have an academic ethic (Smith & Zhang, 2009).
Some studies have found direct links to high school GPA’s and college GPA’s. Zwick & Sklar (2005) conducted a study to examine the degree of impact that high school GPA and SAT scores had on first-year college GPA. High school GPA was a much stronger predictor for college GPA than SAT scores. Also, students who had higher high school grades and SAT scores had a greater probability of graduating (Zwick & Sklar, 2005).
Involvement in extracurricular activities.
In addition to support, both emotional and social, involvement in extracurricular activities is another aspect that helps promote successful transitions from high school to college. Marks & Jones (2004) conducted a study to examine the relationship of community service activity in high school and college students. Students who participated actively in community service in high school were much more likely to continue their community service involvement in college. This involvement was especially true for students whose participation in community service was consistent with their religious and personal values (Marks & Jones, 2004).
Studies have also been done to find what causes people to remain engaged with certain activities, such as extracurricular activities. Higgins, Cesario, Hagiwara, Spiegel, & Pittman (2010) examined the level of motivation and found strong importance of positive influence on students’ interests and activities as related to their likelihood to complete these tasks. Higgins et al. (2010) also reinforced the importance of positive influence towards activities when it comes to helping students recognize the benefits of certain important activities.
After examining the aspects of career choice, what career planning should involve, and what important factors determine a successful transition, the question becomes whether the career planning for the students actually helps create an environment where the students will have a successful transition. Kenny, Blustein, Haase, Jackson, & Perry (2006) assessed the relationship between students’ career development and their level of immersion in school functions and activities. The researchers predicted that if students were forced to explore their career options, they would begin to place value on doing well in school. This would motivate them to do well in school so that they could successfully step into the career that they had chosen. Kenny et al. (2006) found a significant relationship between career development and their level of school involvement over a period of time. Higher levels of career planning were related to higher levels of school engagement (Kenny et al., 2006).
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between high school guidance counselors’ student relationships and students’ success in college. This study tests the following hypotheses: (a) students whose counselor was actively involved in preparing them socially and emotionally for college will be better adjusted in college socially and emotionally, (b) students whose counselor actively encouraged extracurricular activities will be better adjusted in college and be actively involved in extracurricular activities in college, (c) students whose counselor had an active role in the students’ career preparation will have higher or similar GPA’s in college as they did in high school, (d) students whose counselor enforced academic ethics will be better adjusted academically in college, and (e) students who had an overall good relationship with their high school guidance counselor would have an overall better high school to college transition than those whose relationship with their counselor was not a good relationship.
Method
Participants
The participants in this study were students at Shepherd University. Some of the students were selected using a participant pool. Students enrolled in an introductory to psychology course were required to complete four hours of credit by participating in research studies. The students were traditional students only, as to get better results. These students recently finished high school, and their relationship with their counselor was fresh in their minds. Other students were selected using convenience sampling. These students were tested by asking students in the student center as well as in the university dining hall.
There were 93 participants tested. For justification of the number of participants, see Table 1. Of the 93 participants, four were removed because of incomplete questionnaires. The ages ranged from 18 to 24. The mean age was 20.01 (SE=1.50). The students ranged from 1st year to 6th year students. Of the participants, 23 were male and 66 were female.
Materials
The students were given a survey consisting of sixty-seven questions. The survey consisted of four parts. The first part of the questionnaire asked the students’ age and gender as well as the students’ self reported cumulative high school grade point average and the students’ self reported first semester college grade point average. GPA is a strong predictor for college GPA (Zwick & Sklar, 2005), which implies an important measure to be considered in regards to a successful transition. The second section consisted of students’ high school experiences. One of the variables of the second section asked about the quality of their social lives. A major factor in transitions is the role of social support (Murphy et al., 2010), which implies the importance of using social support as a determinant of a successful college transition. The final variable in the second section was the number of extracurricular activities that the students were involved in during high school and were involved in during college at the time of the survey. Students who participate actively in community service and other extracurricular activities in high school are much more likely to continue their extracurricular involvement in college (Marks & Jones, 2004). These questions were measured using a Likert scale of one to four except for the last question, which asked for the number of extracurricular activities the students participated in. The third section was about their college experience so far and asked the same questions as the previous section but about their experience in college with the same Likert scale excluding the last question, which asked for the number of extracurricular activities that the students participated in.
The fourth section of the questionnaire consisted of questions about their relationship with their high school guidance counselors. These questions pertained to their involvement with encouraging college, preparing them socially and emotionally in high school for college, and promoting good academic ethics, all of which are variables considered in the second and third section of the questionnaire. This section also asked for the answers in a Likert scale from one to four. The students were not given a time limit to complete the questionnaire. For the complete questionnaire, see the Appendix.
Procedure
The students that were selected through the participant pool had scheduled times to come to take the questionnaire. However, the students who were given the questionnaire in the dining hall or student center simply took the questionnaire when it was given to them. The students were given an informed consent form and the questionnaire. To maintain confidentiality, the questionnaire was placed in one envelope and the informed consent form was placed in the other so that the questionnaire would not correspond with the students’ consent form and reveal their identities.
Results
It was hypothesized that students whose counselor was actively involved in preparing them socially and emotionally for college would be better adjusted in college socially and emotionally. For all analyses, α was set to .05. There was a significant positive correlation between the students’ social-emotional well-being in high school and their high school counselors’ emphasis on social-emotional well-being, r (87) = .24, p = .03, r2 = .06. There was also a significant positive correlation between the students’ social-emotional well-being in college and their high school counselors’ emphasis on social-emotional well-being, r (87) = .34, p = .001, r2 = .12.
It was hypothesized that students whose counselor actively encouraged extracurricular activities would be better adjusted in college and be actively involved in extracurricular activities in colleges they did in high school. There was not a significant correlation between the students’ numbers of extracurricular activities in high school and their high school counselors’ emphasis on extracurricular activities, r (87) = -.07, p= .511, r2=.005. Similarly, there was not a significant correlation between the students’ numbers of extracurricular activities in college and their high school counselors’ emphasis on extracurricular activities, r = -.14, p= .206, r2=.02.
It was hypothesized that students whose counselor had an active role in the students’ career preparation would have higher or similar GPA’s in college as they did in high school. There was not a significant correlation between the students’ high school GPA and their high school counselors’ emphasis on academics and academic ethics, r= .03, p=.776, r2<.001. Similarly, there was not a significant correlation between the students’ college GPA and their high school counselors’ emphasis on academics and academic ethics, r= .17, p=.103, r2=.03.
It was hypothesized that students whose counselor enforced academic ethics would be better adjusted academically in college. There was not a significant correlation between students’ high school academic ethics and their high school counselors’ emphasis on academics and academic ethics, r= -.01, p= .939, r2<.001. Similarly, there was not a significant correlation between students’ college academic ethics and their high school counselors’ emphasis on academics and academic ethics, r= -.07, p= .513, r2=.005.
It was hypothesized that students who had an overall good relationship with their high school guidance counselor would have an overall better high school to college transition than those whose relationship with their counselor was not a good relationship. There was not a significant correlation between students’ overall high school experience and their overall relationship with their high school counselor, r= .13, p= .216, r2= .02. Similarly, there was not a significant correlation between students’ overall college experience and their overall relationship with their high school counselor, r= .17, p= .118, r2= .03.
Discussion
Of the tested hypotheses, there was a significant correlation supporting the hypothesis that students whose counselor was actively involved in preparing them socially and emotionally for college would be better adjusted in college socially and emotionally. The main limitation of this study was the self-made questionnaire. This was the first time that the questionnaire was used, which shows that the survey has little validity. This questionnaire hasn’t been shown to truly depict the relationship of students with their counselors and their experiences in high school and college. For further studies, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (DeStefano, Mellott, & Petersen, 2001) could be used to measure the level of success in students’ transition since it has been tested several times and has been shown to be valid. Though the questionnaire designed for this study tested similar aspects to those of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, the questions were constructed primarily around what exactly a high school counselor should do in order to prepare students socially, emotionally, academically, and for extracurricular activities.
These results question what a high school guidance counselor should truly focus on when preparing students for their transition into college. Should they focus merely on preparing them socially and emotionally? Or should they continue to focus on all aspects? Gibbons, Borders, Wiles, Stephan, & Davis (2006) simply asked students what would be beneficial to them when planning their career and examined students’ plans for their lives after high school. Gibbons et al. (2006) found that students wanted knowledge about postsecondary programs, financial aid, and different college options. This basic information is what students feel they need in order to best prepare themselves for graduation. Though this is contradictory to the results in this study, there may be a relationship between knowing this basic information and students’ emotional and social well-being. The students who receive this basic information that they ask for may feel better prepared and feel better emotionally. The present study didn’t examine the level of basic knowledge that they had and that they had received from their counselor, so an aspect worth examining is whether this knowledge assists students in their transition from high school to college or whether it is just something that assists them into getting in colleges.
Also, transitioning from high school when things are taken care of primarily by your parents to college where your independence truly begins is a truly tough transition. Aspinwall & Taylor (1992) examined various emotional aspects and their relationship to adjustment to college. Students with high self-esteem, high levels of optimism, and high levels of control reported greater use of beneficial coping strategy. Self-esteem and desire for control of academic performance had a high rate of success in the transition to college. The findings of this study imply the dramatic change that students experience when transitioning from high school to college, which leads to the conclusion that their emotional well-being should be one of the primary focuses for high school guidance counselors when preparing their students for college. For further studies, emphasis could be placed on examining the motivation behind students’ decision to actually go to college and whether their decision to choose to go relates to their relationship with their counselor and their level of social-emotional well-being during high school.
In this study, students whose counselor prepared them emotionally and socially were better adjusted emotionally and socially. Though only one relationship of the four tested was found significant, there are still implications of the importance of high school guidance counselors’ role in students’ preparations for their transition from high school to college. One of the many roles of a high school guidance counselor is to prepare them for their transition from high school to either work, more schooling, military, etc. The implications of this study are that the most important aspect of preparation is the emotional and social preparation needed by students for their next step after high school.
Another aspect that should be examined is the role between social-emotional well-being and the success of students academically, through extracurricular activities, and overall. These findings could also implicate that by primarily focusing on the social and emotional aspects on the transition, students are better prepared to handle the other aspects of the transition, such as the academics and remaining involved in extracurricular activities. As previously discussed, Christie (2009) examined the role that emotions play in the transition from secondary to post-secondary schooling and theorized that fear in the transitional process is part of the process of choosing a school as well as the different characteristics that cause students to seek higher education. A wide variety of social characteristics cause students to seek higher education. Part of their motivation or lack of motivation is based on achieving or not achieving stages such as leaving school, going to the university, and acquiring things such as independent living and a romantic relationship. Also, the transition into higher education is an emotional process for any type of student (Christie, 2009). Since the emotional aspects of the transition seem to be such an overwhelming aspect to students, perhaps a relationship exists between their emotional and social well-being and their level of success in academics and extracurricular activities. Further research should examine whether preparation socially and emotionally would also lead to better successes in the other aspects of the transition from high school to college.
References
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Barker, J & Satcher, S. (2000). School counselors' perceptions of required workplace skills and career development competencies. Professional School Counseling, 4, 134.
Bloch, D. P. (1996). Career development and workforce preparation: Educational policy versus school practice. Career Development Quarterly, 45, 20.
Bryan, J., Holcomb-McCoy, C., Moore-Thomas, C., & Day-Vines, N. (2009). Who sees the school counselor for college information? A national study. Professional School Counseling, 12, 280-291.
Christie, H. (2009). Emotional journeys: Young people and transitions to university. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 30, 123-136. doi:10.1080/01425690802700123
DeStefano, T. J., Mellott, R. N., & Petersen, J. D. (2001). A preliminary assessment of the impact of counseling on student adjustment to college. Journal of College Counseling, 4, 113.
Faye, C., & Sharpe, D. (2008). Academic motivation in university: The role of basic psychological needs and identity formation. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement, 40, 189-199. doi:10.1037/a0012858
Gati, I., & Amir, T. (2010). Applying a systemic procedure to locate career decision-making difficulties. Career Development Quarterly, 58, 301-320.
Gibbons, M. M., Borders, L. D., Wiles, M. E., Stephan, J. B., & Davis, P. E. (2006). Career and college planning needs of ninth graders--as reported by ninth graders. Professional School Counseling, 10, 168-178.
Higgins, E. T., Cesario, J., Hagiwara, N., Spiegel, S., & Pittman, T. (2010). Increasing or decreasing interest in activities: The role of regulatory fit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98, 559-572. doi:10.1037/a0018833
Holland, N. E. (2010). Postsecondary education preparation of traditionally underrepresented college students: A social capital perspective. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 3, 111-125. doi:10.1037/a0019249
Kenny, M. E., Blustein, D. L., Haase, R. F., Jackson, J., & Perry, J. C. (2006). Setting the stage: Career development and the student engagement process. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 272-279. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.53.2.272
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Lapan, R. T., Aoyagi, M., & Kayson, M. (2007). Helping rural adolescents make successful postsecondary transitions: A longitudinal study. Professional School Counseling, 10, 266-272.
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Lopez, F. G., & Gormley, B. (2002). Stability and change in adult attachment style over the first-year college transition: Relations to self-confidence, coping, and distress patterns. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 49, 355-364. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.49.3.355
Marks, H. M., & Jones, S. R. (2004). Community service in the transition: Shifts and continuities in participation from high school to college. The Journal of Higher Education, 75, 307-339.
Marmarosh, C. L., & Markin, R. D. (2007). Group and personal attachments: Two is better than one when predicting college adjustment. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 11, 153-164. doi:10.1037/1089-2699.11.3.153
Murphy, K. A., Blustein, D. L., Bohlig, A. J., & Platt, M. G. (2010). The college-to-career transition: An exploration of emerging adulthood. Journal of Counseling & Development, 88, 174-181.
Pittman, L. D., & Richmond, A. (2008). University belonging, friendship quality, and psychological adjustment during the transition to college. Journal of Experimental Education, 76, 343-362.
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Shearer, C. B., & Luzzo, D. A. (2009). Exploring the application of multiple intelligences theory to career counseling. Career Development Quarterly, 58, 3-13.
Smith, W. L., & Zhang, P. (2009). The academic ethic and the transition to college. College Student Journal, 43, 86-98.
Srivastava, S., Tamir, M., McGonigal, K. M., John, O. P., & Gross, J. J. (2009). The social costs of emotional suppression: A prospective study of the transition to college. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 883-897. doi:10.1037/a0014755
Tamir, M., Srivastava, S., John, O. P., & Gross, J. J. (2007). Implicit theories of emotion: Affective and social outcomes across a major life transition. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 92, 731-744.
Tang, M., Pan, W., & Newmeyer, M. D. (2008). Factors influencing high school students' career aspirations. Professional School Counseling, 11, 285-295.
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Table 1. Studies that justify the sample size selected
Study Sample Size
Lapan, Aoyagi, and Kayson (2007) 87
DeStefano, Mellott, and Petersen (2001) 173
Higgins, Cesario, Hagiwara, Spiegel, and Pittman (2010) 75
Christie (2009) 27
Marmarosh and Markin (2007) 109
Lopez and Gormley (2002) 207
Pittman and Richmond (2008) 79
Murphy, Blustein, Bohlig, and Platt (2010) 10
Barker and Satcher (2000) 151
Holland (2010) 50
Tang, Pan, and Newmeyer (2008) 141
Shearer and Luzzo (2009) 1
Total 1,110
Average 93
Appendix
Questionnaire Regarding the Effect of High School Counselors on a Successful College Transition
Gender: ________ (M or F) Age: _____________
Year in School: ______________________ (For example, 1st year, 2nd year, etc.)
Approximately, what was your cumulative grade point average (GPA) in high school? _________
Approximately, what was your grade point average (GPA) for your first semester in college? _________
High School Experience
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience in high school using the following scale.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
1. I had a consistent network of friends.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
2. I had good study habits.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
3. I felt that my academics were important to me.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
4. I felt comfortable with my ability to achieve work for my classes.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
5. I had a good relationship with my friends.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
6. I was happy with my overall life in high school.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
7. I frequently missed classes or school.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
8. I had a good relationship with my family.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
9. I was generally content with my social life.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
10. I tended to leave my school work until the last minute.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
11. I felt that I had good organizational skills that contributed to my success with my
school work.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience in high school using the following scale.
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
12. How often were you worried about your academics and academic success?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
13. How often did you feel secure with yourself in social situations?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
14. How often did you feel depressed?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
15. How often did you feel lonely?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
16. How often were you happy with yourself?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
17. How often did you find it hard to pay attention to the instructor during class?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
18. How often did you have trouble turning assignments in on time?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
19. Were you satisfied with your academic ethic?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
20. Were you satisfied with your social life?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
21. Were you satisfied with your emotional well-being?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
22. In high school, how many organizations were you actively involved in? This can include sports teams, community service organizations, religious groups, church groups, political groups, etc.
College Experience
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your college experience using the following scale.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
1. I have a consistent network of friends.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
2. I have good study habits.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
3. I feel that my academics are important to me.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
4. I feel comfortable with my ability to achieve work for my classes.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
5. I have a good relationship with my friends.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
6. I am happy with my overall life in college.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
7. I frequently miss classes or school.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
8. I have a good relationship with my family.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
9. I am generally content with my social life.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
10. I tend to leave my school work until the last minute.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
11. I feel that I have good organizational skills that contribute to my success with my
school work.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience in college using the following scale.
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
12. How often are you worried about your academics and academic success?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
13. How often do you feel secure with yourself in social situations?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
14. How often do you feel depressed?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
15. How often do you feel lonely?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
16. How often are you happy with yourself?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
17. How often do you find it hard to pay attention to the instructor during class?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
18. How often do you have trouble turning assignments in on time?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
19. Are you satisfied with your academic ethic?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
20. Are you satisfied with your social life?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
21. Are you satisfied with your emotional well-being?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
22. How many organizations are you currently actively involved in? This can include
sports teams, community service organizations, religious groups, church groups,
political groups, etc.
Experience with School Guidance Counselors
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience and relationship with your high school guidance counselor using the following scale.
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
1. Was your counselor actively involved in encouraging your attendance in college?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
2. Did your counselor encourage a good academic ethic in order to better your future?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
3. Was your counselor active in helping you explore and find college options?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
4. Did your counselor place emphasis on explaining the importance of maintaining
friendships in both high school and college?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
5. Did your counselor encourage you to take classes in high school that would best
prepare you for college?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
6. Did your counselor place emphasis on explaining the importance of maintaining
family relationships in both high school and college?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
7. Did your counselor encourage and help you schedule classes around your planned
career?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
8. Do you feel that your school counselor had an impact on helping you maintain your
relationships with friends?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
9. Do you feel that your school counselor had an impact on helping you maintain your
relationships with your family?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
10. Did your counselor help you find a potential career path based on your skills and
personality characteristics?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
11. Did your counselor fully and clearly explain to you the college admission
requirements?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
12. Was your counselor active in helping you identify your personal strengths and
weaknesses?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
13. Did your counselor encourage your involvement in extracurricular activities?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
14. Did you have an overall good relationship with your counselor?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
15. Did your counselor help you complete your college applications?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
16. Did your counselor teach you the importance and ways of balancing social and
academic time?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
17. Did your counselor help you set goals for after high school?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
18. Did your counselor stress the importance of maintaining a high GPA (Grade Point
Average)?
1-Strongly Agree 2-Somewhat Agree 3-Somewhat Disagree 4-Strongly Disagree
Instructions: To the best of your ability, answer the following questions with regard to your experience and relationship with your high school guidance counselor using the following scale.
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
19. Did your counselor offer or provide counseling on forming and maintaining
friendships?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
20. Did your counselor offer or provide counseling on forming and maintaining
relationships with family?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
21. Did your counselor offer or provide counseling on feeling secure in various
environments?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
22. Did your counselor offer or provide counseling on maintaining a positive self-
esteem?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never
23. Did your counselor stress the importance of academics?
1-Almost Always 2-Sometimes 3-Rarely 4-Almost Never