An investigation of perceptions of guidance officers and secondary principals as to present and preferred level of guidance officer practice in secondary schools

Abstract

There is a perception among educational communities that guidance officers are often working on their own agendas which are at cross-purposes to the needs of schools. This study was undertaken to investigate the legitimacy of those perceptions using 22 areas of guidance operation. The sample included 80% of secondary principals and 100% of secondary guidance officers in Clusters 1-5, South Coast Educational Region in Queensland. The study found that there were high correlations between guidance officers and principals in their perceptions of present and preferred guidance practice. The area of consultation with administration and staff however indicated that there was little or no correlation between present and preferred operation. This was targeted by both guidance officers and principals for improved operation. Consultation and communication represents a key area for supervision of operation.