Abstract

As the mental health needs of children and adolescents have reached a crisis level, the need for trained mental health professionals in the field is as important as ever. However, many states are currently experiencing a shortage of educators, including school counselors. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the factors that contribute to school counselors selecting their career, as well as understanding what elements lead to the retention of professional school counselors. As there are no existing theories related to understanding the career choice of professional school counselors, nor pertaining to the supports leading to the retention of school counselors, a constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed for this study. School counselors in the State of Florida with 3 – 5 years of professional experience were interviewed. In total, 21 individuals were interviewed at least once, and five participants participated in a follow-up conversation. Utilizing an iterative approach to analysis, a single coder completed open, focused, and axial coding. The emerging codes resulted in two theories: (a) Contributions to School Counselor Career Theory (CSCCT), and (b) Retention of School Counselors Theory (RSCT). The findings of the study are relevant for counselor education programs, school districts, and counselor education research.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2023

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Kelchner, Viki

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

Counselor Education and School Psychology

Degree Program

Education; Counselor Education Track

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0009474; DP0027472

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027472

Language

English

Release Date

May 2023

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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