Development and examination of instructional materials on counseling for distributive education coordinators

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to develop and validate curriculum materials to teach counseling skills to D. E. coordinators. These developed materials consisted of a book containing a taxonomy of counseling techniques and competencies, and counselor role-played case studies. This curriculum material was examined through using it to instruct student coordinators in three university distributive teacher education programs in Texas. Prior to the development of the materials, a review of the research previously performed substantiated that D. E. coordinators perform counseling, but there were not materials specifically written to train coordinators for the counseling aspects of their job. A feasibility study conducted in 1975 revealed that Texas coordinators counsel, that they encounter many problems with which their student need help, and that the coordinators wanted instruction in counseling. Through an extensive review of literature problems of adolescence were identified. It was also documented that teachers and D. E. coordinators do serve in a guidance capacity. The literature revealed that case studies were an effective teaching method. The coordinators (493) at the Distributive Education Teachers State Workshop, July 26-30, 1976, at San Antonio, Texas, were surveyed to determine which problems coordinators encounter with students, and which problems are most troublesome. The coordinators also contributed demographic data, including experience and education. Results and the survey were analyzed and presented to six representative coordinators who met at Texas A&M University in September, 1976. They contributed actual cases of some of the most troublesome problems. The case studies were presented to counseling authorities. They commented on ways to handle the cases, and role-played them while being recorded. The product of the two juries and the research was the publication of the curriculum material, Counseling for D. E. coordinator, Techniques and Case Studies...