Record Details
A literature review and qualitative exploration of adolescent school counseling groups
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | A literature review and qualitative exploration of adolescent school counseling groups |
| Names |
Gray, Tara M.
(creator) Rubel, Deborah J. (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 2014-08-20 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 2015 |
| Abstract | The purpose of this dissertation was to increase understanding of adolescent school counseling groups including a literature review of the quantitative outcome research on group work with adolescents in the schools and a qualitative exploration of the adolescent experience of cohesion in rural school counseling groups. Outcome research on group work with adolescents in the schools points to the effectiveness of these groups across topics, group structures, diverse populations, and outcome areas, including academic, personal/social, and career development. In order to understand the adolescent experience of cohesion in school counseling groups, the researcher used a qualitative grounded theory methodology to give voice to the experiences of seven adolescent research participants who had been group members in middle or high school counseling groups. Participants were individually interviewed three times and all interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed. Analysis generated the central category of the cohesion process as "sticking together," which describes a "tight bond" which includes both internal and relational contexts including feeling close to the group and making friends. Feelings of belonging, positive feelings, open social interactions, and lasting connections further characterize the cohesion process as experienced by adolescent participants. This study provides a qualitative, descriptive view of how adolescents experience cohesion in school counseling groups in rural areas. These finding are applicable to school counselors and group workers who counsel adolescents along with counselor educators and supervisors. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Topic | group work |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/51756 |
