School Counselors' Experiences of Providing Counseling Services to Teachers and Parents During the Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

During the period of the corona epidemic, the present study aimed to determine the actual experiences of school counselors who provided consulting services to parents and teachers. In terms of objective, the research method was fundamental, while in terms of strategy, it was phenomenological. In Tehran in 2022, the research community included all school counselors. The researcher began the sampling process with the most seasoned professionals in the field of school counseling and continued until information saturation was reached. Seven women and three men were interviewed semi-structuredly for a total of ten participants. This research’s data was analyzed using the Colaizzi method and MAXQDA-20 software, yielding 5 major themes and 18 subthemes. Principal axes of school counselors’ experiences include consulting patterns, obstacles and challenges of providing consulting services, positive aspects of epidemic conditions, characteristics and competencies of counselors, and the pathology of the Corona era through the provision of consulting services. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the provision of advisory services encompasses a vast array of school counselor services and, as an indirect service, utilizes all of the school system’s resources for the development and progress of students. However, this essential service in schools is not yet utilized in an established manner and faces obstacles and challenges, so it is suggested that school counselors receive in-service training.

Keywords

• counseling services
• covid-19
• phenomenological study
• school counselor
• teachers and parents