EBSCOhost

1 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Record: 1
Title:

Trends in School Counseling Journals: The First Fifty Years.

Authors:

Bauman, Sheri
Siegel, Jason
Falco, Lia
Szymanski, Gerald
Davis, April
Seabolt, Karen

Source:

Professional School Counseling; Dec2003, Vol. 7 Issue 2, p79-90, 12p, 12

charts, 1 graph

Document Type:

Article

Subject Terms:

EDUCATIONAL counseling
VOCATIONAL guidance
VOCATIONAL education
SCHOOLS
EDUCATION
PERIODICALS

Geographic Terms:

UNITED States

Abstract:

The school counseling profession has published three journals in the course of
its history, as of December 2003. The first known school guidance program in
the U.S. dates to 1889, when a Detroit school principal Jesse B. Davis
introduced a guidance curriculum that was delivered in each English class in
his school. While vocational guidance came to include educational or academic
guidance in the 1930s, counseling was originally conceived of as a tool or
technique to assist in the guidance program. It was not until the middle of the
20th century that the field of school counseling attained the status of a
profession. Professional issues articles peaked at 36% in the 1960s, when the
number of school counselors increased in 1958, and then maintained a ratio
below 20% until 2000, when the largest percentage of articles in the journal
"Professional School Counselling," were of this type.

Full Text Word

Count:

7095

ISSN:

1096-2409

Accession Number:

12075257

Database:

Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Trends in School Counseling Journals: The First Fifty Years

The school counseling profession has published three journals in the course of its history. All
articles in these journals were coded as to authorship, article type, content, and the core areas
of the 2001 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
Standards. Distributions of articles in each category are discussed by decade, and the three
journals are compared. Implications of the findings are discussed.
The first known school guidance program in the United States dates to 1889, when a Detroit
school principal, Jesse B. Davis, introduced a guidance curriculum that was delivered in each
English class in his school (Coy, 1999). In response to the industrialization and urbanization that
was taking place in the country, the first decade of the 20th century saw increased concern for
vocational guidance (Aubrey, 1992). Between 1914 and 1918, school guidance programs were

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

2 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

initiated in several large cities around the United States (Poppen & Thompson, 1974). While
vocational guidance came to include educational or academic guidance in the 1930s, counseling
was originally conceived of as a tool or technique to assist in the guidance program (Aubrey).
It was not until the middle of the 20th century that the field of school counseling attained the
status of a profession. That milestone is marked by the formation of a professional
organization, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), in 1952. As ASCA is
celebrating its 50th anniversary, now is an appropriate time to reflect on "where it has been,
where it is now, and where it is going" (Brown, 1969). ASCA was formed at close to the same
time as the American Personnel and Guidance Association, forerunner of the American
Counseling Association (ACA). APGA was inaugurated and became the fifth division to formally
join the larger organization in 1953. This alliance was an important one, as "ASCA and ACA sort
of grew together" (McDaniels, quoted in Simmons, 2002a). The ACA is also celebrating its 50th
anniversary, and the significant contribution of ASCA to the broader field has been noted.
The importance of school counseling was reflected in the movement by states to develop and
implement counseling certification standards. The first certificate (Pupil Personnel Service
Certificate, Guidance and Counseling) was issued in Ohio in 1955 (Coy, 1999). The newly
legitimized profession of school guidance and counseling received a boost from Title V of the
National Defense Education Act (NDEA), which was passed in 1958 in reaction to the launching
of Sputnik by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This act provided funding for expanding
school testing programs and for training institutes for school counselors, both novice and
experienced (Poppen & Thompson, 1974). The effect was an increase in the number of school
counselors from 6,780 in 1951 to more than 30,000 in 1965 (Aubrey, 1992). Further support for
expanded school guidance and counseling came from the James B. Conant report on American
education, published in 1959 (Poppen & Thompson). In 1960, a White House Conference on
Children and Youth also stressed the need for school counseling programs. The 1960s saw
national upheaval concerning the issues of human and civil rights, which was a factor in the
APGA national convention in 1968 (Simmons, 2002b). In the 1970s, Title III of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act provided funding for elementary school guidance and counseling
programs.
The present focus on developmental guidance and counseling in the schools can be traced to
the influence of Robert Mathewson, who, as early as 1949, proposed that the school guidance
program should be organized and implemented in a developmental fashion. He argued that
teachers alone could not provide the necessary experiences required for optimal development
of students, and he saw guidance programs as the most critical educational factor in enhancing
student development (Aubrey, 1992).
A profession's journals can be viewed as a reflection of the history of the profession. Goodyear
(1984), on the occasion of the publication of the inaugural issue of the newly titled Journal of
Counseling and Development, reviewed the content of the previous journal (Personnel and
Guidance Journal) as a means of evaluating the development of the profession to that point. At
various times in the journal's history, other authors have examined the journal as a tool for
self-reflection. Weinrach, Lustig, Chan, and Thomas (1998) commented that, "Studies such as
these need to be conducted periodically to provide the profession with information about itself."
(p. 428).
In 1954, the first journal dedicated exclusively to the school counseling profession, The School
Counselor, was published by ASCA. In 1967, a second periodical, Elementary School Guidance
and Counseling, was added. In 1997, the two journals were merged, and the flagship journal of
the organization, Professional School Counseling, was introduced. As individuals reflect on 50
years of professional school counseling, an analysis of the journals provides a unique

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

3 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

perspective from which to review its development. Although other researchers have considered
a portion of the school counseling literature, this analysis is unique in that it covers the entire
history of all of the school counseling journals.
Our research questions were:
How has authorship affiliation changed over time, and how has it differed among the
three journals?
To what extent have practitioners and academicians collaborated on articles in the
journals?
How have the types of articles changed over time and differed among journals?
How have the topics covered in the journals changed over time and differed among
journals?
How have important events in the history of the profession influenced journal content?
Which theoretical approaches have been covered, and what differences are found over
time and among journals?
How well have the eight areas of competency identified in the 2001 CACREP Standards
been covered by the journals?
METHOD
All volumes of all three journals devoted exclusively to school counseling (Elementary School
Guidance and Counseling, The School Counselor, and Professional School Counseling] were
obtained by the researchers via personal collections, university libraries, and interlibrary loan. A
total of 2,585 articles were perused, which included 43 volumes of The School Counselor
(1954-1996), 31 volumes of Elementary School Guidance and Counseling (1967-1997), and the
first four volumes of Professional School Counseling (1997-June, 2001). The authors created a
coding form based on an examination of previous studies analyzing journal articles and on
current research questions. The coding form was pilot tested by the researchers who coded the
same volume of Elementary School Guidance and Counseling and compared their results. The
coding form was revised, and the reviewers then applied the new form to an issue of The
School Counselor. The reviewers determined that the coding form was adequate, with the
exception of" the topics category. The coding form recorded the number of authors of each
article and the work affiliation of each of the first three authors, as given in the author
information for each article. Work affiliation categories were: K-12, University, Dual Affiliation
(K-12 and University), Other (e.g., clinical setting, community agency), and Dual Affiliation
(Other and University).
Next, researchers categorized each article as Empirical (Quantitative or Qualitative), Case
Study, Theoretical, Practical, Professional Issue, or Other. For this category, only one type was
selected, so that the primary focus of the article was the basis for the decision. Empirical
articles were always coded as such, even if the focus of the research was a professional issue,
for example. If the purpose of the article was to describe a theory, it was coded as such. If the
theory was secondary to the main focus of the article, that focus was coded and theory was
not. However, there was a separate category for coding a specific theory mentioned in an
article even when the focus of the article was something other than theory. The final item on
the code sheet was "Topic." It was decided that due to differing categorizations of topics in the
pilot test of the coding sheet, researchers would record a descriptive phrase and/or title for
each article for later discussion by all researchers. The authors decided to follow the procedure
put forth by Pope-Davis, Ligiero, Liang, and Codrington (2001), whose content analysis of the
Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development developed new categories rather than rely
on those of previous researchers because they believed that earlier categories might not
capture changes over time.

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

4 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

The body of literature was then divided among the six researchers and independently coded.
The data were then compiled. In order to devise a categorization system for the topics, two of
the researchers selected a random sample of articles and examined the descriptions that had
been recorded under Topics. General topic categories were created to describe the sample of
articles, with the process continuing until it appeared that all further articles could be
categorized by this system. Next, another random sample of 100 articles was selected to test
the utility of the categorization system, and changes were made until the 14 categories were
deemed exhaustive. (These categories are listed and defined in the Appendix.) Then, four of
the researchers met to place each article in one of the aforementioned categories by
consensus. It was determined that some articles fit into more than one category (e.g., group
counseling for African American males, which fit into the counseling approaches and diversity
categories), and when needed, two categories were recorded for one article.
In order to investigate the extent to which the articles in the journals were aligned with the
eight common core areas described in the 2001 CACREP Standards, the first author categorized
each article that clearly fit the standards into one or more of the eight core areas. To establish
inter-rater reliability, a random sample of 100 articles was independently coded by another
researcher, with 99% agreement.
After data were compiled and tabulated, results were grouped by decade, examined, and
compared with a list of historical highlights of the profession based on Baker (2000).
RESULTS
Because this study accessed the entire population, inferential statistics are not necessary. Data
are generally reported as percentages to best reflect differences, because of the varying
number of articles in different decades and journals. First, analyses by decade will be
presented, followed by a comparison of the three journals.
By Decade
Authorship. The mean number of authors for all articles in this analysis is 1.63 (SD = .83).
Interestingly, the number of authors per article has increased in a linear fashion from a mean of
1.14 (SD = .39) in the 1950s to a mean of 1.87 (SD = .96) in the 1990s. The mean for the
current decade is 1.83 (SD = .84). The percentage of articles grouped by affiliation of the
senior author is presented in Table 1; Table 2 shows similar information for the first two
authors. The trends are presented visually in Figure 1, which was constructed by combining
articles authored by one or two K-12 affiliated authors, articles written by one or two universityaffiliated authors, and articles with one K-12 and one university-affiliated author, without regard
to senior authorship. It is notable that representation in school counseling journals by school
counselors (K-12 affiliations) has decreased markedly from the 1950s to the present, whereas
the number of university authors has increased in an opposite but equally marked trend. That
is, school counselors' proportional contributions to the school counseling journals have
decreased steadily since the 1950s, while at the same time university contributors have
increased. It is also notable and somewhat contrary to the general trend that articles with
a K-12 writer as senior author in collaboration with university authors have increased from 1.7
percent in the 1950s to 6.6 percent in the 1990s. Collaborative contributions by university
authors and K-12 coauthors peaked in the 1970s and have decreased since.
Article type. A summary of the types of articles published by decade is presented in Table 3.
Practical articles (those with direct application to counseling practice such as description of
specific programs or techniques) dominated the earliest issues of The School Counselor,
published in the 1950s, representing 70% of articles in that decade. This type of article
represented half of all articles published from 1970 to 2000, but has a lesser presence in the
new millennium. Professional issues articles (those that focus on such themes as the role of the

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

5 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

school counselors) peaked at 36% in the 1960s, when the number of school counselors
increased due to the NDEA passage in 1958, and then maintained a ratio below 20% until 2000,
when the largest percentage of articles (41%) in the Professional School Counselor were of this
type. The percentage of empirical articles increased gradually from the 1950s through the
1980s and has maintained the same level (approximately 25%) since that time; the percentage
of qualitative and quantitative research articles is roughly the same throughout this period.
Theoretical articles represented a small fraction of the articles, with slightly larger percentages
found in the 1980s and the 2000s. Case studies have maintained a small but consistent
presence in the literature throughout its history, whereas literature reviews (defined as articles
with the sole purpose of describing the literature on a particular topic) are almost nonexistent.
Because only approximately 4% of all articles in the school counseling journals discussed a
particular counseling theory, Table 4 includes only theories mentioned in at least five articles.
Adlerian Theory has received the most attention, followed by Behavioral Theory, Play Therapy,
and Systems Theory, in that order. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy does not appear in the
literature until the 1990s, and is the most discussed theory in the current decade through the
end of 2001.
Content. Three types of content have dominated in the school counseling journals. Articles
discussing professional issues (e.g., roles and responsibilities, ethics, needs of counselors,
counselor training, professional development, perceptions and evaluation of counselors,
research and evaluation of counseling programs), approaches and techniques (including groups,
peer counseling, different theoretical approaches), and educational and career-oriented articles
(focusing on curriculum, teachers, under-achievement, dropouts, discipline, individualized
educational programs, prevention programming, use of computers) represent 28%, 21%, and
18%, respectively, of all articles published in the history of these journals. Interestingly, articles
focusing on violence (prevention and intervention, bullying, dating violence) did not begin to
appear in the journals until the 1970s, but in the current decade, this issue represents 10% of
articles, due in part to a special issue of Professional School Counseling focusing on violence.
Table 5 presents these data.
Core areas of CACREP standards. The percentages of articles in each decade reflecting the
common core areas identified in the 2001 CACREP Standards as essential in the training of all
counselors, including school counselors, are presented in Table 6. Of the 2,585 total articles,
1,958 fit the descriptions for these core areas, representing about 75% of all articles. Articles
focusing on education-specific issues were most likely to be outside the core areas. Professional
issues have consistently been the best represented of the core areas. Attention to social and
cultural diversity has increased steadily, as have articles in the human development core (with
the exception of the current decade to date).
By Journal
Authorship. The mean number of authors per article differs by journal, with The School
Counselor having the lowest mean, 1.59 (SD = .82), followed by Elementary School Guidance
and Counseling with a mean of 1.64 (SD = .83) and Professional School Counseling with the
largest number of authors per article, a mean of 1.91 (SD = .89). Author affiliation did not differ
dramatically by journal. However, it is notable that The School Counselor published a greater
percentage of articles by K-12 school counselors and the smallest percentage of articles by
university-affiliated authors than either of the other journals. Tables 7 and 8 present the
percentage of contributors of each affiliation by journal.
Type of article. Table 9 presents a comparison of the three journals by the type of article.
Practical articles represented approximately one half of total articles in both Elementary School
Guidance and Counseling and The School Counselor, with that percentage declining to 39% in

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

6 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Professional School Counseling. The proportion of articles focusing on professional issues is

greatest in Professional School Counseling (28%), whereas these issues are discussed in 15%
and 23%, respectively, of the articles in Elementary School Guidance and Counseling and The
School Counselor. The percentage of articles reporting research studies, both qualitative and
quantitative, is consistent across the three journals, at slightly less than 25%. Theoretical and
case study articles are infrequently published in these journals, with The School Counselor
publishing fewer of each category.
Content. Regarding topical content of articles in the three journals, Table 10 presents the
percentage of articles in each content category by journal. A focus on professional issues
ranges from 22% of articles in Elementary School Guidance and Counseling to 32% in The
School Counselor. Both mental health concerns and family issues were the topic of more articles
(8% and 11%, respectively) in Elementary School Guidance and Counseling than in the other
two journals, whereas educational issues received the most attention in The School Counselor.
Coverage of diversity was greatest in Professional School Counseling (10%); coverage of
violence also was more prominent in that journal (5%) than in its two predecessors. Topic areas
categorized as Other were represented in all three journals in similar proportions.
Core areas of CACREP standards. For Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 74% of
articles (661 of 895) were coded for a core area. For The School Counselor, 74% ( 1,077 of
1,458) of articles were coded as such, whereas the percentage of articles coded for core areas
increased to 89% (206 out of 232) for Professional School Counseling. Professional School
Counseling also has the greatest percentage of coverage of the social and cultural diversity core
area. Distribution of core areas in the three journals is shown in Table 11. Of the core areas,
articles about professional identity have been most prominent in all three journals, with the
percentage being greatest in current issues of the journals.
DISCUSSION
According to Weinrach et al. (1998), concern about the absence of practitioner contributions to
the professional counseling literature was voiced as early as 1958, when it was observed that in
the first 5 years of the Personnel and Guidance Journal, practitioners represented only 14.9% of
contributors. The paucity of practitioner contributions was lamented again in 1984. Between
1978 and 1993, 31% of contributors to the Journal of Counseling and Development were
practitioners (Weinrach et al.,). Although the school counseling journals began with an even
larger representation of practitioners (66%) in the 1950s, the proportion has been steadily
declining. In contrast, the percentage of contributions by university-affiliated authors has been
steadily increasing. One wonders if the readership of the journals would similarly reflect the
dominance of university interests. The fact that practitioners' contributions were greater early in
the history of the journals suggests that as the profession matured, it has become increasingly
dominated by university interests. An examination of the editorial board of the Professional
School Counselor (February 2000 issue) reveals that of 24 members, only two are affiliated with
K-12 school districts, and all editors are affiliated with universities. The lack of representation of
practitioners on the editorial board may imply to school counselors that the journal is
inaccessible to them.
In addition to the declining contributions by practitioners, the small percentage of collaborative
work by practitioners and university faculty is disappointing. If these journals are to inform the
profession, and provide a vehicle for school counseling professionals to contribute to the
knowledge base of their field, a stronger presence in the literature is needed. A factor that
cannot be ignored is the lack of support school counselors receive for such efforts. While
university professors are expected to engage in scholarly publication and rewarded for doing so,
practicing school counselors get little if any time or support for such activity. This is unfortunate,
because such contributions enhance the profession.

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

7 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Practical articles dominated the first years of the publication, which is the time during which
practitioners contributed to the greatest extent. Articles with practical application have declined
in the early years of the new millennium. This change coincides with the decreased level of
contributions from school counselors. It is notable that articles on professional issues were
published in the highest proportion in the 1960s, which is consistent with the increase in the
number of school counselors at that time.
As the profession grew in numbers and importance, it is logical that issues related to counselors'
roles and responsibilities would be of high interest. The proportion of such articles decreased
from the 1970s through the 1990s, when it is reasonable to assume that the profession had
become more established and defined. However, in the first few years of the present decade,
the proportion of articles on professional issues is at the highest level ever. This finding
suggests a resurgence of concerns that may be elevated due to the current focus on
educational accountability and reform. Pelsma and Cesari (1989) observed that as the definition
of counselors' roles has changed, the topics in the journals have reflected this change. The
question is whether counselors' roles are again in flux. One criterion for determining whether an
occupation has achieved the status of a profession is that proposed by Greenwood (1962), who
maintained that an occupation attains professional status when both internal and external
consensus is achieved on what services the occupation provides (cited in Poppen & Thompson,
1974), Greenwood believed that consensus had occurred following the passage of the NDEA. If
so, the current resurgence of interest in these questions is puzzling.
Perhaps Gail Farwell's comment (Simmons, 2002b) about the counseling profession applies to
school counseling as well. He said, "I still see some of the stuff in '02 as I saw in '52." It is
interesting to note that professional issues were least prominent in Elementary School Guidance
and Counseling. Culbreth, Scarborough, Solomon, and BanksJohnston (2001) found that
elementary school counselors reported lower levels of role conflict and role ambiguity than did
their counterparts in middle and high school. Elementary school counselors were also more
satisfied with their jobs. These findings suggest that the upsurge in current interest in
professional issues may reflect an increasing level of role conflict and ambiguity for school
counselors.
Articles describing research, quantitative or qualitative, have been maintaining a steady level
since the 1960s at a rate of approximately 25%. Although Sink (1999) did not specify exactly
what he meant by "balance," one can infer that a greater contribution of research was hoped
for. In the 1960s, Greenwood advocated a "scientist-practitioner" approach to the field, arguing
that as accountability became more important, it was imperative that school counselors
demonstrate the efficacy of their work (Poppen & Thompson, 1974). Forty years later, when
accountability seems to be even more critical, the profession has yet to increase its research
emphasis.
Theoretical approaches have not received much attention in the school counseling literature,
with only 112 out of 2,585 articles being theory based. Adlerian theory has garnered the most
attention and has been represented in every decade from the 1960s through the 1990s,
although it has yet to be mentioned in the current decade. Behavioral theory has had a similar
pattern, with only slightly fewer articles. Play therapy has had a consistent presence from the
1970s through the 1990s, with interest gradually increasing. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy did
not appear in the journals until the 1990s, but, due to its recent emergence, it has received the
most coverage to date in the 2000s. This theory is gaining in popularity, perhaps due to the
limited time available to school counselors to conduct counseling sessions. It is hoped that the
current journal will continue to enlighten school counselors about innovations in theory and with
research on how each theory performs in practice.

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

8 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Content analysis revealed a preponderance of articles in all journals focused on professional

issues. Approaches and techniques as well as educational and career topics were also widely
covered. Although diversity issues might be expected to have been more prominent in the
1960s, attention to this area began to increase in the 1990s. It is hoped that this important area
will continue to be prominent. An additional topic of increasing focus is that of violence; and
given the current context, this topic should continue to be examined. It is disappointing to
discover that issues counselors must deal with in their schools were in general not adequately
covered. We refer to issues of abuse, death and loss, gender, suicide, and substance abuse.
Because counselors in today's world must be familiar with these issues, more extensive space
devoted to these topics would be helpful to practitioners. Again, research on effectiveness of
programs directed to these issues is sorely needed.
In the 1950s, the profession of school counseling was becoming established and formalized.
The fact that half of all articles published in that decade addressed issues of professional
identity would be expected during the early development of a profession. By the 1960s, the
profession was booming as funding increased and elementary school counseling programs were
added. The professional roots in vocational guidance are apparent in the attention to
educational and career counseling, which comprised 25% of the articles in that decade.
Declining school enrollments in the 1970s caused a reduction in school counselors, and by 1987,
a task force examined school counseling as a profession at risk. The next year, comprehensive
developmental guidance programs were promoted as an antidote for the profession's problems,
and the 1990s saw increasing energy and attention devoted to this movement. This interest is
reflected in the increasing percentage of articles on human growth and development, along with
the gradual return to a focus on professional identity topics. A greater proportion of articles on
research and program evaluation is also seen in the 2000s, which is consistent with the model's
emphasis on this component. Beginning in the 1990s, attention to multiculturalism increased
after the publication of a special issue, Multiculturalism as a Fourth Force in Counseling, of the
Journal of Counseling and Development. Less than 2% of articles in the 1950s had multicultural
content, whereas by the 2000s, that proportion had increased to 13%. In the early 2000s, the
profession worked to develop and promote a national model of school counseling, whereas the
Education Trust initiative was directed toward transforming the education of school counselors.
These important developments, coupled with the national attention to educational reform, may
account for the resurgence of articles discussing professional issues and professional identity.
The three journals did not vary dramatically in the extent of their coverage of most areas, with
the possible exception of the greater attention to approaches and techniques as well as family
issues in Elementary School Guidance and Counseling and the stronger emphasis on educational
and career-oriented topics in The School Counselor. These different emphases might be a
refection of the different ages and consequent concerns of the populations with which readers
of these two journals dealt. It is encouraging to note that the current journal has devoted the
greatest proportion of articles to diversity, and that violence, a pressing concern for all, is also
getting much-needed attention.
If school counseling students are to develop a professional habit of reading the literature, it
would be helpful if article topics were related to the core areas described in the 2001 CACREP
Standards. In comparing these standards with the foci of articles in the journals, it is notable
that the professional identity core is more than adequately covered. This may be quite useful
for soon-to-be counselors acculturating to their profession. The core areas of social and cultural
diversity as well as human growth and development have also been a consistent presence in
the literature. The declining emphasis on helping relationships, noted since the 1980s, may be
explained by the current emphasis on classroom guidance over responsive services. It is hoped
that even when counselors spend less time counseling individual students, they are
well-informed and skilled in their interventions. Because of time pressures in schools, group

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

9 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

work is widely used; it is unfortunate that more attention has not been devoted to group
counseling. The most conspicuous absence of the core areas is that of assessment, which has
received diminishing coverage since the 1960s. Although school counselors typically do not
administer psychological or diagnostic tests, they are often in consultation with psychologists
and diagnosticians regarding testing results and, therefore, need to be knowledgeable in this
area. With only 1% of articles in the 2000s to date (and only 2% in each of the two preceding
decades) devoted to these tests, counselors will have to search elsewhere in the literature for
this important information. Research and evaluation, while consistently recommended, still
occupies a small proportion of space in the journals.
In 1986, Lewis, Hayes, and Lewis commented on the future needs of professional counselors.
While their comments were not specific to school counselors, several of their forecasts apply to
that specialty. An examination of their projections to see whether the literature has addressed
these needs seems appropriate at this milestone. These authors predicted that counselors
would need a strong sense of professional identity. The considerable attention devoted to this
topic in the literature perhaps indicates professional identity is an ongoing quest. The need for
counselors to have the ability to work with diverse populations was also noted, and we are
pleased to see the increasing attention to diversity issues in the school counseling journals. A
developmental orientation was recommended by Lewis et al. for future counselors, and the
journals have mirrored the concern of those schools that have placed major emphasis on
developmental counseling programs. The journals perhaps have taken more of a professional
issues approach than one of examining developmental issues as a separate focus. A corollary to
the developmental perspective is the need for holistic, interdisciplinary orientation. Although
theory has not been a major focus of the school counseling journals, it is notable that a variety
of theories have been covered. It is hoped this coverage has expanded the awareness of school
counselors about available approaches.
This analysis has examined the history of the school counseling journals. Goodyear (1984)
noted that the counseling journals speak to two constituencies, academicians and practitioners.
It appears this dual audience is a difficult one to serve, in providing material of interest to both
groups and providing an outlet for publication for both groups. The profession of school
counseling is firmly established with a professional organization celebrating its 50th anniversary,
an ethical code, training standards, a recognized body of knowledge, and a credentialing
process. The journals' emphasis on professional issues indicates that the profession still appears
to be struggling with an "identity" crisis. Once such issues are resolved, the profession will be
able to dedicate more of its resources to researching and evaluating current practices, which
have taken a back seat in the journals and in the profession for too long.
It was not until the middle of the 20th century that the field of school counseling attained the
status of a profession.
Practical articles those with direct application to counseling practice represented half of all
articles published from 1970 to 2000, but have a lesser presence in the new millennium.
The proportion of articles on professional issues is at the highest level ever, suggesting
concerns may be elevated due to the current focus on accountability and reform.
Representation in school counseling journals by school counselors (K-12 affiliations) has
decreased markedly from the 1950s to the present.
There were fairly equivalent numbers of articles emphasizing educational achievement alone
and articles simultaneously addressing both.
Legend for Chart

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

10 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

A - Senior Author
B - Decade: 1950s (n = 62)
C - Decade: 1960s (n = 478)
D - Decade: 1970s (n = 603)
E - Decade: 1980s (n = 699)
F - Decade: 1990s (n = 623)
G - Decade: 2000s (n = 76)
Table 1. Percentage of Articles for Senior Authors in Each
Affiliation in Each Decade
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
K-12
64.5
39.1
23.4
18.0
17.0
6.6
K-12 and University
0.0
1.0
1.0
2.3
1.0
3.9
Other
4.8
7.5
10.9
9.4
6.0
5.3
Other and University
0.0
0.0
0.5
2.0
1.0
1.3
University
30.6
51.9
63.9
68.0
75.4
82.9
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 because of rounding.
Legend for Chart
A - First Author
B - Second Author
C - Decade: 1950s (n =
D - Decade: 1960s (n =
E - Decade: 1970s (n =
F - Decade: 1980s (n =
G - Decade: 1990s (n =
H - Decade: 2000s (n =
Table 2. Percentage of
Each Decade
A

59)
428)
508)
561)
548)
66)
Articles by Each Author Combination in
B

3.5

3.4

C
H

3.3

5.1
1.5

K-12
K-12
4.0
University

24.8

University
31.6

39.1

3.4
48.5

3.7
University

3.9

University
6.6

6.6

1.7
4,5

3.3
University

10.

7.8

3.4
4.5

12.1
K-12

K-12

41.6

37.6

9.6
37.3

No Second
34.9

25.4
39.4

K-12
No Second
61.0
35.3
19.5
11.6
8.4
1.5
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 because of rounding.
Legend for Chart
A - Type of Article
B - Decade: 1950s (n
C - Decade: 1960s (n
D - Decade: 1970s (n
E - Decade: 1980s (n
F - Decade: 1990s (n
G - Decade: 2000s (n

=
=
=
=
=
=

70)
495)
609)
706)
628)
76)

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

11 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Table 3. Percentage of Types of Article Published in Each Decade

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Case Study
1.4
2.2
3.3
4.0
2.1
3.0
Literature Review
0.0
0.4
0.0
0.3
0.0
1.3
Practical
70.0
39.2
52.4
51.3
50.5
21.1
Professional Issue
18.6
36.4
17.6
13.3
17.0
40.8
Qualitative Research
0.0
2.6
6.1
4.0
4.9
5.3
Quantitative Research
8.6
17.8
13.6
21.2
21.3
21.1
Theoretical
0.0
1.2
1.3
4.4
2.5
6.6
Other or missing
1.4
0.2
5.8
1.5
1.6
0.0
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 because of rounding.
Legend for Chart
A - Theory
B - Decade: 1950s
C - Decade: 1960s
D - Decade: 1970s
E - Decade: 1980s
F - Decade: 1990s
G - Decade: 2000s
H - Total
Table 4. Number of Articles in Each Decade Focusing on a
Particular Theoretical Perspective
A
B
D
E
F
G
Adlerian
0
7
4
4
0
Behavioral
0
7
2
2
0
Play Therapy
0
2
6
7
0
Systems
0
1
5
6
0
Bibliotherapy
0
1
5
2
0
Cognitive-Behavioral
0
1
4
3
Rational-Emotive Therapy
0
3
2
2
0
Family Therapy
0
0
5
1
1
Solution-focused Brief Therapy
0
0
0
4
2

C
H
3
18
6
17
0
15
0
12
1
9
0
8
1
8
0
7
0
6

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

12 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Rogerian Person-centered
0
3

1
6

1
6

Reality Therapy
0
3
Total
0
13
28
33
34
4
112
Note. Only theories mentioned in five or more articles are
included in the table. Because overall percentages are so small,
frequencies were selected to better present the data.
Legend for Chart
A - Content
B - Decade: 1950s
C - Decade: 1960s
D - Decade: 1970s
E - Decade: 1980s
F - Decade: 1990s
G - Decade: 2000s
H - % of Total (N = 2,932)
Table 5. Percentage of Articles in Each Content
Decade
A
B
D
E
F
Professional Issues
50.7
27.6
20.8
24.2
Counseling Approaches & Techniques
16.4
28.4
20.1
18.1
Educational & Career
19.2
15.1
20.3
15.0
Family Issues
1.4
7.2
11.1
6.6
Mental Health
2.7
5.0
7.8
8.6
Multicultural
1.4
5.4
4.3
8.5
Development
5.5
3.2
5.5
5.5
Physical Health
1.4
0.9
1.6
3.4
Gender
0.0
2.8
1.0
1.2
Death & Loss
0.0
2.5
1.0
1.2
Substance Abuse
0.0
0.4
1.8
2.4
Abuse
0.0
0.9
2.4
0.9
Violence
0.0

Category by

C
H

37.0

39.0
27.9

10.2

21.0
21.2

8.3

25.0
18.1

8.3

3.8
7.4

4.6

1.5
6.0

13.0

2.6
5.6

3.7

5.8
5.0

0.9

0.2
1.6

0.0

0.9
1.4

0.9

0.0
1.2

0.9

0.0
1.2

0.0

0.0
1.1
0.0

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

13 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

0.1
Suicide

0.6

1.8

0.0
Not classified

0.9

2.4

0.5

0.3

10.2

1.0

1.9

0.0
0.9

0.0

0.2
0.4

0.0
1.4
0.6
Total

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 because of rounding. Some
articles are coded in more than one category.
Legend for Chart
A - Core Area
B - Decade: 1950s (n = 60)
C - Decade: 1960s (n = 395)
D - Decade: 1970s (n = 417)
E - Decade: 1980s (n = 522)
F - Decade: 1990s (n = 490)
G - Decade: 2000s (n = 74)
Table 6. Percentage of Articles in Each Decade Reflecting the
Common Core Areas of the 2001 CACREP Standards
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Professional Identity
50.0
42.0
31.4
24.7
31.2
43.2
Social & Cultural Diversity
3.3
5.3
7.4
9.6
12.7
13.5
Human Growth & Development
5.0
9.6
22.3
24.9
29.8
21.6
Career Development
15.0
9.1
7.0
9.6
5.3
2.7
Helping Relationships
16.7
14.9
16.3
20.1
11.4
4.1
Group Work
3.3
9.6
9.6
3.4
3.1
5.4
Assessment
3.3
6.3
2.9
1.9
2.4
1.4
Research & Program Evaluation
3.3
3.0
3.1
5.7
4.1
8.1
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
Note. N = 1,944 articles, or 75% of all articles. Some articles
were coded in more than one core area.
Legend for Chart
A - First Author
B - SC (1954-1996)
C - ESGC (1967-1997)
D - PSC (1997-2001)
Table 7. Percentage of Affiliations for First Author in Each
Journal
A
B
C
D
K-12
26.7
19.2
18.5
Dual (K-12 & University)
1.2
1.1
1.7
Other
9.0
8.9
3.4
Dual (Other & University)
0.5
15
0.4
University
60.2
68.3
75.9
Missing
2.3
1.0
0.0
Total
100
100
100
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 due to rounding. SC = The
School Counselor, ESGC = Elementary School Guidance and
Counseling, PSC = Professional School Counselor.

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

14 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Legend for Chart

A - Senior Author
B - Second Author
C - SC (1954-1996)
D - ESGC (1967-1997)
E - PSC (1997-2001)
Table 8. Percentage of Affiliations for Co-Authors in Each
Journal
A
B
C
D
E
K-12
University
4.8
5.4
6.6
University
K-12
5.7
11.3
8.1
K-12
None
22.6
13.6
10.4
University
None
37.1
40.2
28.9
K-12
K-12
3.6
3.5
2.8
University
University
26.2
26.0
43.1
Total
University
100
100
100
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 because of founding. SC
= The School Counselor; ESGC = Elementary School Guidance and
Counseling; PSC = Professional School Counselor.
Legend for Chart
A - Type of Article
B - Journal: SC (1954-1996) (n = 1,458)
C - Journal: ESGC (1967-1997) (n = 895)
D - Journal: PSC (1997-2001) (n = -232)
Table 9. Percentage of Types of Articles Published in Each
Journal
A
B
C
D
Case Study
2.4
3.7
3.4
Literature Review
0.0
0.4
0.4
Practical
48.7
51.1
38.8
Professional Issue
23.0
15.0
27.6
Qualitative Research
4.5
4.0
5.2
Quantitative Research
18.4
18.3
19.4
Theoretical
1.4
3.9
4.7
Other or missing
1.7
3.6
0.0
Total
100
100
100
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 because of rounding. SC
= The School Counselor, ESGC = Elementary School Guidance and
Counseling; PSC = Professional School Counselor.
Legend for Chart:
A - Content
B - Journal: SC (1954-1996)
C - Journal: ESGC (1967-1997)
D - Journal: PSC (1997-2001)
Table 10. Percentage of Articles in Each Content Category
Published in Each Journal
A
B
C
D
Professional Issues
32.1
21.5
27.4
Counseling Approaches & Techniques
15.8
29.5
21.1
Education & Career
21.8
14.6
10.7
Multicultural
5.8
3.7
10.4
Family
5.3
10.5
7.6
Mental Health
4.8
7.6
6.3
Violence
0.3
1.1
4.7
Development
5.2
4.9
4.1
Physical Health
1.1
2.0
2.8
Death & Loss
0.6
1.4
1.6
Suicide
0.6
0.4
1.3
Substance Abuse
0.7
1.1
1.3
Gender
2.5
0.0
0.6
Abuse
1.1
1.5
0.0
Other
1.1
0.2
0.0

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

15 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Total
100
100
100
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 because of rounding. SC
= The School Counselor; ESGC = Elementary School Guidance and
Counseling; PSC = Professional School Counselor.
Legend for Chart:
A - Core Area
B - SC (1954-1996)
C - ESGC (1967-1997)
D - PSC (1997-2001)
Table 11. Percentage of Articles in Each Journal Reflecting the
Common Core Areas of the 2001 CACREP Standards
A
B
C
D
Professional Identity
34.7
27.2
40.7
Social & Cultural Diversity
9.1
7.7
12.4
Human Growth & Development
20.0
24.8
21.1
Career Development
11.2
3.5
3.3
Helping Relationships
13.2
20.5
10.5
Group Work
5.3
6.9
6.2
Assessment
3.5
3.0
1.9
Research & Program Evaluation 2.9
6.5
3.8
Totals
100
100
100
Note. Totals will not always add to 100 because of rounding. Some
articles were coded in more than one core area. Note. N = 1,944
articles, or 75% of all articles. SC = The School Counselor; ESGC
= Elementary School Guidance and Counseling; PSC = Professional
School Counselor.

GRAPH: Figure. Percent of author affiliations in each decade.

References

Aubrey, R. (1992). A house divided: Guidance and counseling in 20th-century America. In D. R.

Coy, C. Cole, W.Huey, & S. Sears (Eds.), Toward the transformation of secondary school
counseling. Ann Arbor, MI: ERIC/CASS.
Baker, S. B. (2000). School counseling for the twenty-first century (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Merrill.
Brown, F. G. (1969). Seven years of the journal: A review. The Personnel and Guidance
Journal, 48, 263-272.
Coy, D. R. (1999). The role and training of the school counselor: Background and purpose.
NASSP Bulletin, 83(603), 2-8.
Culbreth, J., Scarborough, 1, Solomon, S., & Banks-Johnson, A. (2001, April). Factors affecting
school counselor role perceptions. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American
Counseling Association, San Antonio, TX.
Goodyear, R. K. (1984). On our journal's evolution: Historical developments, transitions, and
future directions Journal of Counseling and Development, 63, 3-9.
Greenwood, E. (1962). Attributes of a profession. Social Work, 2, 45-55.
Lewis, M. D., Hayes, R. L, & Lewis, J. A. (1986). An introduction to the counseling profession.
Itasca, IL: Peacock.
Pelsma, D. M., & Cesari, J. P. (1989), Content analysis of the Journal of Counseling and
Development: Volumes 48-66. Journal of Counseling and Development, 67, 275-278.

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

16 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

Pope-Davis, D. B., Ligiero, D. P., Liang, C., & Codrington, J. (2001). Fifteen years of the Journal
of Multicultural Counseling and Development: A content analysis Journal of Multicultural
Counseling and Development, 29, 226-238.
Poppen, W. A., & Thompson, C. L. (1974). School counseling: Theories and concepts. Lincoln,
NE: Professional Educators.
Simmons, J. (2002a). A golden opportunity. Counseling Today, 44(7), 8-10.
Simmons, J. (2002b) The swinging sixties. Counseling Today, 44(9), 8-10.
Sink, C. A. (1999). Professional School Counseling in transition. Professional School Counseling,
3(1), ii-iii.
Weinrach, S. G., Lustig, D., Chan, F., & Thomas, K. (1998). Publication patterns of the
Personnel and Guidance Journal/Journal of Counseling and Development: 1978-1993. Journal of
Counseling and Development, 76, 427-435.
APPENDIX
Topical Category Descriptions
Category
Description
Professional Issues
Roles of responsibilities of counselors, counselor training,
needs of school counselors, professional development, perceptions
of counselors, research and evaluation of programs.
Mental Health
Issues such as school phobia, alienation, social isolation,
anorexia, bulimia, stress, depression, ADD/ADHD, schizophrenia,
self-esteem, relocation problems, crisis situation
Counseling Approaches & Techniques
Working with groups, various theoretical approaches, behavior
modification, peer counseling
Physical Health
Such topics as obesity, homelessness, physical well-being,
runaways, body posture, acne
Education
Guidance curriculum, consulting with faculty and staff,
underachievement, dropouts, career counseling programs,
exceptional children, relaxation training, IEPs, study skills,
anti-smoking campaigns, computer-based prevention programs,
alcohol education
Diversity
Minority students and cultures, LEP students
Family
Parent-teacher issues, family variables, family systems, children
of divorces, COAs, parent consultation, intergenerational issues,
assessing family functioning
Development
Adolescent identity, development of mentally or physically
challenged students, moral development, school transitions,
behavioral adjustments
Violence
Violence prevention and interventions, bullying
Abuse
Battered children, sexual and physical abuse, child abuse
Death & Loss
Bereavement, grief, dealing with death
Gender
Female roles, female body image, homosexuality
Suicide

7/29/2009 10:59 PM

EBSCOhost

17 of 17

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=135&hid=5&sid=15915d6...

All issues relating to suicide

Substance Abuse
Alcoholism, drug abuse, inhalant use, specific substances,
counseling students with substance abuse problems
Other
Article did not fit any of the above categories
ADD/ADHD = attention deficit disorder/attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder; IEPs = individualized educational
programs; LEP = limited English proficiency; COAs = change of
addresses.

~~~~~~~~
By Sheri Bauman, Ph.D.; Jason Siegel; Lia Falco; Gerald Szymanski; April Davis and Karen
Seabolt
April Davis and Karen Seabolt were students in the program at the time this article was written.
Copyright of Professional School Counseling is the property of American School Counselor
Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv
without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download,
or email articles for individual use.

7/29/2009 10:59 PM