Counsellor Education Moving Towards Change.

Abstract

Education changes people. People can also change education. In reviewing a postgraduate counsellor education programme in Aotearoa New Zealand, the relatively new teaching team of experienced counsellor educators identified several stages of research that required completion in order to address questions about changing curriculum content and teaching and learning styles in a distance-learning environment. We applied consultative methods associated with appreciative inquiry, including the supplementation of our conversations with various stakeholders in the provision of counselling and within the team, with an online survey questionnaire sent out to 75 recent graduates of the programme, 22 of whom responded. Graduates were asked to consider how different elements of the Professional Development (PD) workshops had prepared them for continuing development as reflective practitioners; professional employment; gaining professional membership; and appropriate progression in the guidance and counselling field. We report findings using both descriptive statistics and a narrative letter to imagined prospective students. Results of this research and its implications have changed the programme and will continue to inform the curricula and learning and teaching styles in counsellor education and development at Massey University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors 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. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)