High School Seniors' Perceptions of the High School Counselor

The researcher investigated high school seniors’ perceptions of the high school counselor. The participants consisted of 404 Kansas high school seniors, class of 1989, enrolled in 12 high schools across the state. The questionnaire consisted of 24 items pertaining to career, educational, personal, social, and administrative counselor functions. Five composite null hypotheses were tested yielding 90 comparisons. One statistically significant result was found in the career function, six in the educational function, and none in the personal, social, or administrative functions. The results indicated that male and female students responded similarly to the items. Students from small schools reported greater comfort in talking to their counselor about career plans than students from large schools. Students with high grade point averages reported greater comfort in talking to their counselor about educational issues than students with low grade point averages. Students from small schools reported greater comfort in talking to their counselor about educational issues than students from large schools. Students who had visited their counselor four or more times reported greater comfort in talking to their counselor about educational issues than students who had not visited their counselor. Students with high grade point averages who were from small schools reported greater comfort in talking to their counselor about educational issues than students from large schools. Students from small schools who had plans to attend a technical school or 2-4 year college reported greater comfort in talking to their counselor about educational issues than students from large schools. Students with high grade point averages who had plans to attend a technical school or 2-4 year college reported greater comfort in talking to their counselor about educational issues than students with low grade point averages.