Teachers' perspectives on the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in school counseling

Abstract

This qualitative study presents the different perspectives of teacher-participants from selected areas in Luzon, Philippines on the use and application of ICT in guidance counseling and the school counselor's advocacy role. Certain property of story-telling or conversation (kwentuhan or pakikipagkwentuhan) was employed. This ethnographic technique is a naturally occurring phenomenon/process of sharing and telling stories among the individuals to figure out or to make sense about their world and their experiences. A snowball sampling technique was used that required the participants to recommend others who are into ICT integration. The open-ended format or interview schedule was utilized to investigate the different (a) uses of ICT [e.g. internet, e-mail], (b) problems/issues/gaps on the use and application of ICT or computer technology, and (c) innovative ways in using/applying ICT in school counseling. Results indicated that the views of the teacher-participants on ICT use generated the themes on (1) storing, encoding and preparing of materials/documents, (2) retrieving, distributing and utilizing data/information related to school counseling, and (3) other uses for entertainment, leisure and recreational activities. As to the potential uses of ICT, the subjects generated various uses as what they practice and what they have learned from their graduate courses on technology in education and knowledge management in education. The issues and problems mostly relate to the economic aspects, costs, administrators' attitudes towards the use of ICT, quality of information and on the issue of commercialism. Innovative programs presented dealt on the individual needs of the pupils and on the career services, but not on the ways to improve the professional capabilities of the guidance counselor. It was recommended that continuous re-training and establishment of a well-defined capacity building programs for guidance counselors focusing on individual skills of the counselors as to the other uses and application of ICT should be undertaken. On future research, accountability of administrators on ICT integration in school counseling can be carried out as well as more empirical studies on the different perspectives of administrators on ICT integration were noted. Furthermore, inquiries related to assessment/evaluation on reliability of information can be done by looking into the research outputs of students and faculty with the online materials cited on the bibliography. School counselors are to be guided through school-based in-service training and education ministry or government - sponsored programs on capacity building by putting emphases on the benefits of ICT use as well as case presentations of the various experiences of counselors in the Philippines about ICT integration in the implementation of the school guidance programs. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]