Student self-concept, anxiety, teacher perception, and the referral process in elementary school counselling

• Main Author: MacRae, Alister
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/3093

The research problem in this study was to discover whether or not certain students were being overlooked in the counselling referral process as it functioned in an urban elementary school. The correlations between two self—concept measures, two anxiety measures, and teacher perception of students need for counselling were examined. A comparison was made between students perceived as needing counselling and students actually receiving counselling. The study also involved an examination of the male to female ratio with regard to teacher perception of student need for counselling. Two measures of self—concept and two measures of anxiety were administered to 35 intermediate students. The teachers in the five involved classrooms were asked to rate all of their students as to whether or not they needed counselling. Results indicated that there appear to be students who are being overlooked in the present counselling referral process which is based on teacher perception of student need. A negative correlation was found to exist between self—concept and anxiety measures. Male students were disproportionately perceived, in each of the five classes, as being in need of counselling.