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A Qualitative Study of School Counseling in Barbados: A Focused Ethnography

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Abstract

This qualitative study examines the roles, practices, challenges and demands of school counselors (known as guidance counsellors) in Barbados. A focused ethnographic approach is used to provide a comprehensive and nuanced view of five school counselors’ experiences. Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to code and analyze the data from the interviews led to three overarching themes: the 3Rs (Roles, Responsibilities and Requirements); Problematizing the Policies, Politics and Culture; and School Family Community Contexts. This study’s findings have implications for school counselor practice, policy, and training in Barbados and other small states, especially those with a colonial history, as they develop and implement school counseling programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. California State University Fresno, 5005 N. Maple Ave M/S 3, Fresno, CA, USA

    Dominiqua M. Griffin

  2. The Pennsylvania State University, 327 Cedar Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Julia Bryan

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  1. Dominiqua M. Griffin
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  2. Julia Bryan
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Correspondence to Dominiqua M. Griffin.

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Griffin, D.M., Bryan, J. A Qualitative Study of School Counseling in Barbados: A Focused Ethnography. Int J Adv Counselling 43, 424–445 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-021-09445-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-021-09445-x

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