METHODS & PROCEDURES OF GUIDANCE
Chapter 29
METHODS
& PROCEDURES OF GUIDANCE
The Chapter at a Glance
Kinds of information needed for
guidance.
Methods of obtaining and
recording the information.
Utilization of information in
guidance work.
Role of the child guidance
clinic.
An
adequate system of guidance necessitates the collection of all relevant
information regarding the guidee, e.g., his physical and mental health, his
interests and aspirations, his home life, etc. For this purpose certain
elaborate data-collecting and recording procedures have been devised. The
collected information is then utilized in the actual guidance of the individual
in various life situations.
The Scheme of Chapter
The
present chapter is accordingly divided into the following three sections:—
Section
One: deals with the kinds of
information needed in guidance work.
Section Two: is devoted to the methods of obtaining and
recording the required
information.
Section
Three: discusses the modes of utilizing the collected information in guidance
work.
Section: One
Kinds of Information Needed for
Guidance
An adequate guidance of the
individual is possible only when pertinent information regarding various
aspects of his personal life as well as data about his home and community are
available.
We
may group the needed information under the following three headings:
(1) Information regarding the guidee or the individual needing
guidance.
(2) Information pertaining to his home life.
(3) Information about his community.
Information About the Guidee
The
various significant spheres of the life of the individual guidee regarding
which information is needed in order to offer him effective guidance are as
follows :—
(a)
Information regarding his physical and mental health.
(b)
Information regarding his interests and aspirations.
(c)
Information regarding his abilities and disabilities,
(d)
Information regarding his attitudes and values.
(a) Mental and Physical Health: Knowledge of the mental and physical
health and efficiency of the guidee is absolutely indispensable for his
successful guidance. Usually, a child guidance clinic has a trained
psychologist and an expert medical man on its staff. The psychologist makes an
exhaustive mental examination of the individual and collects detailed
information regarding his mental health. The medical man prepares a detailed
report regarding his physical health.
The
mental and the physical pictures of the individual conducted by these two
experts prove helpful for the guidance staff in understanding exact condition
of the individual with special reference
to his physical and mental assets and
liabilities.
In
order to proceed systematically and effectively in guidance work, obtaining
and recording of information about the individual's health must be done very
carefully.
(b) Interests and Aspirations: Knowledge of guidee's interests and
aspirations is also indispensable for his successful guidance. The guide must
know all the various social, cultural and athletic interests of the guidee and
make a correct assessment of his ambitions and aspirations in life.
(c) Abilities and Disabilities: Detailed information regarding
guidee's abilities and disabilities is also obviously essential. The guide must
be equipped with the necessary data about the light and the dark aspects of
guidee's physical, emotional, intellectual and social life.
This
will enable the guide to offer different and appropriate guidance to
individuals of differing abilities and disabilities. Thus in order to be
realistic and practical, differential guidance is required for the gifted, the
retarded, and the defective and other varieties of exceptional and average
children.
(d) Attitudes and Values: The attitudes of the guidee and the values
that he cherishes are yet other useful sources of information necessary in
order to guide him effectively. Thus the guide must have knowledge of the
general attitudes of the guidee towards people, objects and situations at home,
at school and elsewhere. He must also know the cultural, social, moral and
religious values that the guidee appreciates.
A
guidance which appears to conflict with the attitudes and values of the guidee
has little chance of success. When certain defective attitudes and values of
the guidee need eradication or modification, the guide should proceed with the
guidance program slowly and cautiously in order to minimize the possibilities
of arousing suspicion, antagonism and hostility in the guidee.
Information about Home Life
The
influence of the home on the life of an individual has been discussed in detail
in previous chapter on influence of the family. In order to be effective, a
guidance program must be based on thorough knowledge regarding the socio-economic
status, mental and physical health, social and cultural outlook, moral and
religious values, etc. of guide’s parents.
Information
regarding the physical setting of the home, data about the available
accommodation and the number of persons residing in it, the general standard of
cleanliness, the type of locality in which it is situated, etc., also prove to
be extremely helpful towards the effective guidance of the child.
In
a well organized psychological clinic, such information is usually collected by
an expert social worker who possesses the necessary training and experience for
this type of work.
Information Regarding the Community
An
individual is never a Robinson Crusoe. He lives, not in a desert island, but in
a group, a community of people. He influences them and is being deeply influenced
by them all the time. The guide should, therefore, possess the necessary information
regarding the general pattern of life in the community from which the guidee
hails.
Broadly
speaking the information required regarding the community could be classified
under the following two heads:—
(a)
The values and ideals of the community, and
(b)
The resources of the community.
(a) The Values and Ideals: The guide must, know the cultural, social,
moral and religious values and ideals that are cherished by the community. How
the modes, the conventions and the mess of the community affect the personality
of the child been discussed in detail in a previous chapter on the role of
culture.
(b) The community Resources: An adequate knowledge of the various
material resources, occupation opportunities, available in the community is
also very helpful. Equipped with such a useful fund of factual data the guide
finds himself in a better position to offer practical suggestions and advice to
the guidee. When guidance is practical and realistic in spirit the guidee feels
that he can translate the advice and suggestions offered by the guide into
action in concrete life situations.
Section: Two
Methods of Obtaining and Recording the Information
To
collect the relevant information needed for adequate guidance of an individual,
certain technical methods of obtaining and recording are being employed by
modern guidance experts. Indeed, one of the main features which distinguish
modern from pre-modern guidance procedures is the use of these specialized
methods of collecting data.
Some
of the commonly used data-collection methods are as follows:—
(1)
Observation.
(2)
Tests and Inventories.
(3) Interviews and Conferences.
(4)
Autobiographies.
(5)
Records.
Observation of the Guide
Information
regarding the guidee can be collected by observation of his behavior in
various situations. Thus a class teacher can observe the general behavior of
the students in the class, their physical and mental conditions, their
attitudes and values, etc. On the basis of such observations he can form a
fairly satisfactory impression of their life and problems. This will help him
in offering them appropriate guidance in various fields of their school life. A
guidance expert can also utilize such observational information supplied to him
by the school teacher or the parents in his guidance procedure.
The Element of Subjectivity: Observation
however is not a very scientific procedure. It may not give an exact and accurate
picture of the individual observed. Moreover, it is infected with the dangers
of subjectivity. A teacher or a parent is apt to project his own subjective
notions on to child.
Overcoming the Difficulties: However,
these and other inadequacies of the method of observation can be partially
overcome by making a resolute endeavor to be as objective as possible. A
teacher, for instance, may request other teachers to observe the same student
or group of students which he intends to guide. These different observations
may be carefully recorded. The teachers may discuss similarities and
differences in their observations and impressions regarding the same student or
group of students. They may then arrive at agreed conclusions regarding lives
and problems of their students. Such an approach proves helpful in
administering them adequate guidance.
Tests and Inventories
A
test is a more accurate technique of obtaining information regarding
individuals and groups. Tests of intelligence, ability, aptitude, scholastic
achievement, etc., are very commonly employed in guidance work. Intelligence
and aptitude tests, especially, have proved immensely fruitful in guiding
children and adults in the fields of education, industry and other vocations.
Inventories
have also served a useful purpose in yielding helpful data about the guidee.
Rating scales, self-inventories or self-rating scales are popular varieties of
this method. The additional value of the self-rating scale in guidance consists
in the fact that it also gives the guidee a valuable training in the art of
self-analysis and self-evaluation.
Interviews and Conferences
An
interview with the guidee and his parents is a direct and fruitful method of
getting the necessary information about the guidee.
Interview with Students: Strang considers that an interview can be helpful
for a teacher in guiding a pupil in the following educational situations:—
(1) When the teacher observes behavior which raises questions in
his mind which might be answerable in an interview with the student.
(2) When the teacher-counselor is ready periodically to consider,
in the light of all his knowledge of the student, what the school can do to further his development in the
best possible manner.
(3) When student’s records show a discrepancy between ability and
achievement, or other evidence of failure to realize his potentialities.
(4) When some special problem has arisen that
requires the co-operative thinking of student and teacher or counselor, as, for
example:
(a) Change in educational program.
(b) Unsatisfactory school behavior,
(c) Failure in one or more subjects,
(d) Reading difficulty,
(e) Poor attendance or tardiness,
(f) Problems of family relations,
(g) Poor social adjustment,
(h) Emotional instability, etc.
(5) When
a student is ready to choose a course of study or make plans for further
education.
(6) When a student is ready to choose the vocational field most
appropriate for him in the light of all the relevant factors.
(7) When an applicant is being considered for a school, college,
or job.
(8) When an applicant has been accepted and the school wants to learn
more about the kind of person he is.
(9) When a student is entering a new school or college to help him
orient himself and "get off to a good start.”
(10) When a student officer or a member of a group needs individual
help in playing his role more effectively in the group.
Interview with the Parents: An
interview with the parents may also yield a great deal of useful information
regarding the students, his home life, attitudes towards persons, situations,
work, studies, etc.
Guidance Conferences
A
case conference or a guidance conference is a meeting arranged at the school or
the psychological clinic between the teachers, the parents and the clinic
staff. The object of the conference is to understand and to guide the child
better in his problems. All these parsons, who possess knowledge of the child
from their respective angles, gather together and exchange their observations
and impressions. They make a
co-operative endeavor to outline a balanced and comprehensive approach towards
the child that might help him steer his way through his difficulties.
Such
conferences have proved extremely useful in administering guidance to students
regarding a diversified range of their everyday problems. Guidance conferences
are becoming very popular with guidance-minded parents and teachers*.
Autobiographies
are records made by the guidee himself of personal events, situations and
reactions. Some students are fond of keeping such autobiographical records in
the form of notes, diaries, etc. Such notes furnish first-hand information
about the students as they view themselves and as such have great value in
giving them adequate guidance. They provide an excellent study of the phantasies
of the students and their reactions to situations and problems that confront them
in their everyday life.
Unpopular with our Students: In our schools, however, children do not appear to
be very fond of keeping personal diaries. Consequently, not much use can be made
of this method. However, if they are encouraged to keep some sort of a record
or diary of their personal interacts and events, these accounts can prove
considerably helpful in understanding their problems and appreciating their
aspirations.
Utility of the Method: It may be
remembered that this is not a very reliable method on the whole for the obvious
reason that it is purely subjective. The information thus obtained can however,
be helpful, if it is used merely as supplementary data in conjunction with that
obtained through other objective devices.
Records of the Guidees:
There
are many kinds of records which are used in contemporary educational practice.
Some of the major kinds of records are as follows:-
(a) The Teacher's School Register or the Class
Book.
(b) The Headmaster's Office Record.
(c) The Pupil's Cumulative Record.
The Teacher's School Register: In old
days the teacher's school register used to contain all the necessary scholastic
information about pupils which a class teacher could collect. In modern times,
however, such a register contains only the record of a pupil's daily attendance
and nothing more. It cannot, therefore, yield any other information about the
students besides data about their punctuality and regularity in attendance.
The Headmaster's Office Record: As the
name suggests this record is usually kept at the Headmaster's or Principal’s office
by some schools. It is a complete account of the scholastic progress and
success of the pupils, and as such is more informative than the School
Register.
The Pupil's Cumulative Record: This is
a recent innovation in education. It is far more comprehensive than the
previous two types of records. It contains most of the relevant and valuable
data about the guidee which is usually needed for his guidance.
Cumulative
records fulfill several purposes. Various kinds of record fulfilling different
functions are as follows:-
(a) Records used for guidance.
(b) Records used for health program.
(c) Records used for a psychological study of
the child.
The
data recorded on those records also vary from record to record. On the basis of
the recorded information cumulative records can be classified under the
following categories:—
(a) Scholarship Records: which contain information regarding pupils'
scholastic progress
at the school.
(b) Standard Test Records: which give
details of the scores achieved by them in
various tests.
(c) Health Records: which contain a complete record of physical health examinations,
etc.
(d) Social Records: which are records of teachers' assessments and
measurements of
pupils' social achievement at
the school.
(e) Work Records: which are records of valuable data regarding
work-habits, outputs,
efforts, achievements, etc.,
of the pupils.
The Choice of the Methods
Some
of the significant methods of obtaining and recording information regarding the
guidee have been briefly described in the foregoing pages. It may be remembered
that the necessary information regarding a guidee may be
obtained by using any one or a combination of these methods, depending upon the
discretion of the guide and the requirements of the guidance procedure.
Section: Three
Utilization of Information in Guidance Work
The
question that now faces us is: how to utilize the information obtained through
these various sources in guiding the children?
The
collected information can be put to practical use by the following guiding
persons and agencies in their respective spheres of work:—
(1)
By the counselor in counseling the individual.
(2)
By the teacher in guiding pupils in the class.
(3)
By the parents in guiding children at home.
(4)
By the community agencies in general welfare and guidance work.
Counseling the Individual
In
most of the Western countries, the educational institutions provide counseling
services for the guidance of their students. A counselor is a trained adviser.
He possesses understanding of human personality and knowledge of the techniques
of diagnosis and treatment of young people’s everyday problems.
Information Utilized in Counseling: When
an individual approaches the counselor for counsel regarding some personal
problem, the counselor collects all the necessary data regarding him. For this
purpose he may utilize anyone method of obtaining information or a combination
of them. His main concern is to gather as much data about the individual as
possible, particularly about the following aspects:
(a) The growth and maturity phases of
the individual,
(b) His mental abilities,
(c) Record of his achievements,
(d) Details of his attitudes and
interests,
(e) Factual data about his
personality.
Detailed
information regarding these aspects of the individual enables him to get an
orientation towards the problems for which counsel is being sought. With all
this information in hand, the counselor feels confident in giving him adequate
counsel. Counseling service has proved very helpful to high school and college
students.
When
adequately trained counselors are not available, matured school teachers and
college lecturers may perform the function of counselor. They could offer
useful counsel to many a student regarding a number of their minor problems.
Limitations of a Counselor: A
counselor, however, has his own limitations. His training in psychological
techniques of diagnosis is usually not as sound as that of the regular psychologist.
His services, therefore, are not very helpful in obtaining guidance regarding
complicated human problems.
Guiding Pupils in the Classroom
Details
of the application of the principles of guidance in the class-room will be
discussed in a subsequent chapter on Guidance Services in Schools.
By virtue
of his intimate personal relationship whit the students a class teacher can do
tremendously useful guidance work with them.
Scholastic and Vocational Guidance: The
necessary data collected about the pupils can be immensely helpful for a teacher.
Information about the intelligence and ability of his pupils can enable him to
give individual attention to the scholastic needs of all the various types of
students in his class, ranging from the gifted to the dull and the backward. He
can also guide them in matters of selecting appropriate subjects of study at
different stages of school life. If he happens to possess a knowledge of
children's aptitudes he can offer them proper vocational guidance and training.
Emotional and Social Guidance: On the
emotional side, if he possesses the necessary information regarding their
personal, emotional and home life, he can help them overcome their minor
maladjustments. Through the influence
of his own adjusted personality he can succeed in inculcating in them desirable
forms of social habits and behavior.
In
fact, the knowledge of the information about the students yielded by various
methods should enable him to guide them in their everyday academic and
non-academic problems and help them to form healthy personality and character.
Limitations of the Teachers: As already
suggested, those schools which cannot afford to provide the children with
regular counseling or guidance services of their own can organize teacher
counselor services. However, sincere and interested teachers are often apt to
transgress their limitations and assume the responsibilities of a full-fledged
guide, administering complete guidance in all fields of life.
Serious
cases of children's problems require an elaborate knowledge of and training in
the theory and practice of guidance. Teachers should refrain from handling such
cases independently. They would do far better to consult a guidance expert in
such cases or refer them to a child guidance clinic, if one operates in and
around the schools.
Parental Guidance of Children at Home
Mature
parents help to mature their children in various fields of life. A mature
parent is one who approaches the child's problems in a sympathetic and systematic
manner. He provides him with all the necessary guidance that he requires in
facing the perplexities and hurdles encountered at various levels of his
development.
Utilization of Information in Home
Guidance: The prescribed method of getting information can obviously be
very helpful for parents in this direction. The information yielded through
these and other methods enables them to perform their parental functions
properly. They are better capable of meeting the physical, cultural, social and
educational needs of children when they are fully equipped with the necessary
information regarding their needs at various levels of growth.
Limitations of the Parents: However,
just as the teachers, parents too have their limitations. Owing to lack of necessary
training in handling children's problems they cannot provide adequate guidance
in all fields of their life. They should realize that difficult cases are to be
referred to a specialized guidance expert or agency.
Guidance Work by the Community Agencies
Information
regarding children can also be effectively utilized by community agencies
doing general welfare or reclamation work among children. An objective body of
useful information regarding children and their problems proves very enlightening
for the community workers.
Practical Insight for the Agencies: It
provides them with the practical insight needed to exert their efforts and
invest their finances in those directions about which help and guidance are
actually needed by children. Without such an adequate knowledge community
agencies are liable to make wrong estimations of children's needs and their
guidance problems. They are consequently apt to spend money and energy in wrong
and wasteful directions.
Limitations of the Community Agencies: A
community agency, however, has its own limitations. It is mainly a welfare
agency engaged in relief, reclamation or general welfare work on a mass scale
and not with the individuals as such. Furthermore, a community agency does not
usually possess the services of a guidance expert. It cannot, therefore, offer
specialized guidance to individual children in regard to their specific problems.
Role of the Child Guidance Clinic
Objectively
obtained information can be immensely helpful to the individual counselor, the
class teacher, the parents and the community agency workers within their
respective spheres of guidance work with children. All of these individuals and
agencies, however, can co-operate together and pool their resources for an
improved guidance of the child.
An Excellent Opportunity for Co-operation
A
child guidance clinic affords an excellent opportunity for such co-operative endeavor.
A guidance clinic secures help and co-operation of all these individuals and
agencies. It utilizes all available information
supplied by them and exploits it for guidance and welfare of the child.
How
does the staff at the guidance clinic achieve this? The next two chapters will
furnish a detailed answer to this question.
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