Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Ellen B. Scales

Abstract

Teachers and counselors in a large suburban district in the Southeastern United States strive to collaborate to equip students with key skills needed to succeed in their first year of college. The problem is that little was known about the collaborative challenges teachers and counselors faced as they implemented the precollege curriculum in secondary schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how teachers and counselors collaborate formally and informally to improve the precollege curriculum as recommended by the guidelines of the American School Counselor Association and adopted by the local district. Knowles’s theory of andragogy provided a framework for exploring the routine work of 4 teachers and 4 counselors as they implemented curriculum and instruction. Participants were selected based on seniority, 3 or more years of collaborative experience, and certified employment with the district. Participants completed a questionnaire pertaining to Knowles’s adult learning and collaboration theory. Participant interviews were conducted using questions informed by Knowles’s theory of andragogy and collaborative relationships. Interview transcripts were reviewed through inductive analysis and line-by-line axial relationships were determined using a general coding system to look for teacher-counselor collaborative themes. Reported findings indicated that developing a common language and a mutual understanding of roles and responsibilities may affect positive social change for teachers and counselors and may eventually allow graduates to achieve success in college. It is recommended that professional developments be offered in multiple formats to provide greater collaborative flexibility for teachers and counselors in secondary schools.

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