Applying APA's learner-centered principles to school-based group counseling - General Features - American Psychological Association

Professional School Counseling, Oct, 2002 by Heather R. Stroh, Christopher A. Sink

Evaluation of the Group

Small group counseling in a learner-centered school necessitates a focus on the individuality and the socio-cultural experiences of each student. As such, the evaluation process necessitates a focus on the quality of growth, learning, and change of each member. Just as the needs, interests, abilities, and personal goals are different for each group participant, not surprisingly the outcomes may be as well.

In addition, evaluation is not a static activity. It is continuous, occurring throughout the group experience and often after the group has ceased to formally convene. In fact, the Association of Specialists in Group Work (1989) presented in its ethical guidelines that group counselors should attempt to engage in ongoing assessment, including following up with members after termination of the group to determine if members have reached their goals.

Appropriate learner-centered evaluation methods for school-based counseling groups include pretest and posttest surveys to assess qualitative changes in attitudes or beliefs (Smead, 1995), individual follow-up interviews and classroom observations as well as post-group meetings (Corey & Corey, 2001). Like Marzano (1998), Corey and Corey recommended, for example, journal writing as an important self-reflective process to assess student metacognition and various aspects of self-regulation (e.g., motivational characteristics of learning; Pintrich & Zusho, 2002) in the classroom:

   We ask ... that members keep process notes in a journal. On the basis of
   their journal notes, which are private, they write several reaction papers
   describing their subjective experience in the group as well as what they
   are doing outside the group.... By writing, members are able to focus on
   relevant trends and the key things they are discovering about themselves.
   (p. 268)

Such an evaluative tool utilizes students' conceptual frameworks (e.g., cognitive schemas), allowing students and counselors to link students' unique sociocultural perceptions to behavior and feelings. For example, because Hispanic-American students may conceptualize family relations differently than those from a European-American home (e.g., Baruth & Manning, 1992), school counselors should examine these self-evaluations within each group member's sociocultural context.

Not to be forgotten is the group leader's self-evaluation (see Smead, 1995, for assessment suggestions). McCombs and Whisler (1997) also focused on the importance of self-assessment of educators in a learner-centered school. Self-assessment and self-reflection allow counselors and other educators to take responsibility for their own professional growth. In addition, such assessment and reflection allow educators to be a part of the learning process as they reflect on their own practices and effectiveness, rather than existing separate from it. For example, leaders can assess how well they followed learner-centered principles in the formation and process of the group. Was the group homogenous or heterogeneous? Did the needs of the students drive the content? Were meaningful and relevant learning opportunities facilitated for all group members? Were appropriate group behaviors and skills modeled? Were the structure and content too restrictive?