Exploring School Counselors’ Perceptions of How Poverty Impacts Elementary School Students’ Capacity for Academic and Emotional Success: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate school counselors’ viewpoints regarding poverty’s influence on elementary school students’ executive functioning, self-regulation abilities, and academic performance. The impact of poverty on children’s academic achievement is widely acknowledged, and school counselors’ assistance to students from low-income families is considered paramount. The study provided a unique viewpoint regarding alleviating poverty by highlighting the crucial significance of education and skills. The guiding theory in the research study was the social cognitive theory that offers a conceptual structure for comprehending how school counselors’ observations and experiences within the educational setting influence their perspectives regarding the effects of poverty on students. The theory interprets how these perceptions impact individuals’ interventions, views toward policy interventions, and support strategies. The research employed a phenomenological approach to understand school counselors’ perceptions of the impact of poverty on self-regulation and executive function in elementary school students and the effectiveness of interventions put in place. The results will make a valuable contribution to the current body of literature by offering new perspectives on how school counselors perceive the effects of poverty on executive functioning, self-regulation abilities, and academic performance. Data collection was through interviews, whereas data analysis was through thematic analysis where common themes relating to the research phenomenon are identified, interpreted, and discussed.