A Phenomenological Study: The Role of the Elementary School Counselor, as Perceived by the Elementary School Teacher

The purpose of the phenomenological qualitative study is to describe elementary school teachers’ perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors within the Greenbrier County School District. E. G. Williams’s trait-factor theory is the guiding theory for this study. Three research questions guide this study: How do elementary school teachers perceive the role of school counselors, what roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors do elementary school teachers feel they utilize most in their school, and what do elementary school teachers perceive to be the needs of their school related to counseling? Eight to fifteen teachers from nine elementary schools across Greenbrier County, West Virginia, will be interviewed. Each of the nine elementary schools has a 15:1 student/teacher ratio and enrolls between 87-460 students. Greenbrier County serves a large population but has defined itself into two parts: the Greenbrier Valley and the Meadow River Valley. The Greenbrier Valley houses six elementary schools, and the Meadow River Valley houses four elementary schools. The data and results from this study will clarify the roles and responsibilities of the elementary school counselor within a public school system versus an elementary teacher.