The effectiveness of the counseling and guidance in special education course on counselor candidates’ attitudes toward and preparation levels with regard to students with disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Counseling and Guidance in Special Education (CGSE) course on counselor candidates’ attitudes toward and preparation levels regarding students with disabilities (SWD). The participants were 28 senior students enrolled in the Counseling and Guidance undergraduate program at Anadolu University in the spring semester of 2017-2018. The study utilized a pre-test-post-test single-group (without a control group) quasi-experimental design. The results of the Wilcoxon signed rank test and t-test that were utilized in the data analyses indicated that the differences between the participants’ pre-test and post-test scores of both attitudes and preparation levels regarding SWD were statistically significant. The results suggest that, in addition to the mandatory Special Education course that counselor candidates generally take in their freshmen year, additional courses aiming to develop advanced knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding SWD, such as the elective CGSE course, should be included in the curricula of counseling and guidance undergraduate programs. © 2019, Ankara University. All rights reserved.