Role Behavior Profiles of Israeli School Counselors

This study of 681 school counselors in Israel examines how counselors allocate their time between counseling tasks and whether their role behavior can be characterized according to distinctive profiles. Three distinctive profiles of role behavior were identified: The traditional profile (40% of the sample), in which individual counseling to students was prominent; the prevention profile (20% of the sample), in which a guidance curriculum with an emphasis on prevention programs was prevalent; and the balanced profile (40% of the sample), in which the time devoted to the main counseling responsibilities is allocated in relatively equal proportions. Three variables were found to affect the profiles: the school setting (i.e., level), the principal's expectations from the counselor and the counselor's personal preferences. The findings of this study can contribute to the effort of defining and clarifying the role and function of school counseling in Israel and other countries.