Using Narrative Career Counseling With the Underprepared College Student

Abstract

An increasing number of students enter college underprepared. These students do not have the academic skills to take college-level courses and are placed in remedial classes. Career counseling can help underprepared college students make educated career decisions based on their current situations. This article explores the characteristics of underprepared college students, examines career-related issues these students face, and reviews the literature on narrative career counseling. The life design method is applied to a case example of an underprepared college student to demonstrate how to best serve the needs of these students.

Serving the Developmental and Learning Needs of the 21st Century Diverse College Student Population: A Review of Literature

“…Hughes, Gibbons, and Mynatt (2013) used case study methodology to study the effectiveness of narrative career counseling with diverse populations. One problem that academically underprepared students struggle to overcome is the need for remediation in English and mathematics, the gatekeeping courses.…”

“…One problem that academically underprepared students struggle to overcome is the need for remediation in English and mathematics, the gatekeeping courses. The need for academic remediation for underprepared students causes them to have increased time in college, and as a result they have greater financial concerns and stresses (Hughes et al, 2013) These additional demands placed on underprepared students in college can also spill over into career development concerns and issues (Hughes et al, 2013). The study demonstrated that narrative career counseling can help reduce these stresses, and promote positive college and career outcomes by allowing the students to construct meaning in the career counseling process, and by focusing on the positive growth and development of the whole person (Hughes et al, 2013).…”

“…The need for academic remediation for underprepared students causes them to have increased time in college, and as a result they have greater financial concerns and stresses (Hughes et al, 2013) These additional demands placed on underprepared students in college can also spill over into career development concerns and issues (Hughes et al, 2013). The study demonstrated that narrative career counseling can help reduce these stresses, and promote positive college and career outcomes by allowing the students to construct meaning in the career counseling process, and by focusing on the positive growth and development of the whole person (Hughes et al, 2013). Traditional career counseling processes and techniques rely on inventories and ideas that were developed based on research with wealthy White students at elite colleges, and often do not provide the support needed by underprepared students (Athanasou, 2011).…”

“…Traditional career counseling processes and techniques rely on inventories and ideas that were developed based on research with wealthy White students at elite colleges, and often do not provide the support needed by underprepared students (Athanasou, 2011). Narrative career counseling can help address personal and academic issues that can inhibit students, and affect career decision-making self-efficacy (Hughes et al, 2013).…”

Synchronous Online Peer Tutoring via Video Conferencing Technology: An Exploratory Case Study

“…Armstrong, Arnold, and Lu (2012) defined "college readiness" as "a student's capacity to enroll in the first year, earn passing grades in courses, and persist to his or her educational goals" (p. 1). Hughes, Gibbons, and Mynatt (2013), on the other hand, defined academic unpreparedness as students who perform below college standards in math, reading comprehension, or writing skills. According to a 2004 report published by the National Center for Education Statistics, only 26.8 percent of graduating high school seniors had completed high level coursework (Chen, Tasoff, & Wu, 2010).…”