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Group counseling with primary school-age children
Journal of School Psychology 1971 • Vol. 9, No. 2
GROUP COUNSELING WITH PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN ROBERT D. MYRICK University of Florida F.
DONALD KELLY, Rutgers University
JR.
Summary: This paper presents a study of developmental group counseling with three first grade children, one of whom was referred because of his inattentiveness and disruptive influence in the classroom. A counseling triad was introduced to facilitate the learning process. Systematic observation in the classroom as well as anecdotal evidence provided continuous data which suggested positive outcomes. C o n t e m p o r a r y writers in the field of E l e m e n t a r y School Guidance and Counseling ( D i n k m e y e r & Caldwell, 1970; Faust, 1968; Hansen & Stevic, t 9 6 9 ; Hill & Luckey, 1969; Meeks, 1 9 6 8 ) h a v e emphasized that counseling with children can and should be d o n e in groups. Faust (1968) stated emphatically that group counseling is preferred over individual counseling. Because m u c h of children's learning occurs in groups, it is assumed that group counseling offers the most effective and e c o n o m i c a l approach for new learnings and for the unlearning of ineffective attitudes and behaviors. According to D i n k m e y e r & Caldwell (1970), " G r o u p counseling involves the process of two or m o r e people working together with the assistance of a trained counselor, to explore and develop the basis for investigating and considering c o m m o n concerns more effectively" [p. 137]. In this respect, groups do n o t need to be crisis-oriented, but can have a d e v e l o p m e n t a l focus. Thus, a child is encouraged to participate in an inter-personal process, through which he explores his feelings, attitudes, values, and behaviors as they are related to the tasks and problems of his d e v e l o p m e n t a l stage. Developmental group counseling is therefore b o t h preventive and remedial. A child referred for counseling does not have to be placed in a problem-centered group; he can participate in a feelings- and behaviororiented discussion group which will help him learn about himself and others. If the group is effective, the child will gain new understanding and learn new behaviors which reduce conflict in the p r o b l e m area. A l t h o u g h m a n y counselors are interested in and see the need for working with children in groups, fewer t h a n 10% of the certified elementary school counselors in the United States actually engage children in group counseling (Greene, 1967). Much of this inaction can be attributed to inadequate counselor e d u c a t i o n programs; even m o r e of the blame can b~ directed toward the lack of relevant theory, m e t h o d o l o g y , and research in the area. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , most of the professional literature, including recent t e x t b o o k s , presents i n f o r m a t i o n and guidelines which are either t o o general or Journal o f S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9 , 1 9 7 1
137
138
Robert D. Myrick & F. Donald Kelly, Jr.
inappropriately drawn from adult groups. Ideas as to what might be done within the group session and how the counselor might structure it to assure more opportunity for the exploration of feelings and behavior are few. It is not very helpful to the practitioner when writers cite principles and guidelines which are, at most, directed to young adults or uppergrade children and then conclude: "The language used in presenting these rules or guidelines is determined by the age and developmental level of the child" [Hansen & Stevic, 1969, p. 167]. Hill & Luckey (1969) noted that a review of studies surveyed in the Review o f Educational Research over the past decade showed only four studies of group counseling with c h i l d r e n - a n d all four were with uppergrade children. This paper presents a study of group counseling with three primary grade children. One of the children was referred as a classroom problem. The other two were selected because it seemed that they could benefit from such an experience. Because young children do not have the verbal capacity or the attention span to participate in traditional group counseling experiences, a more structured approach was developed which helped the children to become more aware of feelings and to practice expressing and relating them to their behavior in school. In brief, the counselor with primary children is often a teacher of feelings and behaviors. The group counseling approach presented here was based o n t h e concept of "feelings classes" (Faust, 1968) and demonstrates how young children can be guided to discuss themselves and others through successive steps.
METHODOLOGY The problem. Victor, a seven-year-old Negro boy, was repeating the first grade in a public elementary school. He was described by his teacher as restless, aggressive, and inattentive; he was increasingly falling behind in his work during the spring. Athletically inclined and reasonably well-liked by his peers, he was frequently involved in fights because of his roughness in games on the playground. He often teased, pushed, shoved, and butted other children when in the cafeteria line or when in small groups in the classroom or playground. When class assignments were given by the teacher, Victor would usually delay starting. His concentration was short; after a few minutes he would leave his seat for a drink of water, go to the bathroom, talk with other children, or engage in some other non-lesson activity. When the teacher told him to sit down, Victor tended to smile wryly, as if pleased with the extra attention, and would slowly saunter to his seat, w h e r e he would fidget, talk loudly, or look out the window. Because of his lack of involvement in class activities, he was a disruptive influence in the classroom. He had been referred to the principal on three previous occasions for disciplinary reasons. The youngest of four children, Victor came from a lower-middle Journal o f S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9, 1971
Group Counsefing with Primary School-Age Children
139
socioeconomic family. Grade level scores on the Stanford Achievement Test, administered in the spring of the second school year, ranged from 1.3 to 1.8 in all areas, with a 1.5 in reading. The other children. The two other children, Jimmy and Linda, were from the same room. Jimmy, a six-year-old white boy from an upper-middle socioeconomic family, was creative, above average academically, and a class leader, but he perfomed sporadically in the classroom He was described as restless, rushing through his school work. He enjoyed playing tag and rough games with Victor. Some children considered him "bossy;" the teacher preceived him as "hyperactive," an impulsive talker who was not fully applying himself. Linda, a six-year-old Negro girl from a middle socioeconomic family, was cooperative with the teacher and popular with her peers. She followed directions well and was usually involved in class related activities. Although she frequently "giggled" in class, she was not considered a disruptive influence. Linda performed well academically but was careless with math problems. Sometimes it appeared that she deliberately made mistakes to gain the teacher's attention. Group counseling described. After consulting with the classroom teacher, a visiting counselor decided to involve Victor in a group counseling experience with two other children. (Previous experience with children of this age suggested that a larger group would make it difficult for the children to relate and learn from each other.) The counselor met the children for a series of five half-hour sessions conducted over five consecutive school days. The meetings took place in a small-group room in the school, which was minimally furnished with chairs and a table. All other materials (art supplies and pictures) used in counseling were taken to the room by the counselor. It was assumed that the developmental small group experience would allow the children to talk about feelings and behaviors, particularly as related to school. In a group discussion, the counselor generally sets guidelines but wants to avoid being perceived as a "typical" rule-enforcing adult. In this case, a discussion triad was used as a group counseling procedure, which allowed each child to rotate through three different roles: (a) talker, (b) listener, and (c) observer. On the first day, the counselor introduced himself to the children and explained that they would be working together in the small group. The children walked slowly with him to a room, where they sat in a semi-circle. The counselor said, "I would like to learn more about children your age and I think you can help me. Perhaps, as a result of our meetings and your talking to me and each other, you will also learn more about yourselves." The counselor then said he knew that there were probably many things which Journal of S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9, 1971
140
Robert D. Myrick & F. Donald Kelly, Jr.
made children their age happy and unhappy about school and this is what they would have an opportunity to talk about the first day. To facilitate their learning process, the counselor carefully outlined the three group participation parts that each child would eventually play: talker, listener and observer. He explained that the talker would be given one minute to say what he liked and disliked about school. The listener would ask questions and try to repeat what he had heard when the talker finished. The observer was to watch the listener for his listening behaviors and later make helpful suggestions to the listener as well as add to the discussion anything that he felt was not already mentioned. The children approached the task enthusiastically, as if it were a game. After each child had rotated through each part, they discussed what had happened. This gave the counselor an opportunity to expand, summarize, clarify, and restate feelings that had been mentioned. For the final few minutes, the children drew with magic marker pens. The next day, at the appointed time, the children ran eagerly to the group room and were seated when the counselor came in. "What are we going to talk about today? . . . . Can we draw some more?" The counselor first responded to their feelings of the moment and then said, "Today, let's talk about teachers and other adults you know." Again, the rotating discussion triad was used to structure the counseling process. The children said they liked teachers and adults who gave them attention, were nice, and let them do things that they [the children] wanted to do. They especially disliked being ignored, "as if you weren't i m p o r ta n t , " being told to sit down and be quiet, and "always" doing what the teacher wanted. The discussion triad allowed each child to talk and be heard. It helped elicit feelings from the children and a conversation of behaviors related to these feelings. It enabled the counselor to respond more directly to each child and to incorporate group reactions. On the third day, the counselor attempted to focus on a general discussion of feelings. When asked, "What are feelings?" Jimmy replied, "Like when you feel something; when you touch the table, the c h a i r . . , then you feel it." The counselor asked if there were other kinds of feelings. Linda said, "Yes, the kind that you feel inside." When asked to elaborate, the children offered such words as " g o o d , " " b a d , " " h a p p y , " and "sad." The counselor then gave each child pictures (from magazines) of children and adults. These pictures showed strong expressions of feelings (sadness, happiness, anger, and embarrassment). Each child in turn told the others what he saw in a picture and how he thought the person was "feeling inside." During the fourth session, the counselor focused the discussion on how feelings were related to behaviors. Using the feelings discussed in the previous session, the children were asked what made them feel happy, sad, angry, or embarrassed. They replied that when someone is nice to them, when someone is their friend and when they can play on the playground, they are happy. It made them angry to be pushed in line, to be bothered when doing something at their desk. They were sad when other children didn't like them, or when the teacher was mad at them. Jimmy reported that he was embarrased when the teacher caught him doing something he shouldn't be doing. Jou]cnal o~ School Psychology, Volume 9, 1971
Group Counseling with Primary School-Age Children
141
The final session was als0 used to relate feelings to behavior. The children were asked, "What things do you do that make others happy, sad or angry?" Each child told the others, by name, what they did that made him feel happy, sad or angry. The discussion triad was used, so that each child had an opportunity to receive personal feedback from the other two children. At one point, Jimmy said to Victor: " Y o u are my friend; you play with me and sometimes take up for me; that makes me feel good . . . . But, sometimes you butt up in line ahead of us, or you push me out of line and that makes me mad!" Linda said, "Victor, sometimes you come over and bother me when I'm working; that makes me feel s a d - a n d a n g r y - s o m e t i m e s . " The session ended after the children discussed how they felt about the group meetings and how they might become better friends. Measuring the outcomes. Dinkmeyer & Caldwell (1970) stressed that developmental counseling can lead to more positive progress in the classroom situation. In order to examine the effects of the counseling process in this study, systematic classroom observations were made. An observer was trained to differentiate and record the frequency of attending and non-attending behavior in the classroom. He sat away from the class activities and did not interact with students or the teacher. Attending behavior was defined as lesson-oriented behaviors such as listening to the teacher, looking at children who were responding during the lesson, working assignments at his desk, and copying instructions from the board. Non-attending behaviors were non-lesson oriented activities such as looking out the window, playing with pencils and crayons, walking around the room, and talking with others about non-lesson subjects. A sample of Victor's classroom behavior was obtained by identifying a 25-minute observation period in the morning which was considered representative of typical classroom activities. The observation period included some of the boy's reading time and some of the time which he was expected to spend on his daily assignments. Behavior was observed and recorded at 15-second intervals, which produced a total of 100 samples of classroom behavior each day for 19 days. The first six days provided baseline data. On the seventh day, group counseling was begun and continued for five days. The following eight days served as postcounseling period and provided some follow-up data. The recorded observation data are shown graphically in Figure 1. During the pre-counseling period, Victor spent an average of 48% of his time attending to lesson-oriented activities. After group counseling was initiated, the non-attending behavior began to decrease until Victor was attending on the average of 64% of the time during the treatment period. More significantly, however, the post-counseling observations indicate that attending behavior continued to improve to 77% of the time, a progressive increase in attending time. Journal of School Psychology, Volume 9, 1971
142
Robert D. Myrick & F. Donald Kelly, Jr. Figure 1 I00. ~-
FREQUENCYOF ATTENDINGBEHAVIOR (VICTOR)
90.
80.
70.
s~ 60,
50,
'z i.
40.
30.
20.
it),
()
lo 11 12 1~ 14 Pre-Counsel Period in~
I
']ounsel Per t~din~
I
5 1
17 I.
19
Post-Period CounSel ing
* Group Counseling Begins ** Group Counseling Nnds
A n e c d o t a l data. The classroom teacher did n o t see the observation data until after the study was c o m p l e t e d . The observer turned in the observation data sheets after each observation period and was unaware of the general trend indicated by the data. Yet b o t h the teacher and the observer r e p o r t e d a definite change in Victor's behavior. T h e y described him as m o r e attentive and " i n t e r e s t e d " in the class. A l t h o u g h he did n o t turn in all class assignments, he c o m p l e t e d more of his school work. The teacher felt that m o r e assignments were c o m p l e t e d because V i c t o r r e m a i n e d in his seat more than before. In regards to the o t h e r two children, J i m m y appeared tO pay m o r e a t t e n t i o n to class activities, asked fewer questions before beginning his work, and seemed less " f i d g e t y . " No noticeable change could be observed in Linda. All three children r e p o r t e d that t h e y liked meeting and talking with the counselor. A follow-up two weeks after the study (just b e f o r e the s u m m e r vacation) indicated that Victor c o n t i n u e d to be more a t t e n t i v e and cooperative in the classroom than before counseling. He c o m p l e t e d more work, and, with the e x c e p t i o n of one day w h e n he was sent to the principal for pushing a n o t h e r child, was less disruptive of others. J o u r n a l of S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9, 1971
Group Counsehng with Primary School-Age Children
143
DISCUSSION
This study reported a group counseling approach which can be used with primary children. The approach focused on structuring a learning experience: three children were given the opportunity to learn about feelings and behaviors, their own and others'. The children successively discussed school, teachers and adults, pleasant and unpleasant feelings, feelings as related to behaviors, and, finally, feelings about each other. A counseling discussion triad proved helpful in eliciting feelings and ideas from the children and provided a loosely structured learning process which allowed the counselor to respond more fully to each child and to facilitate self-awareness through the group process. In terms of traditional research, this study of group counseling is limited because the collection of data was primarily confined to one subject. Moreover, the so-called "Hawthorne e f f e c t" may have been an uncontrolled variable which must be considered as part of the treatment. However, a systematic observation and recording system in the actual classroom provided objective data which suggests that the group counseling process contributed significantly to a positive change in behavior. If developmental group counseling in the elementary schools is to contribute significantly to the learning process, then new theories, operational procedures and guidelines must be developed and researched. REFERENCES
Dinkmeyer, D. C., & Caldwell, C. E. Developmental counseling and guidance: A comprehensive school approach. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1970. Faust, V. The counselor-consultant in the elementary school. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1968. Greene, K. L. Functions performed and preferred by elementary school counselors in the United States. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 1967. Hansen, J. C., & Stevic, R. R. Elementary school guidance. London: Macmillan, 1969. Hill, G. E., & Luckey, E. B. Guidance for children in elementary schools. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1969. Meeks, A. Guidance in elementary education. New York: Ronald Press, 1968. Peters, H. J., Shertzer, B., & VanHoose, W. Guidance in elementary schools. Chicago: Rand McNaUy, 1965. Robert D. Myrick Associate Professor of Education Department of Counselor Education University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32601 F. Donald Kelly, Jr. Assistant Professor of Education Department of Psychological Foundations Graduate School of Education Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903 Received: July 6, 1970 Revision Received: August 11, 1970 Journal of S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9, 1 9 7 1
GROUP COUNSELING WITH PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN ROBERT D. MYRICK University of Florida F.
DONALD KELLY, Rutgers University
JR.
Summary: This paper presents a study of developmental group counseling with three first grade children, one of whom was referred because of his inattentiveness and disruptive influence in the classroom. A counseling triad was introduced to facilitate the learning process. Systematic observation in the classroom as well as anecdotal evidence provided continuous data which suggested positive outcomes. C o n t e m p o r a r y writers in the field of E l e m e n t a r y School Guidance and Counseling ( D i n k m e y e r & Caldwell, 1970; Faust, 1968; Hansen & Stevic, t 9 6 9 ; Hill & Luckey, 1969; Meeks, 1 9 6 8 ) h a v e emphasized that counseling with children can and should be d o n e in groups. Faust (1968) stated emphatically that group counseling is preferred over individual counseling. Because m u c h of children's learning occurs in groups, it is assumed that group counseling offers the most effective and e c o n o m i c a l approach for new learnings and for the unlearning of ineffective attitudes and behaviors. According to D i n k m e y e r & Caldwell (1970), " G r o u p counseling involves the process of two or m o r e people working together with the assistance of a trained counselor, to explore and develop the basis for investigating and considering c o m m o n concerns more effectively" [p. 137]. In this respect, groups do n o t need to be crisis-oriented, but can have a d e v e l o p m e n t a l focus. Thus, a child is encouraged to participate in an inter-personal process, through which he explores his feelings, attitudes, values, and behaviors as they are related to the tasks and problems of his d e v e l o p m e n t a l stage. Developmental group counseling is therefore b o t h preventive and remedial. A child referred for counseling does not have to be placed in a problem-centered group; he can participate in a feelings- and behaviororiented discussion group which will help him learn about himself and others. If the group is effective, the child will gain new understanding and learn new behaviors which reduce conflict in the p r o b l e m area. A l t h o u g h m a n y counselors are interested in and see the need for working with children in groups, fewer t h a n 10% of the certified elementary school counselors in the United States actually engage children in group counseling (Greene, 1967). Much of this inaction can be attributed to inadequate counselor e d u c a t i o n programs; even m o r e of the blame can b~ directed toward the lack of relevant theory, m e t h o d o l o g y , and research in the area. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , most of the professional literature, including recent t e x t b o o k s , presents i n f o r m a t i o n and guidelines which are either t o o general or Journal o f S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9 , 1 9 7 1
137
138
Robert D. Myrick & F. Donald Kelly, Jr.
inappropriately drawn from adult groups. Ideas as to what might be done within the group session and how the counselor might structure it to assure more opportunity for the exploration of feelings and behavior are few. It is not very helpful to the practitioner when writers cite principles and guidelines which are, at most, directed to young adults or uppergrade children and then conclude: "The language used in presenting these rules or guidelines is determined by the age and developmental level of the child" [Hansen & Stevic, 1969, p. 167]. Hill & Luckey (1969) noted that a review of studies surveyed in the Review o f Educational Research over the past decade showed only four studies of group counseling with c h i l d r e n - a n d all four were with uppergrade children. This paper presents a study of group counseling with three primary grade children. One of the children was referred as a classroom problem. The other two were selected because it seemed that they could benefit from such an experience. Because young children do not have the verbal capacity or the attention span to participate in traditional group counseling experiences, a more structured approach was developed which helped the children to become more aware of feelings and to practice expressing and relating them to their behavior in school. In brief, the counselor with primary children is often a teacher of feelings and behaviors. The group counseling approach presented here was based o n t h e concept of "feelings classes" (Faust, 1968) and demonstrates how young children can be guided to discuss themselves and others through successive steps.
METHODOLOGY The problem. Victor, a seven-year-old Negro boy, was repeating the first grade in a public elementary school. He was described by his teacher as restless, aggressive, and inattentive; he was increasingly falling behind in his work during the spring. Athletically inclined and reasonably well-liked by his peers, he was frequently involved in fights because of his roughness in games on the playground. He often teased, pushed, shoved, and butted other children when in the cafeteria line or when in small groups in the classroom or playground. When class assignments were given by the teacher, Victor would usually delay starting. His concentration was short; after a few minutes he would leave his seat for a drink of water, go to the bathroom, talk with other children, or engage in some other non-lesson activity. When the teacher told him to sit down, Victor tended to smile wryly, as if pleased with the extra attention, and would slowly saunter to his seat, w h e r e he would fidget, talk loudly, or look out the window. Because of his lack of involvement in class activities, he was a disruptive influence in the classroom. He had been referred to the principal on three previous occasions for disciplinary reasons. The youngest of four children, Victor came from a lower-middle Journal o f S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9, 1971
Group Counsefing with Primary School-Age Children
139
socioeconomic family. Grade level scores on the Stanford Achievement Test, administered in the spring of the second school year, ranged from 1.3 to 1.8 in all areas, with a 1.5 in reading. The other children. The two other children, Jimmy and Linda, were from the same room. Jimmy, a six-year-old white boy from an upper-middle socioeconomic family, was creative, above average academically, and a class leader, but he perfomed sporadically in the classroom He was described as restless, rushing through his school work. He enjoyed playing tag and rough games with Victor. Some children considered him "bossy;" the teacher preceived him as "hyperactive," an impulsive talker who was not fully applying himself. Linda, a six-year-old Negro girl from a middle socioeconomic family, was cooperative with the teacher and popular with her peers. She followed directions well and was usually involved in class related activities. Although she frequently "giggled" in class, she was not considered a disruptive influence. Linda performed well academically but was careless with math problems. Sometimes it appeared that she deliberately made mistakes to gain the teacher's attention. Group counseling described. After consulting with the classroom teacher, a visiting counselor decided to involve Victor in a group counseling experience with two other children. (Previous experience with children of this age suggested that a larger group would make it difficult for the children to relate and learn from each other.) The counselor met the children for a series of five half-hour sessions conducted over five consecutive school days. The meetings took place in a small-group room in the school, which was minimally furnished with chairs and a table. All other materials (art supplies and pictures) used in counseling were taken to the room by the counselor. It was assumed that the developmental small group experience would allow the children to talk about feelings and behaviors, particularly as related to school. In a group discussion, the counselor generally sets guidelines but wants to avoid being perceived as a "typical" rule-enforcing adult. In this case, a discussion triad was used as a group counseling procedure, which allowed each child to rotate through three different roles: (a) talker, (b) listener, and (c) observer. On the first day, the counselor introduced himself to the children and explained that they would be working together in the small group. The children walked slowly with him to a room, where they sat in a semi-circle. The counselor said, "I would like to learn more about children your age and I think you can help me. Perhaps, as a result of our meetings and your talking to me and each other, you will also learn more about yourselves." The counselor then said he knew that there were probably many things which Journal of S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9, 1971
140
Robert D. Myrick & F. Donald Kelly, Jr.
made children their age happy and unhappy about school and this is what they would have an opportunity to talk about the first day. To facilitate their learning process, the counselor carefully outlined the three group participation parts that each child would eventually play: talker, listener and observer. He explained that the talker would be given one minute to say what he liked and disliked about school. The listener would ask questions and try to repeat what he had heard when the talker finished. The observer was to watch the listener for his listening behaviors and later make helpful suggestions to the listener as well as add to the discussion anything that he felt was not already mentioned. The children approached the task enthusiastically, as if it were a game. After each child had rotated through each part, they discussed what had happened. This gave the counselor an opportunity to expand, summarize, clarify, and restate feelings that had been mentioned. For the final few minutes, the children drew with magic marker pens. The next day, at the appointed time, the children ran eagerly to the group room and were seated when the counselor came in. "What are we going to talk about today? . . . . Can we draw some more?" The counselor first responded to their feelings of the moment and then said, "Today, let's talk about teachers and other adults you know." Again, the rotating discussion triad was used to structure the counseling process. The children said they liked teachers and adults who gave them attention, were nice, and let them do things that they [the children] wanted to do. They especially disliked being ignored, "as if you weren't i m p o r ta n t , " being told to sit down and be quiet, and "always" doing what the teacher wanted. The discussion triad allowed each child to talk and be heard. It helped elicit feelings from the children and a conversation of behaviors related to these feelings. It enabled the counselor to respond more directly to each child and to incorporate group reactions. On the third day, the counselor attempted to focus on a general discussion of feelings. When asked, "What are feelings?" Jimmy replied, "Like when you feel something; when you touch the table, the c h a i r . . , then you feel it." The counselor asked if there were other kinds of feelings. Linda said, "Yes, the kind that you feel inside." When asked to elaborate, the children offered such words as " g o o d , " " b a d , " " h a p p y , " and "sad." The counselor then gave each child pictures (from magazines) of children and adults. These pictures showed strong expressions of feelings (sadness, happiness, anger, and embarrassment). Each child in turn told the others what he saw in a picture and how he thought the person was "feeling inside." During the fourth session, the counselor focused the discussion on how feelings were related to behaviors. Using the feelings discussed in the previous session, the children were asked what made them feel happy, sad, angry, or embarrassed. They replied that when someone is nice to them, when someone is their friend and when they can play on the playground, they are happy. It made them angry to be pushed in line, to be bothered when doing something at their desk. They were sad when other children didn't like them, or when the teacher was mad at them. Jimmy reported that he was embarrased when the teacher caught him doing something he shouldn't be doing. Jou]cnal o~ School Psychology, Volume 9, 1971
Group Counseling with Primary School-Age Children
141
The final session was als0 used to relate feelings to behavior. The children were asked, "What things do you do that make others happy, sad or angry?" Each child told the others, by name, what they did that made him feel happy, sad or angry. The discussion triad was used, so that each child had an opportunity to receive personal feedback from the other two children. At one point, Jimmy said to Victor: " Y o u are my friend; you play with me and sometimes take up for me; that makes me feel good . . . . But, sometimes you butt up in line ahead of us, or you push me out of line and that makes me mad!" Linda said, "Victor, sometimes you come over and bother me when I'm working; that makes me feel s a d - a n d a n g r y - s o m e t i m e s . " The session ended after the children discussed how they felt about the group meetings and how they might become better friends. Measuring the outcomes. Dinkmeyer & Caldwell (1970) stressed that developmental counseling can lead to more positive progress in the classroom situation. In order to examine the effects of the counseling process in this study, systematic classroom observations were made. An observer was trained to differentiate and record the frequency of attending and non-attending behavior in the classroom. He sat away from the class activities and did not interact with students or the teacher. Attending behavior was defined as lesson-oriented behaviors such as listening to the teacher, looking at children who were responding during the lesson, working assignments at his desk, and copying instructions from the board. Non-attending behaviors were non-lesson oriented activities such as looking out the window, playing with pencils and crayons, walking around the room, and talking with others about non-lesson subjects. A sample of Victor's classroom behavior was obtained by identifying a 25-minute observation period in the morning which was considered representative of typical classroom activities. The observation period included some of the boy's reading time and some of the time which he was expected to spend on his daily assignments. Behavior was observed and recorded at 15-second intervals, which produced a total of 100 samples of classroom behavior each day for 19 days. The first six days provided baseline data. On the seventh day, group counseling was begun and continued for five days. The following eight days served as postcounseling period and provided some follow-up data. The recorded observation data are shown graphically in Figure 1. During the pre-counseling period, Victor spent an average of 48% of his time attending to lesson-oriented activities. After group counseling was initiated, the non-attending behavior began to decrease until Victor was attending on the average of 64% of the time during the treatment period. More significantly, however, the post-counseling observations indicate that attending behavior continued to improve to 77% of the time, a progressive increase in attending time. Journal of School Psychology, Volume 9, 1971
142
Robert D. Myrick & F. Donald Kelly, Jr. Figure 1 I00. ~-
FREQUENCYOF ATTENDINGBEHAVIOR (VICTOR)
90.
80.
70.
s~ 60,
50,
'z i.
40.
30.
20.
it),
()
lo 11 12 1~ 14 Pre-Counsel Period in~
I
']ounsel Per t~din~
I
5 1
17 I.
19
Post-Period CounSel ing
* Group Counseling Begins ** Group Counseling Nnds
A n e c d o t a l data. The classroom teacher did n o t see the observation data until after the study was c o m p l e t e d . The observer turned in the observation data sheets after each observation period and was unaware of the general trend indicated by the data. Yet b o t h the teacher and the observer r e p o r t e d a definite change in Victor's behavior. T h e y described him as m o r e attentive and " i n t e r e s t e d " in the class. A l t h o u g h he did n o t turn in all class assignments, he c o m p l e t e d more of his school work. The teacher felt that m o r e assignments were c o m p l e t e d because V i c t o r r e m a i n e d in his seat more than before. In regards to the o t h e r two children, J i m m y appeared tO pay m o r e a t t e n t i o n to class activities, asked fewer questions before beginning his work, and seemed less " f i d g e t y . " No noticeable change could be observed in Linda. All three children r e p o r t e d that t h e y liked meeting and talking with the counselor. A follow-up two weeks after the study (just b e f o r e the s u m m e r vacation) indicated that Victor c o n t i n u e d to be more a t t e n t i v e and cooperative in the classroom than before counseling. He c o m p l e t e d more work, and, with the e x c e p t i o n of one day w h e n he was sent to the principal for pushing a n o t h e r child, was less disruptive of others. J o u r n a l of S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9, 1971
Group Counsehng with Primary School-Age Children
143
DISCUSSION
This study reported a group counseling approach which can be used with primary children. The approach focused on structuring a learning experience: three children were given the opportunity to learn about feelings and behaviors, their own and others'. The children successively discussed school, teachers and adults, pleasant and unpleasant feelings, feelings as related to behaviors, and, finally, feelings about each other. A counseling discussion triad proved helpful in eliciting feelings and ideas from the children and provided a loosely structured learning process which allowed the counselor to respond more fully to each child and to facilitate self-awareness through the group process. In terms of traditional research, this study of group counseling is limited because the collection of data was primarily confined to one subject. Moreover, the so-called "Hawthorne e f f e c t" may have been an uncontrolled variable which must be considered as part of the treatment. However, a systematic observation and recording system in the actual classroom provided objective data which suggests that the group counseling process contributed significantly to a positive change in behavior. If developmental group counseling in the elementary schools is to contribute significantly to the learning process, then new theories, operational procedures and guidelines must be developed and researched. REFERENCES
Dinkmeyer, D. C., & Caldwell, C. E. Developmental counseling and guidance: A comprehensive school approach. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1970. Faust, V. The counselor-consultant in the elementary school. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1968. Greene, K. L. Functions performed and preferred by elementary school counselors in the United States. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 1967. Hansen, J. C., & Stevic, R. R. Elementary school guidance. London: Macmillan, 1969. Hill, G. E., & Luckey, E. B. Guidance for children in elementary schools. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1969. Meeks, A. Guidance in elementary education. New York: Ronald Press, 1968. Peters, H. J., Shertzer, B., & VanHoose, W. Guidance in elementary schools. Chicago: Rand McNaUy, 1965. Robert D. Myrick Associate Professor of Education Department of Counselor Education University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32601 F. Donald Kelly, Jr. Assistant Professor of Education Department of Psychological Foundations Graduate School of Education Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903 Received: July 6, 1970 Revision Received: August 11, 1970 Journal of S c h o o l P s y c h o l o g y , V o l u m e 9, 1 9 7 1