Identity of the academic counselor in the Colombian context: role, functions and positioning

Abstract

This study describes the professional identity of a group of school counselors in the Colombian context based on the functions they perform and how they position themselves. We explore which are the functions that are mostly exercised by school counselors. The predominant internal and external positions are identified and the significant relationships, which can describe identity patterns, between these positions and the functions they perform. The participants were 67 school counselors from schools in Colombia. The study adopted a mixed concurrent nested design, combining quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The identity of this group of professionals is mediated by factors such as the educational level they work with, professional training, years of professional experience, the activity registration tools used, and participation in a professional network. The results show that the statistically significant functions are aimed to personalize and individualize attention to students and their families. We found that as soon as the years of professional experience increase, school counselors position themselves more as promoters of coexistence and less as institutional leaders. The most significant external positions are the principal, the coordinator, and the students. The absence of more constructivist approaches is evidenced where, under its socio-formative character, the intervention of the school counselor is more focused on teaching and learning strategies and educational innovation.