The effectiveness of a guidance training program in developing professional self-exploration among a sample of gifted students at King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence

Al-Fasatlah, Riyad Abd Al-Latif Falah; Al-Qaraleh, Abd Al-Naser Mousa

doi:10.21608/jsrep.2025.460805

The effectiveness of a guidance training program in developing professional self-exploration among a sample of gifted students at King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Executive Director – De Bono Center for Teaching Thinking, and Ph.D. Candidate in Counseling and Educational Psychology, Mutah University, Jordan.

² Professor of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Mutah University, Jordan.

10.21608/jsrep.2025.460805

Abstract

The current study aimed to verify the effectiveness of a counseling training program in developing professional self-exploration and to verify the extent to which they retained effectiveness one month after the end of the program, among a sample of students from King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. A scale was developed for professional self-exploration among students and their psychometric properties were verified. A counseling training program consisting of (15) sessions was also prepared. A field sample was selected to identify the level of professional self-exploration among students and to select a sample from them. The field sample consisted of (100) students, from whom the sample that would undergo the counseling training program was selected. It came in the lower quartile and consisted of (24) students. They were divided into two groups: the first group was experimental, with (12) students who underwent the counseling training program, and the second group was a control group, with (12) students who did not undergo any counseling training intervention during the program period. The results indicated that the students who underwent the counseling training program achieved a statistically significant better level in professional self-exploration compared to the control group. The experimental group also demonstrated continued improvement in professional self-exploration one month after the program ended, demonstrating the program's long-term effectiveness. Based on the results, several recommendations were made, including the need for counselors to utilize the current guidance training program to help students develop their level of professional self-exploration.

Keywords

References

Barrett, T. C. , & Tinsley, H. E. A. (1977). Vocational self-concept crystallization and vocational indecision. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 24, 301–307.
Capuzzi, D. , & Stauffer, M. (2012). Career Counseling Foundation, Perspective and Application. 2nd Ed, New York, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Ettinger, J. (1996). Improved Career Decision Making in a Changing World: Participant's Resource Guide. New York: National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee.
Gargiulo, R. (2015). Special Education in Contemporary Society, An Introduction to Exceptionality (Sixth edition) SAGE Publication. Inc.
Hartung, D. , & Blustein, L. (2002). Reason, Intuition, a Social Justice: Elabora Parson's Career Decision-making Model. Journal of Counseling Development, 80 (1), 41 – 48.
Hirschi, A. , & Freund, P. (2013). Theceer engagement scale: development and validation of a measure of proactive career behaviors, Journal of career assessment, 1-17.
Kosine, N. , & Lewis, M. (2008). Growth and exploration: Career development theory and programs of study. Career and Technical Education Research, 33 (3), 227-243.
Miedijensky, S. (2025). Insights into Gifted Development: The Influence of Childhood, Learning Environments, and Family from Gifted Adults Perspectives Education Sciences,, 15(6), 506-677
Nasta, K. (2007). Influence of career self-efficacy beliefs on career exploration behaviors, Master of Science in mental health counseling.
Nota, L, Ginevra, M. & Carrieri, L. (2010). Career Interests and self-efficacy Beliefs among Young Adults with an Intellectual Disability, Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 7 (4), 250-260.
Ohlsen, M. (2011). Humanistic Teaching, The Journal of Humanistic Education and Development, 35(3), 130-134, https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2164-4683.1997.tb00362.
Pfeiffer, S. (2012). Serving the gifted: E vidence-based clinical and psychoeducational practice, Taylor & Francis Group.
Renzulli, J. S., & Reis, S. M. (1997). The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A How-to Guide for Educational Excellence. Mansfield, CT: Education Resources Information Center.
Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, D. , Mylonas, K. , & Katerina, A. (2015). Self-Efficacy in Career Planning: A New Approach to Career Exploration, International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 11(2), 40-54, May 2015
Stallard, P. (2019). Thinking good, feeling better: A cognitive behavioral therapy workbook for adolescents and young adults, John Wiley & Sons, 1th ed.
Stone, B. , & Dahir, A. (2006). the transformed school counselor. Boston, MA.
Zunker, V. (2003). Career Counseling Applied Concepts of life planning (3rd Ed. ) Mothery Brooks/ Cole Publishing Company.