The Relationship between the Degree of Counseling Skills and Difficulties Facing School Counselors in Palestinian Public Schools

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the degree of
counseling skills among the school counselors in
Palestinian public schools and its relationship with
the difficulties they face, as well as the differences
in the averages of both the counseling skills and
difficulties depending on: gender, specialization,
and years of experience of counselors. The study was
conducted on a cluster sample of (333) counselors
working in West Bank Public schools, representing
(48.0%) of the total population, using a correlational
descriptive approach. The results indicated that the
level of counseling skills was high with an average
of (3.89) , and the level of difficulties scores facing
the counselors was moderate with an average of
(2.85). The results also indicated that there were no
statistically significant differences in the counseling
skills due to gender, while the differences in the
total degree of counseling skills according to
specialization, were in favor of psychological and
educational counseling, and the skills of career
counseling are positively developed after 6 years
of experience. Results also indicates that there
are substantial differences in the difficulties facing
counselors in favor of males, and in favor of 5 years
experience or less, and unspecified specializations.
The results also showed the existence of a negative
statistically significant correlational relationship
between the counselors’ skills and difficulties facing
them, with a correlational coefficient of (0.21) , and
the regression model was able to explain (20%) of
the variance in the degree of difficulties that they
faced in the performance of their skills.