Factors Affecting the Development and Practice of School Counseling in Barbados

The influence of 11 factors on school counseling in Barbados were examined in this ethnographic study: (1) cultural factors; (2) national needs; (3) larger societal movements; (4) models of school counseling; (5) laws and educational policy; (6) characteristics of the public education system; (7) the counseling profession; (8) research and evaluation; (9) related professions; (10) community organizations or NGO coalitions; and (11) local stakeholder perceptions. Examining school counseling across four sites and five participants, findings revealed that the factors mostly aligned, but one new factor emerged and two previously identified factors were renamed, due to presenting somewhat differently in the Barbados context. Implications for practice, policy, and training are discussed.