Andronikos C Kaliris | National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (original) (raw)

Papers by Andronikos C Kaliris

Το έργο των επαγγελματικών συμβούλων, σε εποχή κοινωνικο-οικονομικής μεταβλητότητας και αστάθειας... more Το έργο των επαγγελματικών συμβούλων, σε εποχή κοινωνικο-οικονομικής μεταβλητότητας και αστάθειας στον κόσμο της εργασίας, γίνεται ιδιαίτερα απαιτητικό και μπορεί να εκτείνεται από την ενδυνάμωση ψυχοκοινωνικών πηγών (Σιδηροπούλου-Δημακάκου, Αργυροπούλου, Δρόσος, Καλίρης, & Μικεδάκη, 2014), έως και την υλοποίηση θεραπευτικών παρεμβάσεων για προσωπικά προβλήματα που αλληλεπιδρούν με την επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη (McIlveen, 2015). Επομένως, για να ανταποκρίνονται οι σύμβουλοι στους πολύπλοκους ρόλους και αρμοδιότητές τους με επιτυχία, χρειάζεται να αποκτούν διαρκώς νέες γνώσεις, ειδικές δεξιότητες, όπως επίσης, να διαθέτουν κατάλληλες πεποιθήσεις αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας σχετικά με τις συμβουλευτικές παρεμβάσεις (Καλίρης, Σιδηροπούλου-Δημακάκου, Αργυροπούλου, & Φακιολάς, 2013).Η παρούσα διδακτορική έρευνα στηρίχθηκε στο πλαίσιο της κοινωνιογνωστικής θεωρίας (Bandura, 1997, 2012) και ειδικότερα, στην προσέγγιση σχετικά με τις πηγές πληροφόρησης που διαμορφώνουν τις πεποιθήσεις αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας. Kεντρικός στόχος της έρευνας ήταν η βαθύτερη κατανόηση των πιθανών πηγών-παραγόντων στους οποίους βασίζονται οι επαγγελματικοί σύμβουλοι για να δομήσουν αίσθηση εμπιστοσύνης στις ικανότητές τους. Το τελευταίο χαρακτηριστικό είναι ιδιαίτερα σημαντικό καθώς συνδέεται με την κινητοποίηση και στην αποτελεσματικότητα των συμβούλων (Gilliam, 2012. Wan Jaafar, Mohamed, Bakar, & Ahmad Tarmizi, 2009).Χρησιμοποιήθηκε διερευνητικός ακολουθιακός σχεδιασμός (sequential exploratory design, Creswell, 2009) με δύο κύριες φάσεις. Το περιεχόμενο των θεμάτων, των κωδικών και των αποσπασμάτων λόγου που προήλθαν από την πρώτη ποιοτική (qualitative) φάση καθώς και η σχετική θεωρία, συνδυάστηκαν για να κατασκευαστεί μια νέα Κλίμακα αξιολόγησης των Πηγών Αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας στην Επαγγελματική Συμβουλευτική (ΚΠΑΕΣ). Σε πιλοτική έρευνα (Ν=118) βρέθηκε ότι η ΚΠΑΕΣ διαθέτει ικανοποιητικούς δείκτες αξιοπιστίας και την αναμενόμενη δομή. Mε βάση στατιστικά και εννοιολογικά κριτήρια διατηρήθηκαν 56 ερωτήματα. Στη δεύτερη ποσοτικότροπη (quantitative) φάση, μετά από επανέλεγχο αφαιρέθηκαν εκ νέου ορισμένα εξ αυτών και έτσι, η τελική μορφή αποτελείται από 34 ερωτήματα. Η ΚΠΑΕΣ συνδυάστηκε με την ελληνική τροποποιημένη μορφή της Κλίμακας Αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας στην Επαγγελματική Συμβουλευτική (Ο’Brien, Heppner, Flores, & Bikos, 1997), την Kλίμακα Kύριων Aυτοαξιολογήσεων (Judge, Erez, Bono, & Thoresen, 2003) και αυτοσχέδιο ερωτηματολόγιο ατομικών-δημογραφικών χαρακτηριστικών, που χορηγήθηκαν τόσο σε στελέχη (Ν=219) όσο και σε μεταπτυχιακούς φοιτητές επαγγελματικής συμβουλευτικής και προσανατολισμού (Ν=31).Τα αποτελέσματα επιβεβαίωσαν εμπειρικά, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, τις θεωρητικές θέσεις σχετικά με τις θεμελιώδεις πηγές πληροφόρησης που διαμορφώνουν την αυτοαποτελεσματικότητα (Bandura, 1997, 2005, 2012). Συγκεκριμένα, βρέθηκε ότι,οι σύμβουλοι τείνουν να βασίζονται σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό στην «προηγούμενη συναφή εμπειρία» συγκριτικά με τους εκπαιδευόμενους, ενώ οι εκπαιδευόμενοι, βασίζονταν περισσότερο, συγκριτικά με τους συμβούλους, στις εμπειρίες «καθοδήγησης και εποπτείας» και στην «επιβεβαίωση μέσω της ανατροφοδότησης από συναδέλφους». Τα αποτελέσματα ανάλυσης προφίλ επαναλαμβανόμενων μετρήσεων (profile analysis with repeated measures) έδειξαν ότι τα μοτίβα των βαθμολογιών που σημείωσαν οι σύμβουλοι και οι εκπαιδευόμενοι στις πηγές διαμόρφωσης των πεποιθήσεων αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας διαφέρουν σημαντικά μεταξύ τους και δεν κινούνται με παράλληλο τρόπο. Ωστόσο, και οι δύο ομάδες συμμετεχόντων σημείωσαν υψηλές βαθμολογίες (άνω του 3,50) σε διαστάσεις που σχετίζονταν με την αποκτηθείσα εμπειρία, την εκπαίδευση, τις επαναλαμβανόμενες επιτυχίες και την ανατροφοδότηση από τους πελάτες. Οι διαστάσεις αυτές συνδέονταν θετικά με την αυτοαποτελεσματικότητα και στα δύο δείγματα. Τέλος, ανάλυση πολλαπλής παλινδρόμησης έδειξε ότι η πολλαπλή συσχέτιση της «διάρκειας προϋπηρεσίας», των «κύριων αυτοαξιολογήσεων/θετικής αυτοαντίληψης» και της «συνεχούς κατάρτισης σε νέες μεθόδους, προσεγγίσεις και τεχνικές» εξηγεί το 34% της διασποράς των τιμών αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας στην επαγγελματική συμβουλευτική. Τα ευρήματα συζητούνται υπό το πρίσμα της σημασίας τους για την αποτελεσματικότητα του συμβουλευτικού έργου, την αυτοαξιολόγηση και το σχεδιασμό προγραμμάτων κατάρτισης των επαγγελματικών συμβούλων.

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Business & Entrepreneurship Journal, Apr 11, 2023

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Frontiers in Education

Although teacher effectiveness plays a critical role in the learning process, little is known abo... more Although teacher effectiveness plays a critical role in the learning process, little is known about its conceptualization and assessment, particularly in higher education (HE). This review aims to fill this gap by (a) listing the literature on teacher effectiveness, (b) identifying the instruments that have been used to assess teacher effectiveness (HE), and (c) highlighting the most effective teaching approaches based on the relevant literature. The selection process considered studies published since 1990 and conducted in higher education contexts with students. The research articles measured instructional processes and faculty effectiveness in terms of student outcomes, focusing on student achievement and student satisfaction. In reviewing the international research, special attention was paid to Southeastern Europe and Greece in particular. After a thorough review, the analysis revealed 26 studies. The results show that there is no universal definition of effective higher educat...

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 2018

The primary goal of this paper is to present a number of recent major theoretical and empirical a... more The primary goal of this paper is to present a number of recent major theoretical and empirical advances in the field of career decision-making since this process has been increasingly identified by experts as a relatively subjective experience. In this line, a series of conceptual shifts concerning career decision-making and the relevant fundamental problem of career indecision are described. In particular, it seems that the scope of career guidance and counseling has moved from some rigid constructs (e.g. “sources of indecision”, “decision-making styles”) to more flexible, dynamic, holistic and multi-dimensional concepts (e.g. “coping strategies”, “positive psychosocial strengths-resources”, “future time perspective”) that may support the individuals in making better career decisions in the complex world of work of the 21 st century. Another aim of the article, on the basis of the aforementioned developments, is to provide proposals for the construction of an effective model for d...

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International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 2021

This study examined the relationships among courage, strategies of coping with career indecision,... more This study examined the relationships among courage, strategies of coping with career indecision, and future orientation in a sample of high school students. A total of 460 Greek adolescents from provincial cities participated in the study. The results indicated that courage indirectly predicted future orientation through productive coping strategies. The main conclusion refers to the fact that specific interventions could promote productive coping strategies and courage, which in turn, may foster the future orientation of adolescents to construct multiple positive occupational pathways, coping with various career and life decisions and, overall, orient themselves positively toward the future.

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International Journal of Psychological Studies, 2018

Based upon substantial research on career adaptability, and on specific cross-cultural validation... more Based upon substantial research on career adaptability, and on specific cross-cultural validation research of the Career Adapt-abilities Scale (CAAS) (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012) we recruited a sample of Greek university students (Ν = 452) in order to test further the Greek form of the scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis models showed that the four-factor structure was supported for the Greek form, comprising four dimensions: concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. The original six items per dimension structure was also maintained. Internal consistency estimates were satisfactory, and test-retest reliability reached acceptable levels. Indications of convergent validity were found as CAAS positively correlated with self-esteem. To further explore for the construct validity of the scale score differences by gender and year of studies were also examined. Overall, the observed differences were found to be in the expected direction. This validity study indicates that CAAS may be safe...

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New perspectives on career counseling and guidance in Europe, 2017

When adolescents face times of crisis, two key resources are determinant for their personal and p... more When adolescents face times of crisis, two key resources are determinant for their personal and professional development: career adaptability and courage. Career adaptability is vital to increase adolescents’ ability to accept and handle the uncertainty and ambiguity of the world of work, whereas courage is crucial in this current period of historic change, as it seems to be a key resource for career decision-making in relation to perceived future risks. After a review of international research on these two dimensions, we present a cross-cultural study on the predictive role of career adaptability and courage among French, Greek, and Italian adolescents. Finally, we provide specific suggestions for career counseling and guidance.

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Australian Journal of Career Development

Although robust evidence has been accumulating over the last decades supporting the effectiveness... more Although robust evidence has been accumulating over the last decades supporting the effectiveness of career counseling in various populations, yet there are scarce conceptual or empirical studies investigating the impact of distinct approaches, such as traditional-“psychometric,” narrative, or a mixed (integrative) one. The primary aim of this paper is to make a contribution in the field, providing a synthetic overview of contemporary research findings regarding the effectiveness of narrative and mixed career counseling approaches with a special focus on university students. The recent trend of utilizing mixed approaches in career assessment and intervention is also emphasized in the article, suggesting they may have a great potential in helping young adults advance meaning-making about career and life design. Finally, a discussion of both benefits and challenges relating to narrative and mixed interventions along with recommendations for extending research in the area of assessing ...

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Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2022

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Exploring Narrative Ideas in Career Counseling, 2022

Today, grounded on the turbulent conditions of the social and work environment as well as the uns... more Today, grounded on the turbulent conditions of the social and work environment as well as the unstable life and career paths individuals are going through (Guichard, 2015; Savickas, 2015), incorporating constructivist-narrative methods and techniques in career counseling seems essential, at least in some client cases. Narrative approaches could support the identification of an individual's meaning-making process and have the capacity to face clients holistically with respect to career development issues. The aim of this article is to provide a brief review of several influential narrative approaches in career counseling that emerged in the last two decades. A second goal of this work is to highlight fundamental strengths of narrative career counseling approaches, showcasing their benefits in counseling practice, especially in promoting the construction of a robust and solid autobiographical career narrative.

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Baltic Journal of Career Education and Management

Contemporary career guidance and counselling approaches with particular interest to subjects whic... more Contemporary career guidance and counselling approaches with particular interest to subjects which concern the development of career management skills since these skills are considered important means for the active exploration of the vocational course and the development of a career. The development of skills related to career adaptability and self-efficacy in the planning of a career could help students who are finishing Upper-secondary School (Lykeio) to approach creatively their career aims, and to deal effectively with the transitions or unexpected events by applying appropriate actions. The present study employed the survey research strategy in order to examine the level of the career adaptability and self-efficacy in the planning of a career with male and female students (N = 240) of Upper-secondary Schools (General Lykeia - GEL) and Vocational Upper-secondary Schools (Vocational Lykeia - EPAL) in Greece. Specifically, it examined the level of skills which students declare th...

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International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2016

This paper aims at highlighting a grid of career management skills which can help university stud... more This paper aims at highlighting a grid of career management skills which can help university students respond effectively to the complexity of labor market and career development, namely, career adaptability, perceived career self-efficacy beliefs and career resilience. Given that little is known so far regarding the degree to which higher education students possess and develop such skills, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate: (a) students’ perceived level of the above mentioned skills, (b) the relationships that may exist among them, and (c) possible differences in skill levels between working and non-working students. Results demonstrated relatively high scores in all skills, strong positive relationships among them as well as significant differences at scores as to students’ work status. Implications for training, career counseling interventions and further research are provided. Keywords: Higher Education; career management skills; career adaptability; perceive...

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Nice Newsletter, May 26, 2015

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ABSTRACT The current unprecedented socio-economic crisis results in a sharp rise of unemployment ... more ABSTRACT The current unprecedented socio-economic crisis results in a sharp rise of unemployment and underemployment, frequent job shifts and social multiplicity, as well as a plethora of negative effects on personal and work life which stem from this situation. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the dominating career counseling model is disputable because it is still oriented in a positivist way, it faces the individual partially and does not support the identification of an individual’s meaning-making process and personal constructs. Those are crucial elements in affecting an individual’s career. This article aims both to highlight specific reasons that demand the necessary re-examination of the traditional career counseling theories and to briefly present some postmodern approaches which outline the crucial role of meaning making, narratives and person’s active involvement in the confrontation of the current socio-economic conditions. Furthermore, both traditional and contemporary approaches are examined emphasizing the growing need for a synergy for the benefit of career counseling theory and practice. Key words: constructivism, social constructionism, meaning-making, narrative career counseling

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The chapter aims to investigate the role of career adaptability and courage as resources for adol... more The chapter aims to investigate the role of career adaptability and courage as resources for adolescents’ personal and professional development in times of crisis. Specifically, career adaptability is vital to increase adolescents’ ability to accept and handle uncertainty and ambiguity of the world of work, whereas courage is crucial in this historical context, as it seems to be a key resource for career decision-making in relation to perceived future risks. After an international review on these two dimensions, a cross-cultural study on the predictive role of career adaptability on courage among French, Greek, and Italian adolescents will be presented. Finally, specific suggestions for career counseling and guidance will be provided.

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Contemporary career guidance and counselling approaches with particular interest to subjects whic... more Contemporary career guidance and counselling approaches with particular interest to subjects which concern the development of career management skills since these skills are considered important means for the active exploration of the vocational course and the development of a career. The development of skills related to career adaptability and self-efficacy in the planning of a career could help students who are finishing Upper-secondary School (Lykeio) to approach creatively their career aims, and to deal effectively with the transitions or unexpected events by applying appropriate actions. The present study employed the survey research strategy in order to examine the level of the career adaptability and self-efficacy in the planning of a career with male and female students (N = 240) of Upper-secondary Schools (General Lykeia-GEL) and Vocational Upper-secondary Schools (Vocational Lykeia-EPAL) in Greece. Specifically, it examined the level of skills which students declare that they possess regarding the type of school, their gender and the educational level of the parents. The finding that the levels of career adaptability differentiated not only as regards the gender of the students but also the studies of the father and the mother has presented particular interest while the students who study at the General Lykeia were found to have higher scores in the areas: " career interest " and " curiosity " in the Career Adapt-abilities Scale (CAAS) compared with students who study at the Vocational Lykeia (EPAL). Finally, the motif of the scores in the B' Class of Lykeio showed that the students of EPAL excelled in all the skills apart from the factor " career interest " while correspondingly in the C' class of Lykeio students of the General Lykeio (GEL) excelled in all skill categories.

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PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY RESOURCES OF CAREER COUNSELORS: IMPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES. Contrary ... more PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY RESOURCES OF CAREER COUNSELORS: IMPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES.

Contrary to the largest part of the 20th century, nowadays, workers “are increasingly dependent on their psychological and social resources (inner value and social capital) and less dependent on organizational career arrangements” (Coetzee, 2014, p. 5). Therefore, they need to act proactively and develop multiple skills and competencies in order to cope with lifelong learning issues (Coetzee, 2014).
On the other hand, career counselors, in times of socioeconomic variability and uncertainty in the world of work, undertake a notably demanding work, as they need to support clients in coping with an array of complicated issues: (a) having an active attitude towards learning and career as well as developing flexibility skills such as career adaptability and career curiosity (Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, & Drosos, 2010a), (b) building confidence in personal capacities and psychosocial resources, such as resilience and self-efficacy (Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, Drosos, Kaliris, & Mikedaki, 2014), (c) redefinition of career self-concept when it is necessary (Kaliris & Krivas, 2013), (d) negotiation of life and career changes without losing sense of self or social identity (Savickas, 2011). Additionally, sometimes therapeutic interventions are needed –to the extent which received training and counselor’s role allows for it- for personal problems that may interact with career development (McIlveen, 2015).
Complexity of career counselors’ roles is also associated to the field of provided services due to the differentiated needs each sector presents (e.g. Secondary and Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training, Public Employment Services etc.). Meanwhile, counselors have to confront differentiated traits and needs of counselees that vary according to gender, age, educational level, and culture etc.
Thus, it is made apparent that if counselors are to meet clients’ various needs and provide effective services it is crucial they are constantly up to date on latest knowledge and new skills (Kaliris, Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, & Fakiolas, 2013), while it is equally important that they possess specific traits and qualifications such as counseling experience, positive self-concept, self-efficacy beliefs, optimism, and resilience (Ginevra et al., 2014). In this paper our focus was turned on career counseling self-efficacy beliefs which refer to career counselor’s perception regarding their skills in performing or coordinating career counseling activities effectively (O’Brien, Heppner, Flores, & Bikos, 1997).
Specifically, a qualitative research is presented based both on perceived self-efficacy resources theory (Bandura, 1997, 2005, 2012) and several research findings highlighting the contribution of self-efficacy beliefs in counselor motivation and effectiveness (Gilliam, 2012; Kaliris et al., 2013; Kozina, Grabovari, De Stefano, & Drapeau, 2010; Wan Jaafar, Mohamed, Bakar, & Ahmad Tarmizi, 2009). The aim of the study was to examine various potential resources on which participants – career counselors may rely on to construct their sense of confidence in their skills. This research endeavor constituted the first phase of a mixed methods research (sequential exploratory design, Creswell, 2009; Kalogeraki, 2013) which was applied with the aim of developing a new instrument to assess perceived resources of career counseling self-efficacy beliefs.
Generation of data evolved by semi-structured interviews (Issari & Pourkos, 2015) with seven (7) career counselors providing services in various agencies both in Education and Employment sectors (University, Liaison Office, Public Employment Services – OAED, Centers of Career Guidance and Counseling – KESYPs, agency for social and vocational rehabilitation of vulnerable groups, NGO). We assume that information derived by interviews contributed to content validity of the scale as researchers did not settle at an intuitive approach of the phenomenon but made an attempt to record a wide range of dimensions through observation of reality (Mylonas, 2012, p. 272) related to career counseling self-efficacy resources.
Data were analyzed through Thematic Analysis procedures (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Thematic Analysis has the major advantage of promoting a consistent and deep data analysis (Due, Zambrano, Chur-Hansen, Turnbull, & Niess, 2015), resulting with clarity in the dominant themes in relation to the meanings that participants attribute to their experiences.
Through systematic analysis researchers arrived at the six (6) following themes as regards with the resources counselors feel they rely upon to develop confidence in their skills for career counseling tasks: (1) a supportive relationship with colleagues, (2) importance of received education and training, (3) contribution of relevant past professional experience, (4) repeated success – effectiveness of counseling work, (5) comparisons to other colleagues’ experiences, (6) contribution of positive feedback by clients. These results, to a certain extent, converge to Bandura’s theory (1997) including four proposed self-efficacy informational resources, namely: mastery experiences, vicarious learning, social persuasion, physiological and emotional states. Grounded in the previous results, we discuss possible research prospects in this particular field of interest and make implications about career counselor education – continuous training.

Keywords: career counselor empowerment, career counseling self-efficacy beliefs, self-efficacy informational resources, qualitative research, mixed methods research, career counselor training.

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Τα τελευταία χρόνια η Επαγγελματική Συμβουλευτική εφαρμόζεται όλο και περισσότερο στις επιχειρήσε... more Τα τελευταία χρόνια η Επαγγελματική Συμβουλευτική εφαρμόζεται όλο και περισσότερο στις επιχειρήσεις. Ο ρόλος των επαγγελματικών συμβούλων, ως στελέχη της Διοίκησης Ανθρώπινων Πόρων (ΔΑΠ) στις επιχειρήσεις, μεταβάλλεται με ταχύτατους ρυθμούς από την αρχή του 21ου αιώνα. Στην παρούσα εισήγηση, θα παρουσιαστούν οι μορφές που παίρνει η επαγγελματική συμβουλευτική στους οργανισμούς, κυρίως η Διαρκής Καθοδήγηση (Mentoring), η Συμβουλευτική Διαχείρισης Σταδιοδρομίας (Career Management Counseling) και η Συμβουλευτική Διαχείρισης Αλλαγών (Change Management Consulting). Επιπλέον, θα εξεταστεί ο ρόλος που διαδραματίζει ο Σύμβουλος Σταδιοδρομίας στον τομέα ΔΑΠ της επιχείρησης, που είναι σημαντικός αλλά και πολύπλοκος, καθώς είναι διττός, δηλαδή, ταυτόχρονα εκπροσωπεί και τον εργοδότη και τον εργαζόμενο. Θα παρουσιαστούν, επίσης, οι αναγκαίες δεξιότητες και γνώσεις που οφείλει να διαθέτει ο σύμβουλος στον τομέα της Διοίκησης Ανθρώπινων Πόρων. Λέξεις-κλειδιά: Διοίκηση Ανθρώπινων Πόρων, Συμβουλευτ...

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Το έργο των επαγγελματικών συμβούλων, σε εποχή κοινωνικο-οικονομικής μεταβλητότητας και αστάθειας... more Το έργο των επαγγελματικών συμβούλων, σε εποχή κοινωνικο-οικονομικής μεταβλητότητας και αστάθειας στον κόσμο της εργασίας, γίνεται ιδιαίτερα απαιτητικό και μπορεί να εκτείνεται από την ενδυνάμωση ψυχοκοινωνικών πηγών (Σιδηροπούλου-Δημακάκου, Αργυροπούλου, Δρόσος, Καλίρης, & Μικεδάκη, 2014), έως και την υλοποίηση θεραπευτικών παρεμβάσεων για προσωπικά προβλήματα που αλληλεπιδρούν με την επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη (McIlveen, 2015). Επομένως, για να ανταποκρίνονται οι σύμβουλοι στους πολύπλοκους ρόλους και αρμοδιότητές τους με επιτυχία, χρειάζεται να αποκτούν διαρκώς νέες γνώσεις, ειδικές δεξιότητες, όπως επίσης, να διαθέτουν κατάλληλες πεποιθήσεις αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας σχετικά με τις συμβουλευτικές παρεμβάσεις (Καλίρης, Σιδηροπούλου-Δημακάκου, Αργυροπούλου, & Φακιολάς, 2013).Η παρούσα διδακτορική έρευνα στηρίχθηκε στο πλαίσιο της κοινωνιογνωστικής θεωρίας (Bandura, 1997, 2012) και ειδικότερα, στην προσέγγιση σχετικά με τις πηγές πληροφόρησης που διαμορφώνουν τις πεποιθήσεις αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας. Kεντρικός στόχος της έρευνας ήταν η βαθύτερη κατανόηση των πιθανών πηγών-παραγόντων στους οποίους βασίζονται οι επαγγελματικοί σύμβουλοι για να δομήσουν αίσθηση εμπιστοσύνης στις ικανότητές τους. Το τελευταίο χαρακτηριστικό είναι ιδιαίτερα σημαντικό καθώς συνδέεται με την κινητοποίηση και στην αποτελεσματικότητα των συμβούλων (Gilliam, 2012. Wan Jaafar, Mohamed, Bakar, & Ahmad Tarmizi, 2009).Χρησιμοποιήθηκε διερευνητικός ακολουθιακός σχεδιασμός (sequential exploratory design, Creswell, 2009) με δύο κύριες φάσεις. Το περιεχόμενο των θεμάτων, των κωδικών και των αποσπασμάτων λόγου που προήλθαν από την πρώτη ποιοτική (qualitative) φάση καθώς και η σχετική θεωρία, συνδυάστηκαν για να κατασκευαστεί μια νέα Κλίμακα αξιολόγησης των Πηγών Αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας στην Επαγγελματική Συμβουλευτική (ΚΠΑΕΣ). Σε πιλοτική έρευνα (Ν=118) βρέθηκε ότι η ΚΠΑΕΣ διαθέτει ικανοποιητικούς δείκτες αξιοπιστίας και την αναμενόμενη δομή. Mε βάση στατιστικά και εννοιολογικά κριτήρια διατηρήθηκαν 56 ερωτήματα. Στη δεύτερη ποσοτικότροπη (quantitative) φάση, μετά από επανέλεγχο αφαιρέθηκαν εκ νέου ορισμένα εξ αυτών και έτσι, η τελική μορφή αποτελείται από 34 ερωτήματα. Η ΚΠΑΕΣ συνδυάστηκε με την ελληνική τροποποιημένη μορφή της Κλίμακας Αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας στην Επαγγελματική Συμβουλευτική (Ο’Brien, Heppner, Flores, & Bikos, 1997), την Kλίμακα Kύριων Aυτοαξιολογήσεων (Judge, Erez, Bono, & Thoresen, 2003) και αυτοσχέδιο ερωτηματολόγιο ατομικών-δημογραφικών χαρακτηριστικών, που χορηγήθηκαν τόσο σε στελέχη (Ν=219) όσο και σε μεταπτυχιακούς φοιτητές επαγγελματικής συμβουλευτικής και προσανατολισμού (Ν=31).Τα αποτελέσματα επιβεβαίωσαν εμπειρικά, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, τις θεωρητικές θέσεις σχετικά με τις θεμελιώδεις πηγές πληροφόρησης που διαμορφώνουν την αυτοαποτελεσματικότητα (Bandura, 1997, 2005, 2012). Συγκεκριμένα, βρέθηκε ότι,οι σύμβουλοι τείνουν να βασίζονται σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό στην «προηγούμενη συναφή εμπειρία» συγκριτικά με τους εκπαιδευόμενους, ενώ οι εκπαιδευόμενοι, βασίζονταν περισσότερο, συγκριτικά με τους συμβούλους, στις εμπειρίες «καθοδήγησης και εποπτείας» και στην «επιβεβαίωση μέσω της ανατροφοδότησης από συναδέλφους». Τα αποτελέσματα ανάλυσης προφίλ επαναλαμβανόμενων μετρήσεων (profile analysis with repeated measures) έδειξαν ότι τα μοτίβα των βαθμολογιών που σημείωσαν οι σύμβουλοι και οι εκπαιδευόμενοι στις πηγές διαμόρφωσης των πεποιθήσεων αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας διαφέρουν σημαντικά μεταξύ τους και δεν κινούνται με παράλληλο τρόπο. Ωστόσο, και οι δύο ομάδες συμμετεχόντων σημείωσαν υψηλές βαθμολογίες (άνω του 3,50) σε διαστάσεις που σχετίζονταν με την αποκτηθείσα εμπειρία, την εκπαίδευση, τις επαναλαμβανόμενες επιτυχίες και την ανατροφοδότηση από τους πελάτες. Οι διαστάσεις αυτές συνδέονταν θετικά με την αυτοαποτελεσματικότητα και στα δύο δείγματα. Τέλος, ανάλυση πολλαπλής παλινδρόμησης έδειξε ότι η πολλαπλή συσχέτιση της «διάρκειας προϋπηρεσίας», των «κύριων αυτοαξιολογήσεων/θετικής αυτοαντίληψης» και της «συνεχούς κατάρτισης σε νέες μεθόδους, προσεγγίσεις και τεχνικές» εξηγεί το 34% της διασποράς των τιμών αυτοαποτελεσματικότητας στην επαγγελματική συμβουλευτική. Τα ευρήματα συζητούνται υπό το πρίσμα της σημασίας τους για την αποτελεσματικότητα του συμβουλευτικού έργου, την αυτοαξιολόγηση και το σχεδιασμό προγραμμάτων κατάρτισης των επαγγελματικών συμβούλων.

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Business & Entrepreneurship Journal, Apr 11, 2023

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Frontiers in Education

Although teacher effectiveness plays a critical role in the learning process, little is known abo... more Although teacher effectiveness plays a critical role in the learning process, little is known about its conceptualization and assessment, particularly in higher education (HE). This review aims to fill this gap by (a) listing the literature on teacher effectiveness, (b) identifying the instruments that have been used to assess teacher effectiveness (HE), and (c) highlighting the most effective teaching approaches based on the relevant literature. The selection process considered studies published since 1990 and conducted in higher education contexts with students. The research articles measured instructional processes and faculty effectiveness in terms of student outcomes, focusing on student achievement and student satisfaction. In reviewing the international research, special attention was paid to Southeastern Europe and Greece in particular. After a thorough review, the analysis revealed 26 studies. The results show that there is no universal definition of effective higher educat...

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 2018

The primary goal of this paper is to present a number of recent major theoretical and empirical a... more The primary goal of this paper is to present a number of recent major theoretical and empirical advances in the field of career decision-making since this process has been increasingly identified by experts as a relatively subjective experience. In this line, a series of conceptual shifts concerning career decision-making and the relevant fundamental problem of career indecision are described. In particular, it seems that the scope of career guidance and counseling has moved from some rigid constructs (e.g. “sources of indecision”, “decision-making styles”) to more flexible, dynamic, holistic and multi-dimensional concepts (e.g. “coping strategies”, “positive psychosocial strengths-resources”, “future time perspective”) that may support the individuals in making better career decisions in the complex world of work of the 21 st century. Another aim of the article, on the basis of the aforementioned developments, is to provide proposals for the construction of an effective model for d...

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International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 2021

This study examined the relationships among courage, strategies of coping with career indecision,... more This study examined the relationships among courage, strategies of coping with career indecision, and future orientation in a sample of high school students. A total of 460 Greek adolescents from provincial cities participated in the study. The results indicated that courage indirectly predicted future orientation through productive coping strategies. The main conclusion refers to the fact that specific interventions could promote productive coping strategies and courage, which in turn, may foster the future orientation of adolescents to construct multiple positive occupational pathways, coping with various career and life decisions and, overall, orient themselves positively toward the future.

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International Journal of Psychological Studies, 2018

Based upon substantial research on career adaptability, and on specific cross-cultural validation... more Based upon substantial research on career adaptability, and on specific cross-cultural validation research of the Career Adapt-abilities Scale (CAAS) (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012) we recruited a sample of Greek university students (Ν = 452) in order to test further the Greek form of the scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis models showed that the four-factor structure was supported for the Greek form, comprising four dimensions: concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. The original six items per dimension structure was also maintained. Internal consistency estimates were satisfactory, and test-retest reliability reached acceptable levels. Indications of convergent validity were found as CAAS positively correlated with self-esteem. To further explore for the construct validity of the scale score differences by gender and year of studies were also examined. Overall, the observed differences were found to be in the expected direction. This validity study indicates that CAAS may be safe...

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New perspectives on career counseling and guidance in Europe, 2017

When adolescents face times of crisis, two key resources are determinant for their personal and p... more When adolescents face times of crisis, two key resources are determinant for their personal and professional development: career adaptability and courage. Career adaptability is vital to increase adolescents’ ability to accept and handle the uncertainty and ambiguity of the world of work, whereas courage is crucial in this current period of historic change, as it seems to be a key resource for career decision-making in relation to perceived future risks. After a review of international research on these two dimensions, we present a cross-cultural study on the predictive role of career adaptability and courage among French, Greek, and Italian adolescents. Finally, we provide specific suggestions for career counseling and guidance.

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Australian Journal of Career Development

Although robust evidence has been accumulating over the last decades supporting the effectiveness... more Although robust evidence has been accumulating over the last decades supporting the effectiveness of career counseling in various populations, yet there are scarce conceptual or empirical studies investigating the impact of distinct approaches, such as traditional-“psychometric,” narrative, or a mixed (integrative) one. The primary aim of this paper is to make a contribution in the field, providing a synthetic overview of contemporary research findings regarding the effectiveness of narrative and mixed career counseling approaches with a special focus on university students. The recent trend of utilizing mixed approaches in career assessment and intervention is also emphasized in the article, suggesting they may have a great potential in helping young adults advance meaning-making about career and life design. Finally, a discussion of both benefits and challenges relating to narrative and mixed interventions along with recommendations for extending research in the area of assessing ...

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Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2022

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Exploring Narrative Ideas in Career Counseling, 2022

Today, grounded on the turbulent conditions of the social and work environment as well as the uns... more Today, grounded on the turbulent conditions of the social and work environment as well as the unstable life and career paths individuals are going through (Guichard, 2015; Savickas, 2015), incorporating constructivist-narrative methods and techniques in career counseling seems essential, at least in some client cases. Narrative approaches could support the identification of an individual's meaning-making process and have the capacity to face clients holistically with respect to career development issues. The aim of this article is to provide a brief review of several influential narrative approaches in career counseling that emerged in the last two decades. A second goal of this work is to highlight fundamental strengths of narrative career counseling approaches, showcasing their benefits in counseling practice, especially in promoting the construction of a robust and solid autobiographical career narrative.

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Baltic Journal of Career Education and Management

Contemporary career guidance and counselling approaches with particular interest to subjects whic... more Contemporary career guidance and counselling approaches with particular interest to subjects which concern the development of career management skills since these skills are considered important means for the active exploration of the vocational course and the development of a career. The development of skills related to career adaptability and self-efficacy in the planning of a career could help students who are finishing Upper-secondary School (Lykeio) to approach creatively their career aims, and to deal effectively with the transitions or unexpected events by applying appropriate actions. The present study employed the survey research strategy in order to examine the level of the career adaptability and self-efficacy in the planning of a career with male and female students (N = 240) of Upper-secondary Schools (General Lykeia - GEL) and Vocational Upper-secondary Schools (Vocational Lykeia - EPAL) in Greece. Specifically, it examined the level of skills which students declare th...

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International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2016

This paper aims at highlighting a grid of career management skills which can help university stud... more This paper aims at highlighting a grid of career management skills which can help university students respond effectively to the complexity of labor market and career development, namely, career adaptability, perceived career self-efficacy beliefs and career resilience. Given that little is known so far regarding the degree to which higher education students possess and develop such skills, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate: (a) students’ perceived level of the above mentioned skills, (b) the relationships that may exist among them, and (c) possible differences in skill levels between working and non-working students. Results demonstrated relatively high scores in all skills, strong positive relationships among them as well as significant differences at scores as to students’ work status. Implications for training, career counseling interventions and further research are provided. Keywords: Higher Education; career management skills; career adaptability; perceive...

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Nice Newsletter, May 26, 2015

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ABSTRACT The current unprecedented socio-economic crisis results in a sharp rise of unemployment ... more ABSTRACT The current unprecedented socio-economic crisis results in a sharp rise of unemployment and underemployment, frequent job shifts and social multiplicity, as well as a plethora of negative effects on personal and work life which stem from this situation. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the dominating career counseling model is disputable because it is still oriented in a positivist way, it faces the individual partially and does not support the identification of an individual’s meaning-making process and personal constructs. Those are crucial elements in affecting an individual’s career. This article aims both to highlight specific reasons that demand the necessary re-examination of the traditional career counseling theories and to briefly present some postmodern approaches which outline the crucial role of meaning making, narratives and person’s active involvement in the confrontation of the current socio-economic conditions. Furthermore, both traditional and contemporary approaches are examined emphasizing the growing need for a synergy for the benefit of career counseling theory and practice. Key words: constructivism, social constructionism, meaning-making, narrative career counseling

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The chapter aims to investigate the role of career adaptability and courage as resources for adol... more The chapter aims to investigate the role of career adaptability and courage as resources for adolescents’ personal and professional development in times of crisis. Specifically, career adaptability is vital to increase adolescents’ ability to accept and handle uncertainty and ambiguity of the world of work, whereas courage is crucial in this historical context, as it seems to be a key resource for career decision-making in relation to perceived future risks. After an international review on these two dimensions, a cross-cultural study on the predictive role of career adaptability on courage among French, Greek, and Italian adolescents will be presented. Finally, specific suggestions for career counseling and guidance will be provided.

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Contemporary career guidance and counselling approaches with particular interest to subjects whic... more Contemporary career guidance and counselling approaches with particular interest to subjects which concern the development of career management skills since these skills are considered important means for the active exploration of the vocational course and the development of a career. The development of skills related to career adaptability and self-efficacy in the planning of a career could help students who are finishing Upper-secondary School (Lykeio) to approach creatively their career aims, and to deal effectively with the transitions or unexpected events by applying appropriate actions. The present study employed the survey research strategy in order to examine the level of the career adaptability and self-efficacy in the planning of a career with male and female students (N = 240) of Upper-secondary Schools (General Lykeia-GEL) and Vocational Upper-secondary Schools (Vocational Lykeia-EPAL) in Greece. Specifically, it examined the level of skills which students declare that they possess regarding the type of school, their gender and the educational level of the parents. The finding that the levels of career adaptability differentiated not only as regards the gender of the students but also the studies of the father and the mother has presented particular interest while the students who study at the General Lykeia were found to have higher scores in the areas: " career interest " and " curiosity " in the Career Adapt-abilities Scale (CAAS) compared with students who study at the Vocational Lykeia (EPAL). Finally, the motif of the scores in the B' Class of Lykeio showed that the students of EPAL excelled in all the skills apart from the factor " career interest " while correspondingly in the C' class of Lykeio students of the General Lykeio (GEL) excelled in all skill categories.

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PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY RESOURCES OF CAREER COUNSELORS: IMPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES. Contrary ... more PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY RESOURCES OF CAREER COUNSELORS: IMPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES.

Contrary to the largest part of the 20th century, nowadays, workers “are increasingly dependent on their psychological and social resources (inner value and social capital) and less dependent on organizational career arrangements” (Coetzee, 2014, p. 5). Therefore, they need to act proactively and develop multiple skills and competencies in order to cope with lifelong learning issues (Coetzee, 2014).
On the other hand, career counselors, in times of socioeconomic variability and uncertainty in the world of work, undertake a notably demanding work, as they need to support clients in coping with an array of complicated issues: (a) having an active attitude towards learning and career as well as developing flexibility skills such as career adaptability and career curiosity (Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, & Drosos, 2010a), (b) building confidence in personal capacities and psychosocial resources, such as resilience and self-efficacy (Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, Drosos, Kaliris, & Mikedaki, 2014), (c) redefinition of career self-concept when it is necessary (Kaliris & Krivas, 2013), (d) negotiation of life and career changes without losing sense of self or social identity (Savickas, 2011). Additionally, sometimes therapeutic interventions are needed –to the extent which received training and counselor’s role allows for it- for personal problems that may interact with career development (McIlveen, 2015).
Complexity of career counselors’ roles is also associated to the field of provided services due to the differentiated needs each sector presents (e.g. Secondary and Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training, Public Employment Services etc.). Meanwhile, counselors have to confront differentiated traits and needs of counselees that vary according to gender, age, educational level, and culture etc.
Thus, it is made apparent that if counselors are to meet clients’ various needs and provide effective services it is crucial they are constantly up to date on latest knowledge and new skills (Kaliris, Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, & Fakiolas, 2013), while it is equally important that they possess specific traits and qualifications such as counseling experience, positive self-concept, self-efficacy beliefs, optimism, and resilience (Ginevra et al., 2014). In this paper our focus was turned on career counseling self-efficacy beliefs which refer to career counselor’s perception regarding their skills in performing or coordinating career counseling activities effectively (O’Brien, Heppner, Flores, & Bikos, 1997).
Specifically, a qualitative research is presented based both on perceived self-efficacy resources theory (Bandura, 1997, 2005, 2012) and several research findings highlighting the contribution of self-efficacy beliefs in counselor motivation and effectiveness (Gilliam, 2012; Kaliris et al., 2013; Kozina, Grabovari, De Stefano, & Drapeau, 2010; Wan Jaafar, Mohamed, Bakar, & Ahmad Tarmizi, 2009). The aim of the study was to examine various potential resources on which participants – career counselors may rely on to construct their sense of confidence in their skills. This research endeavor constituted the first phase of a mixed methods research (sequential exploratory design, Creswell, 2009; Kalogeraki, 2013) which was applied with the aim of developing a new instrument to assess perceived resources of career counseling self-efficacy beliefs.
Generation of data evolved by semi-structured interviews (Issari & Pourkos, 2015) with seven (7) career counselors providing services in various agencies both in Education and Employment sectors (University, Liaison Office, Public Employment Services – OAED, Centers of Career Guidance and Counseling – KESYPs, agency for social and vocational rehabilitation of vulnerable groups, NGO). We assume that information derived by interviews contributed to content validity of the scale as researchers did not settle at an intuitive approach of the phenomenon but made an attempt to record a wide range of dimensions through observation of reality (Mylonas, 2012, p. 272) related to career counseling self-efficacy resources.
Data were analyzed through Thematic Analysis procedures (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Thematic Analysis has the major advantage of promoting a consistent and deep data analysis (Due, Zambrano, Chur-Hansen, Turnbull, & Niess, 2015), resulting with clarity in the dominant themes in relation to the meanings that participants attribute to their experiences.
Through systematic analysis researchers arrived at the six (6) following themes as regards with the resources counselors feel they rely upon to develop confidence in their skills for career counseling tasks: (1) a supportive relationship with colleagues, (2) importance of received education and training, (3) contribution of relevant past professional experience, (4) repeated success – effectiveness of counseling work, (5) comparisons to other colleagues’ experiences, (6) contribution of positive feedback by clients. These results, to a certain extent, converge to Bandura’s theory (1997) including four proposed self-efficacy informational resources, namely: mastery experiences, vicarious learning, social persuasion, physiological and emotional states. Grounded in the previous results, we discuss possible research prospects in this particular field of interest and make implications about career counselor education – continuous training.

Keywords: career counselor empowerment, career counseling self-efficacy beliefs, self-efficacy informational resources, qualitative research, mixed methods research, career counselor training.

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Τα τελευταία χρόνια η Επαγγελματική Συμβουλευτική εφαρμόζεται όλο και περισσότερο στις επιχειρήσε... more Τα τελευταία χρόνια η Επαγγελματική Συμβουλευτική εφαρμόζεται όλο και περισσότερο στις επιχειρήσεις. Ο ρόλος των επαγγελματικών συμβούλων, ως στελέχη της Διοίκησης Ανθρώπινων Πόρων (ΔΑΠ) στις επιχειρήσεις, μεταβάλλεται με ταχύτατους ρυθμούς από την αρχή του 21ου αιώνα. Στην παρούσα εισήγηση, θα παρουσιαστούν οι μορφές που παίρνει η επαγγελματική συμβουλευτική στους οργανισμούς, κυρίως η Διαρκής Καθοδήγηση (Mentoring), η Συμβουλευτική Διαχείρισης Σταδιοδρομίας (Career Management Counseling) και η Συμβουλευτική Διαχείρισης Αλλαγών (Change Management Consulting). Επιπλέον, θα εξεταστεί ο ρόλος που διαδραματίζει ο Σύμβουλος Σταδιοδρομίας στον τομέα ΔΑΠ της επιχείρησης, που είναι σημαντικός αλλά και πολύπλοκος, καθώς είναι διττός, δηλαδή, ταυτόχρονα εκπροσωπεί και τον εργοδότη και τον εργαζόμενο. Θα παρουσιαστούν, επίσης, οι αναγκαίες δεξιότητες και γνώσεις που οφείλει να διαθέτει ο σύμβουλος στον τομέα της Διοίκησης Ανθρώπινων Πόρων. Λέξεις-κλειδιά: Διοίκηση Ανθρώπινων Πόρων, Συμβουλευτ...

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PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY RESOURCES OF CAREER COUNSELORS: IMPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES. Contrar... more PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY RESOURCES OF CAREER COUNSELORS: IMPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES.

Contrary to the largest part of the 20th century, nowadays, workers “are increasingly dependent on their psychological and social resources (inner value and social capital) and less dependent on organizational career arrangements” (Coetzee, 2014, p. 5). Therefore, they need to act proactively and develop multiple skills and competencies in order to cope with lifelong learning issues (Coetzee, 2014).
On the other hand, career counselors, in times of socioeconomic variability and uncertainty in the world of work, undertake a notably demanding work, as they need to support clients in coping with an array of complicated issues: (a) having an active attitude towards learning and career as well as developing flexibility skills such as career adaptability and career curiosity (Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, & Drosos, 2010a), (b) building confidence in personal capacities and psychosocial resources, such as resilience and self-efficacy (Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, Drosos, Kaliris, & Mikedaki, 2014), (c) redefinition of career self-concept when it is necessary (Kaliris & Krivas, 2013), (d) negotiation of life and career changes without losing sense of self or social identity (Savickas, 2011). Additionally, sometimes therapeutic interventions are needed –to the extent which received training and counselor’s role allows for it- for personal problems that may interact with career development (McIlveen, 2015).
Complexity of career counselors’ roles is also associated to the field of provided services due to the differentiated needs each sector presents (e.g. Secondary and Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training, Public Employment Services etc.). Meanwhile, counselors have to confront differentiated traits and needs of counselees that vary according to gender, age, educational level, and culture etc.
Thus, it is made apparent that if counselors are to meet clients’ various needs and provide effective services it is crucial they are constantly up to date on latest knowledge and new skills (Kaliris, Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Argyropoulou, & Fakiolas, 2013), while it is equally important that they possess specific traits and qualifications such as counseling experience, positive self-concept, self-efficacy beliefs, optimism, and resilience (Ginevra et al., 2014). In this paper our focus was turned on career counseling self-efficacy beliefs which refer to career counselor’s perception regarding their skills in performing or coordinating career counseling activities effectively (O’Brien, Heppner, Flores, & Bikos, 1997).
Specifically, a qualitative research is presented based both on perceived self-efficacy resources theory (Bandura, 1997, 2005, 2012) and several research findings highlighting the contribution of self-efficacy beliefs in counselor motivation and effectiveness (Gilliam, 2012; Kaliris et al., 2013; Kozina, Grabovari, De Stefano, & Drapeau, 2010; Wan Jaafar, Mohamed, Bakar, & Ahmad Tarmizi, 2009). The aim of the study was to examine various potential resources on which participants – career counselors may rely on to construct their sense of confidence in their skills. This research endeavor constituted the first phase of a mixed methods research (sequential exploratory design, Creswell, 2009; Kalogeraki, 2013) which was applied with the aim of developing a new instrument to assess perceived resources of career counseling self-efficacy beliefs.
Generation of data evolved by semi-structured interviews (Issari & Pourkos, 2016) with seven (7) career counselors providing services in various agencies both in Education and Employment sectors (University, Liaison Office, Public Employment Services – OAED, Centers of Career Guidance and Counseling – KESYPs, agency for social and vocational rehabilitation of vulnerable groups, NGO). We assume that information derived by interviews contributed to content validity of the scale as researchers did not settle at an intuitive approach of the phenomenon but made an attempt to record a wide range of dimensions through observation of reality (Mylonas, 2012, p. 272) related to career counseling self-efficacy resources.
Data were analyzed through Thematic Analysis procedures (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Thematic Analysis has the major advantage of promoting a consistent and deep data analysis (Due, Zambrano, Chur-Hansen, Turnbull, & Niess, 2015), resulting with clarity in the dominant themes in relation to the meanings that participants attribute to their experiences.
Through systematic analysis researchers arrived at the six (6) following themes as regards with the resources counselors feel they rely upon to develop confidence in their skills for career counseling tasks: (1) a supportive relationship with colleagues, (2) importance of received education and training, (3) contribution of relevant past professional experience, (4) repeated success – effectiveness of counseling work, (5) comparisons to other colleagues’ experiences, (6) contribution of positive feedback by clients. These results, to a certain extent, converge to Bandura’s theory (1997) including four proposed self-efficacy informational resources, namely: mastery experiences, vicarious learning, social persuasion, physiological and emotional states. Grounded in the previous results, we discuss possible research prospects in this particular field of interest and make implications about career counselor education – continuous training.

Keywords: career counselor empowerment, career counseling self-efficacy beliefs, self-efficacy informational resources, qualitative research, mixed methods research, career counselor training.

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Life design resources and career decision: a cross-cultural research in three European countries ... more Life design resources and career decision: a cross-cultural research in three European countries
Annovazzi, C.*, Ginevra, M.C.*, Kaliris, A.**, Lodi E.*** & Sovet L.****
* University of Milano Bicocca, Italy; ** University of Athens, Greece; *** University of Sassari, Italy; **** Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France.

With the labour market in constant change, as that we go through today, it is impossible to predict what will be the most needed job profiles and skills in the next years. The working and social world of 21st century is protean and, consequently, the future is considered uncertain, unpredictable and risky. Acknowledging complexity of career development, career counselling psychology literature, in line with the Life Design approach, recently showed the necessity to identify levels of explanation and of intervention that different constructs - adaptability, optimism, resilience and hope - should have. In addition to these variables, it is hypothesized that the innovative construct of courage, has an important role in the career choice. According to prior ideas, an international research group was created by Italian, French and Greek PhD students and Post-Doctoral Researchers, members of the First ECADOC Summer School. For the first time, we aim to investigate mutual interactions with courage, career adaptability, hope, optimism, psychological well-being, and career decision-making difficulties in Italian, Greek, and French high school students in a cross-cultural study. Our purpose is to test a mediation model and to identify the constructs with the higher influence as well as to understand how these influences are structured. Preliminary results of our ongoing research will be also presented.

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