ADVOCATING STUDENT WITHIN ENVIRONMENT IN APPLICATION: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN A SMALL GROUP INTERVENTION

A sense of belonging is instrumental to an individual’s mental health. The American School Counselor Association outlined that school counselors are responsible for helping students manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills. The school setting plays an integral part in the development of student’s social and emotional competencies. Approaches to school counseling, such as Advocating Student-within-Environment (ASE), are pivotal in efforts to help students expand their social/emotional skills. This study examined the phenomenological experience of sixth grade students who participated in an ASE-influenced counseling program. One objective for this study was to advance the current literature regarding school counseling’s efficacy in promoting greater connectedness among students and their school environment. The study was conducted using the Student Success Skills (SSS) small group intervention, led by a school counselor already trained in the program. The research questions under investigation were: What is the phenomenological experience of middle school students’ participation in an ASE-aligned evidence-based guidance curriculum? Does the phenomenological experience of middle school students’ participation in an ASE-aligned evidence-based guidance curriculum translate to connectedness among the students in the intervention? Does the phenomenological experience of middle school students’ participation in an ASE-aligned evidence-based guidance curriculum lead to coregulatory relationships among students and school faculty?