תוכניות עתיד מקצועיות של יועצות חינוכיות

The study examined the career plans of educational counselors, a topic that has yet to be researched in Israel. Examining career plans of educational counselors is important for the counseling profession. It is in the best interest of the education system to retain skilled and professional counselors, due to a large investment in training and professional development. A total of 370 educational counselors from all parts of Israeli society (secular Jewish, Modern Orthodox, Ultra-Orthodox, and Arab)participated in the study; participants had professional experience in all levels of the educational system (preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school).The counselors were given questionnaires to assess social support, occupational self-efficacy, future plans, personal details and characteristics of their workplace experience such as autonomy and job clarity. The counselors were divided into three groups based on self-assessed likelihood of remaining in the profession. An analysis of variance was done between the groups. The results of the study show that the group of counselors with high self-assessed likelihood of remaining in the profession have higher levels of role clarity, job autonomy, manager support and self-efficacy compared to counselors in the low self-assessed likelihood group. The results of the study emphasize the positive effect of supporting school counselors and the benefits of a workplace that fosters role clarity and encourages professional independence.