Research Article

Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy

Volume: 15 Number: 1 October 28, 2026
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Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy

Abstract

The aim of this research is to deeply examine the experiences of school psychological counselors regarding advocacy. The research was conducted using a phenomenological design; the study group consisted of 20 school psychological counselors (7 male, 13 female) working in official educational institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. The findings show that school psychological counselors experience advocacy at individual, institutional, and societal levels. Participants stated that they work in collaboration with students, families, teachers, and various institutions to identify students' needs and protect their rights; and that they carry out various advocacy activities regarding injustices encountered in the school environment. Furthermore, it was emphasized that poverty, inequality of opportunity, and structural problems related to education policies, in addition to family and individual factors, are influential in the problems experienced by students. The vast majority of participants considered advocacy as a professional responsibility based on justice, equality, and the protection of student rights. In conclusion, the findings indicate that school psychological counselors embrace combating discrimination and protecting student rights as a fundamental professional responsibility; However, this shows that they face significant institutional and systemic obstacles in fulfilling this responsibility.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval was obtained from XXXXX University Social and Humanitarian Ethics Committee (No. 2026/133).

References

  1. American School Counselor Association. (2019). ASCA school counselor professional standards & competencies.Author. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/a8d59c2c-51de-4ec3-a565-a3235f3b93c3/SC-Competencies.pdf
  2. Aslan, A. M. (2025). Dezavantajlı gruplara yönelik psikolojik danışma ve rehberlik hizmetleri. M. Güven (Ed.), Psikolojik danışma ve rehberlik (15. bs., ss. 322–343). Anı Yayıncılık.
  3. Aslan, A.M. & Kabadayi, F. (2026) Psychometric properties of the Turkish adaptation of the social issues advocacy scale-2 short form. Frontiers in Psycholology, 17:1776892. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1776892.
  4. Bemak, F., & Chung, R.C.Y. (2005). Advocacy as a critical role for urban school counselors: Working toward equity and social justice. Professional School Counseling, 8(3), 196–202.
  5. Bilgin, R., & Erbuğ, E. (2021). Eğitimde Fırsat Eşitsizliği Üzerine Eleştirel Bir Değerlendirme. International Journal of Economics Administrative and Social Sciences, 4(2), 231-239.
  6. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (Fourth Edition). Sage.
  7. Çam, S. (2024). Okullarda rehberlik hizmet alanları-birimleri. G. Can (Ed.), Psikolojik danışma ve rehberlik içinde (20. Baskı., ss. 54–79). Pegem Akademi.
  8. Değirmencioğlu, S. M. (2008). Türkiye'de yükseköğretim mezunları ve eğitimde fırsat eşitliği. Toplum ve Demokrasi, 2(3), 47–66.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

School Counseling

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

October 28, 2026

Submission Date

June 21, 2026

Acceptance Date

July 28, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 1

APA
Bezmez, S., & Aslan, A. M. (2026). Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi, 15(1), 1040-1078. https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.1975136
AMA
1.Bezmez S, Aslan AM. Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy. CIJE. 2026;15(1):1040-1078. doi:10.30703/cije.1975136
Chicago
Bezmez, Sema, and Abdullah Mücahit Aslan. 2026. “Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy”. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi 15 (1): 1040-78. https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.1975136.
EndNote
Bezmez S, Aslan AM (October 1, 2026) Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi 15 1 1040–1078.
IEEE
[1]S. Bezmez and A. M. Aslan, “Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy”, CIJE, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1040–1078, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.30703/cije.1975136.
ISNAD
Bezmez, Sema - Aslan, Abdullah Mücahit. “Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy”. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi 15/1 (October 1, 2026): 1040-1078. https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.1975136.
JAMA
1.Bezmez S, Aslan AM. Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy. CIJE. 2026;15:1040–1078.
MLA
Bezmez, Sema, and Abdullah Mücahit Aslan. “Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy”. Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi, vol. 15, no. 1, Oct. 2026, pp. 1040-78, doi:10.30703/cije.1975136.
Vancouver
1.Sema Bezmez, Abdullah Mücahit Aslan. Not Remaining Silent: School Counselors’ Experiences of Advocacy. CIJE. 2026 Oct. 1;15(1):1040-78. doi:10.30703/cije.1975136

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