Professional Identity in Guidance and Counseling: The Perspective of Prospective Counselors
Abstract
Abstract: This study aims to describe prospective counselors’ perceptions of professional identity concepts in the guidance and counseling field. This study used a qualitative approach with an exploratory, descriptive design. Research data were collected through open questionnaires and focus group discussions. The data sources were fifteen guidance and counseling students from three different classes. Data analysis was carried out by searching for themes and determining the correlation between them to attain interpretation. The results of the study show that professional identity is conceptualized as a typical characteristic or a symbol of professional conduct in the profession of guidance and counseling. Meanwhile, the dimensions of professional identity according to students are categorized into professional competence, personality, personal appearance, knowledge of the profession, and professional ethos. Lastly, for the student, professional identity is something that moves dynamically.
Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan persepsi calon konselor terhadap konsep identitas profesional dalam bidang bimbingan dan konseling. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan desain deskriptif eksploratif. Data penelitian dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner terbuka dan diskusi kelompok terfokus. Sumber datanya adalah lima belas mahasiswa bimbingan dan konseling dari angkatan yang berbeda. Analisis data dilakukan dengan cara mengidentifikasi topik dan menentukan keterkaitan untuk mencapai interpretasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa identitas profesional dikonseptualisasikan sebagai ciri khas atau simbol perilaku profesional dalam profesi bimbingan dan konseling. Sedangkan dimensi identitas profesional menurut mahasiswa dikategorikan terdiri dari kompetensi profesional, kepribadian, penampilan pribadi, pengetahuan profesi, dan etos kerja profesional. Selain itu, mahasiswa juga mempersepsikan identitas profesional bimbingan dan konseling merupakan sesuatu yang bergerak dinamis.
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