An Examination of the Opinions of Faculty Members on Critical Accreditation Issues in Counselor Education in Turkey

Abstract

The lack of counselor education standards set by professional organizations increases the necessity for accreditation studies. Therefore, this descriptive study aimed to investigate the opinions of counselor educators working in Turkish public and private universities’ counselor education programs on critical standards/criteria of the accreditation process. A total of 201 counselor educators aged between 24 to 88 years participated in the study. Data were collected through a demographic form as well as a survey that was developed by the researchers. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results of the study showed that the majority of the participants supported the idea of establishing an independent counseling-specific accreditation organization that accredits counseling programs in Turkey. Implications of the findings, as well as limitations and recommendations, are shared for future research in the study. © Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance.All right reserved.