The influence of group life-design-based counselling on learners’ academic self-construction : a collective case study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how life-design-based counselling can influence young learners’ academic self-construction within a group context. The study involved a qualitative mode of enquiry with 12 participants. Life-design-based intervention strategies, together with various (postmodern) qualitative techniques, were used to gather data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and identify themes and sub-themes. The findings indicate that the participants exhibited enhanced academic self-construction in general after the intervention. More specifically, they displayed improved future aspirations as they made sense of their current learning. Future research could assess the feasibility and value of life-design counselling as early as the primary school years, as it seems to hold numerous benefits for young individuals that may positively influence their life-long career development.