Counselors and Their Use of ICT Tools in Maximizing Counseling Services

The guidance and counseling program and its strategies have then evolved from one that was heavily influenced by Western orientation to one that is best suited for the Filipinos. In the advent of technological advances that ushers the information age with its new type of economy and the culture, the Filipino counselors found themselves in the crossroad where technology and practice are colliding. A total of 53 counselors from 17 schools (4 from Luzon, 6 from Visayas, 4 from Mindanao and 3 from NCR) participated in a survey. Counselors used a variety of ICT tools (tablets, office tools, desktop publishing, database, FB, MySpace, instant messaging, text messaging and mobile phone) to augment their one-on-one encounter with the clients. Counselors’ age, licensure status, and internet resources at home and at work were factors that affected their technology self-efficacy. Gender and type of institution did not have significant bearing on the counselors’ technology self-efficacy.

Keywords - ICT Tools, technology, counseling, self-efficacy, maximizing counseling services