Personality and Graduate Academic Performance among Counselor Education and School Psychology Students

• Published in: School Psychology Forum, research in practice research in practice, 2017-10, Vol.11 (3), p.105-122
• Main Authors: Ding, Yi, Laux, John, Salyers, Kathleen, Kozelka, Susan
• Format: Magazinearticle
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Adult Basic Education; Adult learning; Adult students; Advisors; Career Counseling; Cognitive ability; Collaboration; College Entrance Examinations; Comparative Analysis; Correlation; Counselor education; Counselor Training; Courses; Differences; Grade Point Average; Graduate Students; Graduate Study; Health services; Higher education; Intervention; Mental health; Multiple Regression Analysis; Personality; Personality Measures; Personality Traits; Preferences; Rating Scales; School districts; School psychologists; School Psychology; Student Attitudes; Success; Undergraduate Students
• ISSN: 1938-2243; 1938-2243

General personality was assessed of 104 graduate students in school counseling, mental health counseling, and school psychology programs in the United States using the Big Five model of personality domains. The students in three programs reported similarities and differences in their preference and performance in domain knowledge, with more counselor education students preferring counseling courses and more school psychology students preferring quantitative, consultation, and practicum courses. The three groups demonstrated group differences on Extraversion and Openness to Experience domains. The correlational findings confirmed the importance of general personality traits in relation to the academic performance of graduate students. A number of the Big Five NEO Personality Inventory-Revised general personality domains, including Openness to Experience, Neuroticism, and Conscientiousness, were significant predictors of either GRE performance or undergraduate GPA. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. The findings suggest that faculty members in counselor education and school psychology programs should consider teaching and mentoring in the ways that they can support their students' nonacademic needs and foster resources and opportunities that would help students to have a more pleasant experience in the programs.