Advocating student-Within-Environment in Action: The Lived Experience of Grade Six Students’ Participation in a Small Group Intervention

The current study aimed to provide insight into how participation in the Student Success Skills small group counseling intervention affects middle school students' connectedness to their school environment with consideration to the school counseling theory, Advocating-Student-Within-Environment (ASE). A qualitative research design was implemented with grade six students from the southeastern region of the United States. Data included pre- and post-intervention interviews, field notes, session transcripts, student-generated drawings, and intervention activities. The thematic analysis identified patterns within the data that emerged as themes. Findings indicate how small group counseling interventions impact grade six students' acquisition of anger management, academic, and life skills. Results also suggest how skills further enhance students' connectedness to their learning environment and overall perception of the school climate. This study supports school counselors' use of small group counseling, as grounded in ASE, to enhance student engagement and internal capacities and highlights the need for future research on the systemic impact of school counseling interventions within schools.