The role of the tutor in a college of further education: A comparison of skills used by personal tutors and by student counsellors when working with students in distress

The personal counselling role of the college tutor is compared with the work of the trained student counsellor. A survey questionnaire measuring tutors' perceptions of their role, and identifying skills used in its execution, was administered to a sample of tutors in a college of further education. Another version of the questionnaire was administered to a sample of student counsellors to measure commonly-used skills. It was found that a lot of role confusion exists, that untrained tutors use a smaller range of skills than counsellors, and that they tend more towards advice-giving and directive techniques. They feel unprepared and unsupported in their counselling role.