A Phenomenological Exploration of Beginning Counselor Educators' Experiences Developing a Research Agenda

Hermeneutic, phenomenological methodology was used to explore experiences developing a research agenda for five beginning counselor educators. Through in-depth, open-ended interviews, experiences included (a) balance, (b) isolation, and (c) evaluation while references to trusting relationships were manifest across all themes. Recommendations for counselor educators spanning the profession are provided. Keywords: Research Agenda, Counselor Educators, Phenomenology.Recent publication trends in counselor education literature surrounding the importance of research identity development and research competencies in counseling substantiates the need for in-depth research focused on how counselor educators become engaged scholars (see Wester & Borders, 2014). Specifically, there is a dearth of available literature that include experiences of beginning counselor educators developing a research agenda with relevant literature focused only on large scale populations of educators as they navigate their first years in the academy. While the topic of mentorship has emerged within recent counselor education literature (e.g., Borders et al., 2011; Briggs & Pehrsson, 2008; Magnuson, Norem, & Lonneman-Doroff, 2009), studies focused on counselor educators' specific accounts of developing a research agenda are needed to contribute to the existing body of literature that extend beyond mentoring of counselor educators. Therefore, research focusing on new counselor educators' experiences while developing a research agenda within the first two years of the faculty appointment is timely and appropriate and can ultimately provide emerging counselor educators with opportunities for clearly defined research activity that contributes to the needs of the academy, the profession, and society.While existing literature focuses on the professional development of new assistant professors of counselor education and addresses broad aspects of faculty duties, there remains little published research of the experiences new counselor education faculty have engaging in scholarly activities during their first two years as an assistant professor (see Austin, 2002; Ramsey, Cavalaro, Kiselica, & Zila, 2002; Smaby, 1998, 1999). A gap in current literature beckons the profession to conduct research outlining how developing a research agenda contributes to advancing the profession and facilitates promotion and tenure. While Hill (2004) recommended pretenured faculty members work in collaboration with colleagues to normalize stress inherent in the development and generation of a research agenda, little has been published providing description of the experience associated with such a significant task for beginning counselor educators. Consequently, it is imperative for emerging counselor educators to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a research agenda in order to facilitate their transition into faculty positions within the academy. As new faculty experience multiple role demands and expectations to engage in scholarship early in their academic positions, the transition includes adjusting to common experiences of new counselor educators.Reviews of experiences shared by new assistant professors of counselor education indicate struggles associated with adjusting to the demands of being a faculty member during their first year (see Borders et al., 2011, Conway, 2006; Magnuson, 2002; Magnuson et al., 2003; Magnuson, Norem, & Lonneman-Doroff, 2009; Magnuson, Shaw, Tubin, & Norem, 2004; Niles, Akos, & Cutler, 2001) these studies lacked specific aspects of new faculty struggles and did not include detailed description of the experience of developing a research agenda during the first two years of the faculty appointment. Additionally, the challenges inherent in developing a productive research agenda indicates further attention to scholarly research preparation be given at the doctoral level and the conversation be opened to include the accounts of new faculty while developing a productive research agenda. …