A phenomenological narrative study: High school counselors' perceptions of online credit recovery programs

This study was designed to explore high school counselors' perceptions of online credit recovery programs. The central research question of this study was: What perceptions do high school counselors have regarding online credit recovery programs as a method of dropout prevention? Participants were eight counselors who have at least two years of experience working with online credit recovery programs. Data for this phenomenological study were collected through one on one interviews conducted with the use of a guided protocol. Common themes emerged from the totality of the eight participants' perceptions. Results of the study include counselor perceptions that online credit recovery is not a valid educational tool, but that it can motivate students to graduate from high school. Results also showed that counselors predict that future iterations of online credit recovery will include on line help from a certified teacher, and that students will engage in collaborative coursework instead of students learning individually. For administrators and counselors who manage online credit recovery programs, it is suggested that online credit recovery programs should include a certified teacher in the room. Practitioners can also benefit from allowing 9th graders to participate in online credit recovery and by understanding which courses are most conducive to an online format.