Analysis of the Guidance Services Provided in Schools in France and Turkey: A Comparative Case Study

The purpose of this study is to analyse the guidance services provided for primary-secondary schools in France and Turkey by means of a comparison of two countries based on the insights of the people in charge for carrying out the guidance services. The study was conducted with a comparative case study, which is among qualitative research patterns. The study group was chosen through the analogous sampling method, one of the purpose sampling methods. A total of 12 participants, 6 in Turkey and 6 in France, participated in the study. The data were collected through interview method and analysed through descriptive analysis. The study concluded that “chief education advisor” in France and “guidance teacher” in Turkey are the responsible branch teachers providing guidance services at secondary school level. Based on the results of the comparison of both countries in terms of the guidance-related courses, it was found that there is no course in France related to both primary and secondary school guidance services whereas there is a course titled “Guidance and Career Planning” in the last year of secondary school in Turkey. The study further revealed that unlike the secondary schools in France, the secondary schools in Turkey invite some professionals to the school to make a speech, organize school trips to higher educational institutions and administer certain tests intended to identify occupational tendency to students. The secondary schools in France, differently from those in Turkey, perform an internship as a part of guidance services. In regard to the guidance services in Turkey, the study demonstrated that not enough attention is being paid to the guidance services; that there are some disruptions in the interviews performed with the students; that the number of guidance teachers in the school is not sufficient; that the course titled “Guidance and Career Planning” in secondary schools is not utilized in line with its intended purpose. Given that the study concluded that the secondary-school students in France are able to go to a higher educational institution according to their own requests or depending on the recommendations provided in the guidance services, it is suggested that the guidance services in the secondary schools in Turkey are reorganized accordingly