Abstract

This study examines principals’ management of school counselling activities at ten upper secondary schools in Dong Thap Province. The survey involved 250 respondents, including 50 educational managers and 200 teachers or staff members, supplemented by interviews with 16 participants. A five-point questionnaire assessed four management functions. The overall mean score was 2.81 (SD = 0.66), indicating a moderate level of implementation. Planning received the highest score (M = 3.23), followed by organization (M = 2.97) and direction (M = 2.82), while monitoring and evaluation received the lowest score (M = 2.21). Higher-rated practices included integrating counselling into school educational plans and establishing counselling teams. Major limitations concerned private counselling spaces, referral coordination, confidentiality reviews, and stakeholder feedback. The findings highlight discontinuities between administrative arrangements and operational oversight and support improvements in planning, staffing, professional support, coordination, and evaluation. As the study reflects respondents’ assessments, it does not directly measure counselling effectiveness or changes in students’ mental health.

Keywords: Educational management, management functions, principals, school counselling, upper secondary schools.