Cerghit (1997) describes education as going beyond theory and ensuring the framework
for practicing abilities and skills. The action-based methods (operational and practical)
are now used in teaching for this very reason. From the perspective of educational
sciences, case study is included in the category of methods based on real action.
Zlate (1982) considers that the idea of case study in learning originates both in teaching
practice (which recommends intuitive and concrete models to make the contents more
accessible), as well as in the theories of active pedagogy (linking the efficiency of
learning to the activism of learner) or social psychology (the theories of group dynamics).
Thus, the author considers case study “an active method (because it encourages each
participant), but also a group method (because it is based on the interaction between
group members with a view to solving the respective case).”
Method presentation
In traditional counselling, the beneficiary is considered a passive recipient of information,
following instructions, which lead to low commitment. The main role belongs to the
counsellor who organizes information, offering them in a final accessible version.
Modern counselling shifts the stress from the counsellor to the beneficiary, actively
committing and involving the latter in taking responsibility for learning and results of the
counselling process. The client is responsible for future acquisitions and discovers the
immediate benefits of the things learned. The counsellor is seen as a process facilitator,
for offering security and trust, preparing activities, training, helping draw the conclusions.
Information is “discovered” and “lived” by the beneficiaries, the contents are centred on
real life aspects, tasks place participants in concrete work situations requiring negotiation
of action options, individual or team analysis, choice of solutions that should represent
personal or group answers. On the basis of experiences in the work “incubator”, personal
and general conclusions will then be drawn, when the counsellor’s role is to ask
questions, guide, and not give ready-made solutions.
We can enumerate a few features of modern counselling:
- participant-oriented, aiming to satisfy immediate individual / group needs;
- participatory;
- source of feedback;
- centred on respect towards the participant;
- takes place in an atmosphere of safety and a comfortable environment.