Counseling psychology students’ perceptions of faculty multicultural competence.

Abstract

One current focus of training in applied psychology programs is multicultural competence. Research on multicultural competence has focused on students and on clinical supervisors. However, much training in multicultural competence occurs in classrooms and within training programs, and there has been limited examination of the multicultural competence of faculty. Using consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology, we examined counseling psychology doctoral student perceptions of the multicultural competence of counseling psychology faculty. Utilizing a semistructured interview protocol, we obtained in-depth descriptions of how counseling psychology doctoral students define and perceive the multicultural competence of faculty members. Six domains emerged from the analysis, including faculty expertise, faculty-student relationships, faculty initiative, faculty as agents of social justice, faculty attributes, and faculty limitations. Some of these themes were unexpected and are new to the field of multicultural competence training. We recommend that faculty engage in reflective interactions with students and consider their own strengths as well as growth areas related to multicultural competence, keeping these 6 domains in mind.

A snapshot of multicultural training in school psychology

“…In addition, this training can enhance the faculty's capacity to support students from diverse backgrounds. Faculty's increased multicultural competence will help programs be more intentional in their efforts to recruit and retain REM students (Koch et al, 2018; Proctor & Truscott, 2012). The lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the profession has been a longstanding issue; graduate programs play an important role in making the profession more diverse.…”

Returning the colonizers gaze: Critiquing Whiteness in our training programs.

“…Without proper grounding in the historical context of BIPOC students, trainers risk pathologizing student behavior (as seen in examples described in Shin, 2015). Supervisory relationships can inhibit supervisee growth with supervisors who are viewed as culturally insensitive (Koch et al, 2018). This happens when our readiness for change is based on performative change, or cursory understanding of culture without a true reconciliation process including a historical and developmental framework.…”

Multicultural competence and Big Five personality as predictors of instructor effectiveness in counseling and psychology faculty.

“…More specifically, the relationship between instructor competence and trainee competence, particularly the impact of instructor multicultural competence on training, has been explored with limited research. One study examined how doctoral students in counseling psychology defined and perceived the multicultural competence of faculty (Koch et al, 2018). This qualitative study found six domains of students' perceptions of faculty multicultural competence, including faculty expertise, faculty-student relationships, faculty initiative, perceptions of faculty as agents of social change, faculty attributes, and faculty limitations (Koch et al, 2018).…”

“…One study examined how doctoral students in counseling psychology defined and perceived the multicultural competence of faculty (Koch et al, 2018). This qualitative study found six domains of students’ perceptions of faculty multicultural competence, including faculty expertise, faculty-student relationships, faculty initiative, perceptions of faculty as agents of social change, faculty attributes, and faculty limitations (Koch et al, 2018). These six domains reflect how students utilize their perceptions of faculty members and their own relationships with them, both of which extend beyond the classroom, as means to assess faculty multicultural competence.…”

“…Knowing that the instructional process is multifaceted (Marsh, 2007; Pietrzac et al, 2008) and that instruction is affected by individual characteristics of the instructor (Chen et al, 2010; Clayson et al, 2006; Kneipp et al, 2010; Marsh, 2007; Patrick, 2011; Pietrzac et al, 2008), research is needed to explore instructor multicultural competence as an individual characteristic that impacts student perceptions of instruction effectiveness. Student perception of instructor personality (Chen et al, 2010; Clayson et al, 2006; Kneipp et al, 2010; Koch et al, 2018; Patrick, 2011) and grades and amount learned (Marsh, 2007; Pietrzac et al, 2008) contribute to differences in student perceptions of instruction effectiveness, but perceived instructor attributes have yet to be assessed in counseling and psychology multicultural competence training and evaluation.…”