Multicultural competence development through international service learning

1. Multicultural competence development through international service learning Julie Koch, Ph.D., Julie Swagerty, M.S., Maria Aleksandrova-Howell, M.S., and Joel Wendell, M.S. Oklahoma State University Abstract • The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a cultural immersion and service learning project on students’ counselor and personal development. The aim was to uncover perceived gains in knowledge, skills, insight and perspective shifts, especially along the lines of cultural identity, attitudes, and competence. Nine interviews were conducted and analyzed using the Consensual Qualitative Research method. Several domains were identified and further broken down into core ideas. The experience of the participants revealed an expansion and transformation of views, such as a new appreciation of differences and of a sense of universal human experience; the importance of hands-on experience in increasing knowledge/skills; and improved confidence in working with diverse populations, among other benefits. • Multicultural Competence • The field of psychology continues to push for multiculturallycompetent practitioners. • Competencies suggested include: • Knowledge, awareness, skills (Sue & Sue, 2007) • Relationship (Sodowsky, Taffe, Gutkin & Wise, 1994) • Motivation (Goh, Koch & Sanger, 2008) • And others • Unclear how to assist students in development of competencies (Ishii, Gilbride, & Stensrud, 2009; Kim & Lyons, 2003; Roysircar et al., 2003) Method:The Immersion Experience • 12 students enrolled in a cultural immersion service learning course offered in Belize • Students engaged in collaborative, educational partnership (Allport, 1954; Tomlinson-Clarke & Clarke, 2010) • Students provided psychoeducational counseling outreach in an elementary school daily for one week • The children and teachers with whom the students worked were of African/Creole descent and spoke English as a second language • The students traveled to and from Belize together, roomed together, and were assigned to teams for the week • Research Question: How did working within an elementary school in a developing country and providing outreach to children and workshops for educators affect students’ professional development, specifically in the area of multicultural competence? • Service Learning • Service learning: experiential learning that combines coursework with community service • Literature suggests service learning and cultural immersion useful: • In increasing multicultural counseling competency (Burnett, Hamel & Long, 2004; Ishii et al., 2009; Hanfield, Low & Hovestadt, 2009; Nilsson, Schale, & Khamphakdy-Brown, 2011; Tomlinson-Clarke & Clarke, 2010) • In confronting racism (DeRicco & Sciarra, 2005) • In increasing knowledge and skills (Burnett et al., 2004; Canfield, Low & Hovestadt, 2009; Nilsson et al., 2011) • In promoting personal and intellectual growth (Burnett et al., 2004; Deeley, 2010; Nilsson et al., 2011) • Method • Participants: 9 graduate counseling students; 7 female, 2 male; age range 23-42; 5 White, 4 African American • Research team: biases and expectations explored; worked to consensus through dialogue; 1 faculty member, 3 doctoral students • Analysis: Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts was conducted to understand the participants’ personal and professional growth experiences in depth • Consensual Qualitative Research protocol (Hill, Thompson & Williams, 1997; Hill et al., 2005) includes: • Data segmented into domains, further abstracted into “core ideas” • Cross-analysis and auditing will be used for finalization of domains Results: Domains and Core Ideas • This process yielded the following qualitatively distinct domains: • Awareness (awareness of differences; appreciation of diversity): “There isn’t a single person that comes into your office… that doesn’t have a different culture than you do. You know, I mean, you’re always going to work with diversity, no matter what it’s based on, so I guess if you don’t like working with diversity then, why are you working in counseling?” • Comfort level: Experience of discomfort led to growth • Professional development and Skills: “I think,after going to Belize, I definitely want to be more involved in the community, not just be a counselor in an office, but go out and do intervention and prevention and things like that” • Cultural Identity and Privilege: “I mean I’ve thought this through, but I see it more now. I did acknowledge the fact that I am, you know, I am privileged, I am white. I am male.” • Group/interpersonal dynamics: Competition; leadership; cohesiveness; friendship; conflict Results: Domains and Core Ideas • Knowledge: “I now realize I have seen first hand that third world countries, as far as like … clean water, just day to day necessities. That is something I am more aware of now.” • Immersion and Travel Process: “Getting there and actually being immersed into a real neighborhood - it was very impoverished - and getting to work with the kids. It showed me that there was a different side to people and to the world as we see it.” • Personal Development (growth in openness and self awareness): “It changed my outlook on life.” • Post-travel Impact and Motivation: “Now I know for sure that I want to work with … probably more minorities in different countries.” • Relationships, Affection, and Communication: “Everybody was so friendly, I mean, we went running in the morning and we had probably 15 people say ‘Hi’ to us when we were just running down the street.” • Universality: “I went over there with assumptions, but in reality I came back knowing that some needs are still going to be worldwide as far as basic necessities of wanting someone, needing that attachment, needing someone there to care for you, needing food and water and shelter and wanting to feel safe.” • Discussion and Limitations • Participation in the service-learning immersion project affected students in several important ways: • Opportunity to apply “text-book” multicultural skills in a real- world situation. • Were required to interface with other students and engage in reflection about cultural identity and perspective in a community setting with peers. • Expansion of worldview fueled growth in concrete skills and abilities while impacting abstract qualities such as confidence and a sense of being “a citizen of the world.” • Majority-minority “flip” for participants affected their perceptions and experiences • Limitations include cost of international travel, potential researcher bias, and lack of pre-post measures. This research could inform the development of quantitative measures to be used in future studies. We also suggest exploration of creative funding to assist with student travel expense. References • Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley. • Burnett, J. A., Hamel, D., & Long, L. L. (2004). Service learning in graduate counselor education: Developing multicultural counseling competency. Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development, 32, 180-191. • Canfield, B. S., Low, L. & Hovestadt, A. (2009). Cultural immersion as a learning method for expanding multicultural competence. The Family Journal, 17, 318-322. • Deeley, S. J. (2010). Service-learning: Thinking outside the box. Active Learning in Higher Education, 11, 43-53. • DeRicco , J. N. & Sciarra, D. T. (2005). The immersion experience in multicultural counselor training: Confronting covert racism. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 32, 180-191. • Goh, M., Koch, J. M., & Sanger, S. (2008). Cultural intelligence in counseling psychology: Applications for multicultural counseling competence. In S. Ang & L. Van Dyne (Eds.), Handbook of Cultural Intelligence. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. • Hill, C. E., Thompson, B. J., & Williams, E. N. (1997). A guide to conducting Consensual Qualitative Research. The Counseling Psychologist, 25, 517-572. • Hill, C. E., Thompson, B. J., Williams, E. N., Hess, S. A., & Ladany, N. (2005). Consensual Qualitative Research: An update. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 196-205. • Ishii, H., Gilbride, D. D., & Stensrud, R. (2009). Students’ internal reactions to a one-week cultural immersion trip: A qualitative analysis of student journals. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 37, 15-27. References • Kim, B. A. K. & Lyons, H. Z. (2003). Experiential activities and multicultural counseling competence training. Journal of Counseling & Development, 81, 400-407. • Nilsson, J. E., Schale, C. L., & Khamphakdy-Brown, S. (2011). Facilitating trainees’ multicultural development and social justice advocacy through a refugee/immigrant mental health program. Journal of Counseling & Development, 89, 413-422. • Roysircar, G., Webster, D. R., Germer, J., Palensky, J. J., Lynne, E., Campbell, G., et al. (2003). Experiential training in multicultural counseling: Implementation and evaluation of counselor process. In G. Roysircar, D. S. Sandhu, & V. B. Bibbins (Eds.), Multicultural competencies: A guidebook of practices (pp. 3-15). Alexandria, VA: Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. • Sodowsky G. R., Taffe, R. C., Gutkin, T., & Wise, S. L. (1994). Development and application of the Multicultural Counseling Inventory: A self-report measure of multicultural competencies. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 41, 137-148. • Sue, D. W. & Sue, D. (2007). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (5th ed.) New York: Wiley. • Tomlinson-Clarke , S. M. & Clarke, D. (2010). Culturally focused community-centered service learning: An international cultural immersion experience. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 38, 166-175. . For more information please contact Julie Koch at julie.koch@okstate.edu.