Development of Multicultural Competence in School Psychology Graduate Students

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Development of Multicultural Competence in School
Psychology Graduate Students

• Celeste M. Malone, MS, MEd
• James E. Connell
• Catherine Fiorello
• Temple University

2
Overview of Presentation

• Multicultural Competence in Professional
  Psychology
• Review of Previous Research
• Current Study
• Future Directions

3
Multicultural Competence in Professional
Psychology

• A major goal of professional psychology (i.e.
  clinical, counseling, and school) training
  programs is to prepare trainees to
• understand and appreciate diversity
• demonstrate sensitivity to diverse populations

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Multicultural Competence in Professional
Psychology

• Multicultural competence - a psychologists
  ability to work effectively with diverse
  populations
• Use multicultural knowledge to engage in behavior
  and skills that reflect awareness and sensitivity
  to multicultural issues
• The characteristics and skills of the
  psychologist which make that possible

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Multicultural Competence in Professional
Psychology

• The United States is becoming more racially,
  ethnically, and linguistically diverse
• The field of school psychology is predominantly
  White
• modest gains in minority recruitment and
  enrollment,
• But parity will not be soon
• A school psychologist who is multiculturally
  competent may be better equipped to address
  issues within school systems that impact minority
  children

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Multicultural Counseling Competencies

• In the absence of multicultural competencies in
  clinical and school psychology, the multicultural
  counseling competencies provide a framework to
  assess multicultural competence
• Domain One Counselor awareness of own cultural
  values and biases (Awareness)
• Domain Two Counselor awareness of clients
  worldview (Knowledge)
• Domain Three Culturally appropriate intervention
  strategies (Skills)
• (Sue, Arrendondo, McDavis, 1992)

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Multicultural Counseling Competencies

• A culturally competent counselor/professional
• Is becoming aware of his/her assumptions about
  human behavior, values, biases, preconceived
  notions, personal limitations, etc. (Awareness)
• understands the worldview of his/her culturally
  different client by seeking to understand what
  the clients values and assumptions are
  (Knowledge)
• Is developing and practicing appropriate,
  relevant, and sensitive intervention strategies
  and skills in working with a culturally diverse
  client. (Skills)
• (Sue, Arredondo, Davis, 1992)

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NASPs Commitment to Multicultural Competence

• The domains of multicultural competence are
  addressed in NASPs guiding documents
• NASP Training Standards
• Principles for Professional Ethics
• Guidelines for the Provision of School
  Psychological Services
• These documents address both the training and
  practice of school psychology

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Multicultural Training in School Psychology

• Programs create their own model to address
  multicultural issues and develop multicultural
  competence in their students
• Specific diversity issues or multicultural
  psychology course(s)
• Multicultural content infused throughout the
  curriculum (without explicit multicultural
  coursework)
• Exposure to diverse clientele during practicum
  and/or internship
• Second language requirement
• (Rogers et al., 1992 Rogers, Hoffman, Wade,
  1998 Rogers, 2006)

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Multicultural Training in School Psychology

• Programs choose how they evaluate students
  multicultural competence, e.g.,
• assignments (e.g. portfolios, report writing,
  papers)
• multicultural questions on comprehensives
• student proficiency in learning a second language
• integrating multicultural themes in theses and
  dissertations
• assessing competency during field placement
• (Rogers et al., 1992 Rogers, Hoffman, Wade,
  1998 Rogers, 2006)

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Review of Previous Research Tomlinson-Clarke
(2000)

• Qualitative study examining counselor training
  outcomes in a multicultural counseling course
• The training program reportedly infused
  multicultural content in all didactic and
  experiential courses and practicum
• Assessment instruments
• Multicultural Competency Checklist (MCC)
• Student self-report
• Four month follow-up interviews with students

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Review of Previous Research Tomlinson-Clarke
(2000)

• Results
• Program met 16 out of 22 multicultural
  competencies
• Written evaluations
• Students perceived the racial/ethnic diversity of
  the class as a strength
• Course helped to broaden future interests in
  research and practice of multiculturalism
• Students expressed the need for additional
  coursework
• Perceived the texts and readings as helpful
• Important to have a safe learning environment
  when discussing issues of multiculturalism

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Review of Previous Research Tomlinson-Clarke
(2000)

• Follow-up interviews
• Goal of the interviews was to determine if
  multicultural training was integrated into
  perceptions of self in professional and personal
  development
• Response trends
• Multicultural counseling training was helpful in
  providing information about different cultures
• Diverse racial-ethnic composition of the class
  was the most helpful in learning and
  understanding culture
• Multicultural knowledge was useful and
  transferable to developing culturally sensitive
  interventions
• Need for a course with an emphasis on cultural
  self-development

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Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills
Survey (MAKSS)

• Developed by DAndrea, Daniels, and Heck (1991)
• Designed to measure an individuals multicultural
  counseling awareness, knowledge, and skills
• Based upon the areas of emphasis in the training
  formats of multicultural counseling courses
• Acquisition of cross-cultural communication
  skills
• Need to become more aware of ones attitudes
  towards ethnic minorities
• Importance of increasing counselors knowledge
  about minority populations

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Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills
Survey (MAKSS)

• 60 item survey divided into three subscales
• Items 1-20 multicultural counseling awareness
• Items 21-40 multicultural counseling knowledge
• Items 41-60 multicultural counseling skills
• Four responses available for each item
• 1 Very Limited or Strongly Disagree
• 2 Limited or Disagree
• 3 Good or Agree
• 4 Very Good or Strongly Agree

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Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills
Survey (MAKSS)

• Awareness
• At this time in your life, how would you rate
  yourself in understanding how your cultural
  background has influenced the way you think and
  act?
• Ambiguity and stress often result from
  multicultural situations because people are not
  sure what to expect from each other.
• Knowledge
• Most of the immigrant and ethnic groups in
  Europe, Australia, and Canada face problems
  similar to those experienced by ethnic minority
  groups in the United States.
• Racial and ethnic persons are under-represented
  in clinical and counseling psychology.
• Skills
• How would you rate your ability to conduct a
  successful counseling interview with a person
  from a cultural background significantly
  different from your own?
• How well would you rate your ability to
  accurately identify culturally based assumptions
  as they relate to your professional training?

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Review of Previous Research Keim, Warring,
Rau (2001)

• Study examined whether elements of multicultural
  courses result in positive changes in awareness,
  knowledge, and skills for those being trained to
  address diverse student populations
• Objectives of the multicultural training course
  included
• Understanding the contributions and lifestyles of
  various racial, cultural, and economic groups in
  our society (Knowledge domain)
• Recognizing and addressing dehumanizing biases,
  prejudices, and discrimination (Awareness domain)
• Respecting human diversity and personal rights
  (Awareness domain)
• Developing multicultural, gender fair, disability
  sensitive, inclusive approaches (Skills domain)

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Review of Previous Research Keim, Warring,
Rau (2001)

• Used a revised version of the MAKSS
• The word counselor was replaced with the word
  teacher
• Administered at three points in the semester
• Found significant increases in multicultural
  awareness, knowledge, and skills
• Awareness ? Pre Mid and Pre Post scores
  indicated significant changes
• Knowledge ? Significant changes at each time
  point
• Skills ? Pre Post and Mid Post scores
  indicated significant changes

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Review of Previous Research Keim, Warring,
Rau (2001)

• Research provides information regarding the
  sequencing during a multicultural course
• The beginning of a multicultural course should be
  dedicated to developing multicultural awareness
• Multicultural skill development may be unlikely
  without multicultural awareness and knowledge
• One course is insufficient to provide all the
  necessary information
• However, it can provide the groundwork for
  additional multicultural training

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Review of Previous Research Cartwright,
Daniels, Zhang (2008)

• Two hypotheses around the evaluation of
  multicultural competence of graduate students
• Self-reported multicultural counseling competence
  scores will be higher than observed multicultural
  competence
• Observable growth in students multicultural
  competence by the end of the semester
• Assessment instruments
• MAKSS-CE-R
• Multicultural Counseling Assessment Survey, Form
  I (MCAS)
• Participants were counseling psychology graduate
  students enrolled in a program in which
  multicultural content was infused in all graduate
  coursework without an explicit multicultural
  counseling course

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Review of Previous Research Cartwright,
Daniels, Zhang (2008)

• Found a significant difference between
  self-report scores and independent observer
  ratings, self-report scores being higher for all
  students who responded
• Found a small, insignificant increase in
  independent observer ratings from pretest to
  posttest,
• May be too ambitious to expect that students will
  experience significant improvement in
  multicultural competence over the course of one
  semester
• The slight growth in multicultural competence may
  indicate that the training participants received
  may have stimulated some positive changes in the
  participants overall level of multicultural
  competence

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Present Study

• An evaluation in which the MAKSS was used to
  measure the multicultural competence of school
  psychology graduate students and to assess their
  growth in the three MAKSS domains (awareness,
  knowledge, and skills)
• Participants included first year, second year,
  and advanced EdS and doctoral students from an
  APA accredited, NASP approved school psychology
  program
• The program reportedly infuses multicultural
  content in related coursework, practicum, and
  field experiences, and does not have a dedicated
  multicultural psychology course

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Present Study

• Courses and practicum experiences with infused
  multicultural content
• Advanced Cognitive Assessment
• Assessment of Personality and Behavior
• School Consultation
• Psychotherapeutic Strategies
• Academic Assessment and Intervention
• Low Incidence Clinic
• Psychoeducational Clinic

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Present Study

• Longitudinal design
• Cohort A Second Year Students Administered
  the MAKSS in January 2009, May 2009, and January
  2010
• Cohort B First Year Students Administered the
  MAKSS in September 2009 and January 2010
• Advanced graduate students also completed the
  MAKSS to provide a comparative evaluation of
  anticipated growth
• Average scores in the domains of awareness,
  knowledge, and skills were calculated for each
  group at each data collection point

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Present Study Participants

• Cohort A
• 10 students
• 6 PhD students 4 EdS students
• 8 female 2 male
• 4 self identified as members of ethnic minority
  groups
• Cohort B
• 8 students
• 4 PhD students 4 EdS students
• All female
• All self identified as White
• Advanced Graduate Students
• 5 students

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Present Study Hypothesis

• Cohorts A and B will experience growth in each
  domain at each data collection point
• However, because the multicultural content is
  infused throughout the curriculum (primarily
  skills based coursework) without an explicit
  multicultural psychology course, the greatest
  student growth is expected in the Skills domain
  as opposed to the Awareness and Knowledge domains

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Results Cohort A
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Results Cohort B
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Results Across Cohorts
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Discussion

• The results obtained are consistent with the
  findings of previous research
• Slight, but not significant, growth in the MAKSS
  domains over the course of the semester
• Greatest growth in the Skills domain, followed by
  Knowledge domain
• Reflects the difficulty in developing
  multicultural awareness especially without
  explicit coursework in that area
• Cohort A was a more culturally diverse group than
  Cohort B ? Fosters development of and insight
  into issues of multiculturalism

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Limitations

• Small sample size
• Followed two small cohorts of students
• Inappropriate or inadequate assessment instrument
• MAKSS was developed for counseling psychologists
  ? does not address all domains of school
  psychology practice

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Future Directions

• Development of an assessment tool to evaluate
  multicultural competence in school psychologists
• Two studies (Lopez Rogers, 2001 Rogers
  Lopez, 2002) identified multicultural
  competencies in school psychology
• This information can be used as a starting point
  for the development of an assessment instrument
  unique to school psychology
• Evaluating the effectiveness of multicultural
  competence training models
• Infused content vs. Specific coursework
• Which elements are essential to the development
  of multicultural competence?

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References

• Cartwright, B.Y., Daniels, J., Zhang, S.
  (2008). Assessing multicultural competence
  Perceived versus demonstrated performance.
  Journal of Counseling and Development, 86,
  318-322.
• DAndrea, M., Daniels, J., Heck, R. (1991).
  Evaluating the impact of multicultural counseling
  training. Journal of Counseling and Development,
  70, 143-150.
• Keim, J., Warring, D.F., Rau, R. (2001). Impact
  of multicultural training on school psychology
  and education students. Journal of Instructional
  Psychology, 28, 249-252.
• Lopez, E.C. Rogers, M.R. (2001).
  Conceptualizing cross-cultural school psychology
  competencies. School Psychology Quarterly, 16,
  270-302.
• National Association of School Psychologists.
  (2000a). Professional Conduct Manual. Bethesda,
  MD Author.
• National Association of School Psychologists.
  (2000b). Standards for Training and Field
  Placement Programs in School Psychology.
  Bethesda, MD Author.

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References

• Rogers, M.R. (2006). Exemplary multicultural
  training in school psychology programs. Cultural
  Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 12,
  115-133.
• Rogers, M.R., Hoffman, M.A., Wade, J. (1998).
  Notable multicultural training in APA-approved
  counseling psychology and school psychology
  programs. Cultural Diversity and Mental Health,
  4, 212-226.
• Rogers, M.R. Lopez, E.C. (2002). Identifying
  critical cross-cultural school psychology
  competencies. Journal of School Psychology, 40,
  115-141.
• Rogers, M.R., Ponterorro, J.G., Conoley, J.C.,
  Wiese, M.J. (1992). Multicultural training in
  school psychology A national survey. School
  Psychology Review, 21, 603-616.
• Sue, D., Arrendondo, P., McDavis, R. (1992).
  Multicultural counseling competencies and
  standards A call to the profession. Journal of
  Counseling and Development, 20, 64-88.
• Tomlinson-Clarke, S. (2000). Assessing outcomes
  in a multicultural training course A qualitative
  study. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 13,
  221-231.

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Contact Information

• Celeste Malone, MS, MEd
• cmalone_at_temple.edu
• James Connell, PhD, NCSP
• jconnell_at_temple.edu