A critical look at multicultural and social justice counsellor education with best practice approaches

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to examine counselling students’ perceptions of how their education prepared them for applied practice. Thirty-two graduate students from two Alberta institutions responded to an online survey. This qualitative study used the critical incident technique and a thematic analysis to categorize student responses into three domains: gained competencies, barriers encountered, and gaps identified. Five meta-themes emerged reflecting two streams: curriculum and pedagogy. Interpretations were made within an eclectic range of learning theories and best practice principles. Although participants claimed they were satisfied with the multicultural competencies they gained, the results revealed the shortcomings of a single-course design and showed that their education lacked social justice coverage and a focus on applied practice. Although best practice methods are used extensively in elementary schools and gaining ground in higher learning, the potential contribution of the approach in multicultural counselling education has not yet been realized.