Results of Immersion Service Learning Activism With Peers

Abstract

Despite the emphasis on multicultural counseling competence and social justice in counseling psychology, the mechanisms behind building skills related to effective work remain elusive. This qualitative study explored the experiences of student-participants during a service learning course based on social justice principles in Belize. The researchers sought to inform how a non-traditional teaching methodology—immersion service learning activism—might affect these students’ development. The researchers used Consensual Qualitative Research to analyze interviews and journals through a collaborative and reflective process. Eleven domains emerged from the analysis. Results confirmed past research related to immersion and service learning, including personal and professional development and changes in diversity attitudes. There were also unanticipated themes related to complex interpersonal and group dynamics. These findings demonstrate the influence of immersion, service learning, and group process in intra- as well as interpersonal development and skill building related to cultural competency and social justice activism.

Becoming an Advocate: Processes and Outcomes of a Relationship-Centered Advocacy Training Model

“…Ultimately, it opened the door to greater empathy, stronger relationships, and more sophisticated intellectually and emotionally tinged awareness of self, other, and context. This theme of Internal Grappling is consistent with prior research showing that graduate students engaged in advocacy training often report an "eyeopening" confrontation with privilege and oppression (Caldwell & Vera, 2010, p. 169), coupled with a range of powerful emotions (e.g., Goodman et al, 2014;Koch et al, 2014;Nilsson et al, 2011;Stewart-Sicking et al, 2013;Toporek & Worthington, 2014). Notably, these eye-opening experiences and subsequent internal struggles are starting points in many identity development theories (Erchull et al, 2009;Helms, 1995) as well as the theory of transformative learning.…”

“…Yet the present study is unique in its articulation of how this struggle continues to drive learning about the self as an agent of social justice, fueling an advocate identity that persists beyond the training experience. In other words, it is not only a common feature of advocacy training (e.g., Koch et al, 2014), but is in fact a necessary driver of a developmental process.…”

Exploring the Relationship Between Pedagogy and Counselor Trainees’ Multicultural and Social Justice Competence

“…We chose to compare the CSL, experiential, and didactic pedagogies because each is widely used and because CSL (Burnett et al, 2004; Chao et al, 2017; Hipolito‐Delgado et al, 2011; Koch et al, 2014; K. A. Lee & Kelley‐Petersen, 2018; Midgett & Doumas, 2016; Midgett et al, 2016; Nilsson et al, 2011; Smith et al, 2014) and experiential (Greene et al, 2014; Kuo & Arcuri, 2014; Murphy et al, 2006; Seto et al, 2006) methods have been associated with CIT growth in the MCC (Sue et al, 1992). Furthermore, the experiential pedagogy has been associated with more CIT growth than comparison courses (Castillo et al, 2007; Cates et al, 2007; Dickson et al, 2010).…”

“…Quantitative outcomes derived from this study align with comparable studies, where researchers (Dickson et al, 2010; Kuo & Arcuri, 2014; Murphy et al, 2006) observed growth concluding an experiential multicultural counseling course in the areas of multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills. However, researchers (Hipolito‐Delgado et al, 2011; Koch et al, 2014; Smith et al, 2014) who focused on multicultural competency growth in a CSL‐focused multicultural counseling course used primarily qualitative methods, which observed themes of attainment in multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills, with Koch et al (2014) finding an additional theme of relationship. Our results indicated that all pedagogical approaches yielded growth of multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills in the previously defined MCC.…”

“…Those using quantitative approaches have reported increases in MCC awareness (Burnett et al, 2004; Chao et al, 2017) and knowledge (Chao et al, 2017; Midgett & Doumas, 2016; Midgett et al, 2016) competencies. Likewise, qualitative research highlighted the emergence of themes regarding MCC knowledge (Chao et al, 2017; Hipolito‐Delgado, Cook, Avrus, & Bonham, 2011; Koch, Ross, Wendell, & Aleksandrova‐Howell, 2014; Nilsson, Schale, & Khamphakdy‐Brown, 2011; Smith, Jennings, & Lakhan, 2014), awareness (Chao et al, 2017; Hipolito‐Delgado et al, 2011; Koch et al, 2014; K. A. Lee & Kelley‐Petersen, 2018; Smith et al, 2014), skills (Hipolito‐Delgado et al, 2011; Koch et al, 2014; Nilsson et al, 2011; Smith et al, 2014), and counseling relationship (Koch et al, 2014) concluding a CSL experience. Within these studies, scholars reinforce the lack of quantitative research comparing pedagogy or measuring student growth within a CSL course.…”