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Degree

PHD, Kent State University, College of Education / Department of Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education, 2004.

Abstract

The goal of this research study was to discover how students enrolled in a multicultural course experienced participation in a role-play based on a female, Puerto Rican client. The main research question was: How do master’s counseling students enrolled in a multicultural course experience participation in a role-play based on a female Puerto Rican client? Several subquestions were also explored. The participants completed a role-play process. The student counselor and student client pairs then processed an audio tape of the role-play session using Interpersonal Process Recall. Participants were individually interviewed. The interviews were coded and analyzed through the use of QSR Nu*Dist, N6, a qualitative software program. Four findings from the study were discussed. The first finding was the theme of genuineness. Participants reported feeling connected to the role-play process and to the client role that was portrayed. The second finding, the concept of "multicultural empathy," emerged from the participants’ genuine role-play experience. The student counselors and student clients discussed the importance of developing an understanding and knowledge of the client from a cultural perspective and showing this to the client through "multicultural empathy." The third finding involved the student participants’ different role-play experiences. The student counselors described their experiences with a cognitive emphasis, whereas the student clients described their experiences with an affective emphasis. In the fourth finding student participants stated that the role-play process allowed them to integrate their multicultural course material with counseling practice. They reported that they began to understand the meaning and incorporate the use of the multicultural information as they participated in the role-play experience. The findings have implications for the counseling field, specifically with counseling pedagogy and counseling curriculum design. Suggestions were offered for incorporating the findings when multicultural role-plays are used in a multicultural counseling course. The placement of the multicultural counseling course in a counseling curriculum and the inclusion of course prerequisites were discussed. Finally, suggestions for future research were given.

Subject Headings

Education, Guidance and Counseling

Keywords

multicultural counseling; Hispanic role-play; interpersonal process recall

Advisor

Martin Jencius

Pages

240p.

Document number: kent1101224402
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1101224402

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