Abstract

This study was conducted with the purpose to discover the cultural diversity and multicultural sensitivity in school counselors. In order to achieve that in-depth interviews were conducted with 7 school counselors where we explored their thoughts on cultural competence as well as the influence multicultural competence in school counselors have on counseling their students. The criteria in selecting the research participants included a minimum of 2 years in school counseling and experience counseling multicultural students. In-depth interviews were conducted from August to September of the year 2016, recorded and transcribed. The result of the study is as follows. School counselors performed individual as a well as group counseling, psychological testings and measurement, administrative work, association with centers and hospitals, counseling maladjusted students, counseling program development and operation, counseling promotion and education, peer counseling club management, career guidance, as well as parent training. Practical activity for the acquisition of role performing ability was conducted mostly through informal education. The difficulties faced by school counselors in counseling multicultural students include 1) absence of language communication 2) lack of information on cultural diversity 3) lack of opportunities in multicultural counseling experience 4) lack of confidence, factors of organizational aspects include 1) demand for various counseling professionalism role performance 2) lack of human resources of school counselors: 1 counselor per school 3) absence of counseling case management and incomplete school support etc. By showing a career development direction needed for the role performing ability in school counselors, this study is significant as fundamental research for the nation, unit schools and training institutions to support career development needed for the role performance of school counselors