A Survey of School Counselor Multicultural Education Behaviors and the Obstacles that Impede Them

In this study, researchers examined the frequency with which school counselors enact multicultural education behaviors and the obstacles preventing those behaviors. Using theoretical dimensions and approaches to multicultural education, they developed an instrument measuring school counseling multicultural education behavior. After pilot testing the instrument (n = 114), they distributed a refined instrument to a state school counselor database, and 594 school counselors participated in the primary data collection. Researchers used exploratory factor analysis to determine five factors comprising 72% combined variance of school counselor multicultural education behaviors. Participants enacted behaviors in two factors (Classroom Guidance with Multicultural Education Emphases and Human Relations) occasionally and behaviors in three factors (Professional Development with Multicultural Education Emphases, Knowledge Construction, and Teaching the Exceptional and Culturally Different) rarely. The most common obstacles preventing behaviors were not enough time and not needed. Researchers discuss implications for engaging in and promoting multicultural education in schools