Beyond Self-Perception: Exploring School Counselors’ Self-Efficacy and Practical Application of Multicultural Counseling Competence

Many school counselors face significant challenges in effectively addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. This study explores how school counselors translate multicultural counseling competence (MCC) into practice among a sample of 234 survey participants and six focus group participants. The research findings indicate that high self-efficacy promotes intentional, culturally sustaining interventions, and systemic change. However, low self-efficacy, limited administrative support, and personal biases hinder the development of school counselors’ multicultural counseling cultural competence. The results emphasize the critical role of school counselor identity development and professional training in dismantling educational barriers for students of all culture.