Counseling Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to examine the relationship between counseling skills techniques training and self-perception of counseling skills for graduate level rehabilitation counselors, over a semester course; and (b) to examine whether class platform (on-campus vs. distance) has a significant relationship with students’ self-perception of skills acquisition. The Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE), developed through Bandura’s theory on self-efficacy, was used to evaluate students’ perception of counseling skills. The participants were 39 master’s level students in an accredited rehabilitation counseling program. All participants received counseling skills training and completed the COSE pretest during the first class of the semester and the posttest during the last week of the semester. The results demonstrated significant change during the semester, showing an increase in reported counseling skills over the 16-week time period. There were no differences detected between on-campus and distance education students, demonstrating that the platform of the educational program did not influence outcomes in reported counseling skills in this sample of rehabilitation counseling students.