Abstract
This study was a correlational research aiming to investigate the relationship between role conflict and role ambiguity, and counseling competencies among trainee counselors in the supervision process. Next, this study also seeks to examine the influence of both factors towards the study’s dependent variables. For the respondents, 217 trainee counselors and 67 supervisor lecturers from nine public universities in Malaysia were involved. Two instruments were used to measure the variables in this study namely The Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity Inventory (RCRAI) and Counseling Competencies Scale (CCS). RCRAI was administered to measure the role conflict and role ambiguity among trainee counselors, while CCS functions to assist the supervisors in evaluating the counselors’ competencies. Based on the study findings, there was a significant correlation between role conflict and role ambiguity with counseling competencies r =.170, p<.05; and r =-.542, p<.05, respectively. For the multiple regression analyses, it is reported that the model was a significant predictor of counseling competencies, R2= 2.95, F(2, 201) = 41.994, p< .000. The model also indicates that only role ambiguity had contributed significantly (?= -.434, p<.05), while role conflict had not (? =-.046, p>.05). All these findings provide future research directions to improve the level of competencies among the trainee counselor in the supervision process. For this purpose, the study implications on counselor competencies in the supervision as well as on the relationship between both the supervisor and trainee are discussed.
Highlights
The supervision process is applied in various professions such as clinical psychology, nursing, school psychology and teaching (Dollarhide & Miller, 2006)
Research Findings This study examined the relationships between role difficulties and competencies of trainee counselors in a process of supervision
The findings reported that both of the role difficulties in a supervision process, consisting of role conflict and role ambiguity significantly correlated with the competencies of trainee counselors
Summary
The supervision process is applied in various professions such as clinical psychology, nursing, school psychology and teaching (Dollarhide & Miller, 2006). Supervision is a basic component in the development of identity of professional trainee counselors who will serve in this profession (West, 2004), by increasing their sharpness of skills, conceptualizing and delivering service effectively to the clients (Bornsheuer-Boswell, Polonyi, & Watts, 2013). Ladany & Bradley (2010) raise three main functions of counseling supervision: (1) helping the counselor obtain professional growth and personnel characteristics; (2) increase a sense of responsibility on giving service and counseling program; and (3) increase the counselor’s competency level. It can be concluded that counseling supervision is a form of examination towards counselor activities by the supervisor, involving certain interaction process, and aiming to empower the counselor’s competency level to a professional level
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