Professional Dispositions Among Counselor Education Doctoral Students

Authors' Names

Sabina R. SabyrkulovaFollow

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Category

Social Sciences/Humanities

Abstract/Artist Statement

The instructional standards of Counselor Education and Supervision programs expect doctoral students to display professional behavior as they fulfill their five main roles in the program: counseling, supervision, teaching, research, and advocacy (CACREP, 2016). A professional disposition is important because of the close working relationships that doctoral students engage in with peers, students, and faculty. These relationships directly impact learning experiences and development of professional identities for doctoral candidates. Existing studies explore professional dispositions predominantly among master-level counseling students (Guardia, 2020; Brown, 2013) and counselor educators (Brown-Rice & Furr, 2019), but only one study involves doctoral students (Brown-Rice &Furr, 2019).

This study of doctoral students by Brown-Rice and Furr (2019) quantitatively identifies the causes of unprofessional dispositions, such as inability to regulate emotions, demonstration of inadequate clinical skills, and engagement in unethical behavior. While causes are important to identify, examining the actual experiences and processes involving professional dispositions is essential as it will offer the necessary guidance to faculties and doctoral students in managing unprofessional behaviors.

This proposal involves a qualitative study using a grounded theory that explores the experiences of counselor educators who receive concerns about professional dispositions among doctoral students and the process of attending to these concerns. This study holds significance because doctoral programs must identify whether students present appropriate “fitness” for the profession, including self-awareness and emotional stability. It aims to establish clear regulations in addressing professional dispositions. This study expects to facilitate discussions on ethical considerations, including multiculturalism and social justice. Most importantly, this study will allow doctoral students to engage in self-reflection which will contribute to further growth and development on personal and professional levels. Lastly, the outcomes of this study will offer practical implications on responding to professional dispositions in counseling and related disciplines.

Mentor Name

Veronica Johnson

Personal Statement

The proposed study on professional dispositions among doctoral students originates from my personal experiences in my doctoral program. As an international student coming from a developing country and identifying as an underrepresented minority, I view access to education as a privilege. My doctoral status comes with multiple responsibilities that must be fulfilled to earn the degree. During my program, I have been relying on my personal values and intentions for becoming an educator. My values are centered around authenticity, growth-mindset, empowerment, connection, and commitment. These values also guide me in my professional work as they remain true to my purpose as a future counselor educator. Because I form close working relationships with students, peers, and faculty, I am aware that my professionalism and credibility will impact students’ learning environment, their academic and professional success, and quality of future work. Thus, when professional dispositions create barriers for learning and working environments, I fear that lack of discussion of professional issues will lead to negative consequences for so many. As a student myself, I observe a reoccurring phenomenon where so much trust is laid into the work of doctoral students and not much discussion happens when the quality of work is being questioned. I see value in addressing issues that closely relate to my professions which is why I find myself being in a unique situation with this proposed study. On one hand, this study can encourage self-reflection among doctoral peers about their professional behaviors and ways that they can further grow and develop. On the other hand, as a future researcher, I can serve as an advocate by emphasizing the necessity of attending to professional dispositions among doctoral students to counselor education programs and their universities. This study can capture a variety of audience in the counseling field, and it can uncover experiences with professional dispositions that can lead to positives changes in ways that current and future counselor educators fulfill their professional duties. Lastly, with proposing this study and discussing the outcomes of it, I hope to fulfill the mission of University of Montana (UM). UM’s mission is to provide an active learning environment for students, facilitate personal and professional development of self, and cultivate a vibrant community. As a future counselor educator, I resonate with this mission and would like to make contributions to our community.