Development of the counseling self-efficacy scale for counselors-in-training based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory: a Delphi study

Counseling self-efficacy is an important indicator in counseling field because it is associated with many counseling-related factors such as counseling competence and counseling outcome. Therefore, it is important to accurately measure counseling self-efficacy of counselors-in-training so that counselor educators can assess counselors-in-trainings’ developmental stage by understating their counseling self-efficacy level and can better educate them by providing opportunities to fulfill necessary experiences that can enhance counseling self-efficacy. In the efforts to understand one’s self-efficacy, Bandura’s self-efficacy theory has widely been used, which has specified four sources of self-efficacy (i.e., mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological and emotional state). However, most of the self-efficacy scales that have been used do not reflect this theory, and they only focus on counselors’ skills, knowledge, and confidence. There is only one scale developed in Malaysia based on Bandura’s theory, but it was a modified version of mathematics self-efficacy, not assessing perspectives of counselors-in-training in the United States.

The purpose of this study was to develop a potential list of items that can assess counseling self-efficacy of counselors-in-training based on Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. A total of 12 experts who are counselor educators completed the three rounds of surveys, and 32 items were developed and included in the final list. Interpretations of the results and relevant implications for counseling programs, counselor educators, and future research are discussed.