A pilot project to provide in-house practicum and research training to MSSC students: Interfacing research and practice for knowledge development in the context of practicum and research training in counsellor education

Abstract

In counsellor education, practicum training and researching practice are important curriculum components of the scientist-practitioner model of professional education. MSSC students choose either the practicum or the research route in the final leg of the programme. With the establishment of the Practice Laboratory (Nam Shan Estate) for training and research in 2012-13, we are now able to provide in-house practicum and research training to students. The present proposal is to stage a pilot project (SEN Care) of providing counselling and psycho-educational services to an advocacy/user organization (the Hong Kong Integrated Education Concern Association) formed by parents of "special education needs" (SEN) children. Under a referral system to be administered by the Association, needy "SEN families" can access counselling and/or psycho-educational services developed/provided by practicum students under the guidance of practicum supervisors and mentoring support of MSSC alumni. Concurrently, MSSC students taking the research course (SS5804) provide research support that allows practicum students to study client experience and evaluate the process and outcome of their work with SEN children, parents, and families. The project thus interfaces research and practice in the context of providing practicum and research training to MSSC students.