Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study aimed 1) to examine the current and desired professional ability levels of local university counselors, 2) to develop approaches to improve the professional abilities of local university counselors, and 3) to evaluate these approaches in terms of clarity, relevance, and feasibility. The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. First, we synthesized policy documents and prior research and combined them with interviews with 10 experts to develop a three-level, eight-dimension framework of counselors’ professional abilities. Second, a dual-rating survey was administered to 247 counselors from 13 local universities in Guangxi, with each item rated for both current and desired ability levels. In the IPA step, desired ratings were used as a defensible operationalization of “importance” (perceived expectations), whereas current ratings represented “performance,” linking gap diagnosis to prioritization. Third, improvement approaches derived from the gap analysis and Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) were reviewed by an expert panel. The results revealed that 1) desired ability levels were significantly higher than current performance across all eight dimensions, signifying pervasive professional ability gaps. The most substantial gaps were identified in ideological and political education, career and entrepreneurship guidance, and professional growth, whereas daily affairs management showed the smallest gap. Mean gaps (desired − current) ranged from 0.43 to 1.47 on a five-point scale, pointing to sizable ability shortfalls in several domains. 2) Using IPA with overall mean performance of 3.32 and overall mean importance of 4.27 as reference points, the study developed a two-level priority scheme that placed ideological and political education at Priority Level I and employment and entrepreneurship guidance and professional growth at Priority Level II, and translated these priorities into a structured improvement package. 3) The expert panel confirmed that the proposed approaches were clear, relevant, and feasible for implementation in local universities. Overall, the study’s core contribution is an evidence-based diagnostic-to-intervention cycle that integrates measurement, prioritization, and action planning for counselor development in local-university contexts.
Source: Journal of MCU Peace Studies
Institution: Sripatum University
Language: Thai
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225032492