THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND VICARIOUS TRAUMA AMONG GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING TEACHERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MURANGA COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Background: Guidance and Counselling teachers in secondary schools are routinely exposed to students' traumatic disclosures, making them vulnerable to vicarious trauma. This cumulative psychological burden has significant implications for professional functioning and service delivery quality.
Objective: This study determined the relationship between vicarious trauma and self-efficacy among Guidance and Counselling teachers in public secondary schools in Murang'a County, Kenya.
Methodology: Grounded in the Constructivist Self-Development Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, the study adopted a descriptive correlational quantitative design. Using a census approach, all 282 eligible teachers across seven sub-counties were targeted, with 265 participating (response rate 94.0%). Data were collected using the Vicarious Trauma Scale (VTS) and the School Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale (SCSES) and analyzed through Pearson's correlation and hierarchical multiple regression in SPSS version 27.
Results: Statistically significant negative correlations were found between vicarious trauma and all five self-efficacy domains, with coefficients ranging from -0.698 to -0.784, all reflecting large effect sizes. The strongest association was with Personal and Social Development (r = -0.784, p = .021), followed by Collaboration (r = -0.756, p = .028), Leadership and Assessment (r = -0.721, p = .016), Cultural Acceptance (r = -0.703, p = .004), and Career and Academic Development (r = -0.698, p = .033). Hierarchical regression confirmed that vicarious trauma independently predicted self-efficacy (β = -0.72, p = .000), explaining an additional 44.8% of variance beyond control variables, with the full model accounting for 63.4% of variance in counselor self-efficacy.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Vicarious trauma significantly and independently undermines self-efficacy across all professional domains among Guidance and Counselling teachers. Mandatory supervision structures, trauma-informed training programs, and peer support networks are recommended to address vicarious trauma and strengthen professional self-efficacy.
Keywords: Vicarious Trauma, Self-Efficacy, Guidance and Counselling Teachers, Secondary Schools, Murang'a County, Kenya.
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