ASSESSING SCHOOL COUNSELLORS’ CULTURAL COMPETENCE INSERVING INTERNALLY DISPLACED AND REFUGEE STUDENTS INNORTH-EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

School counsellors in North-East Nigeria face complex demands in serving internallydisplaced and refugee students amid ongoing conflict and displacement. Using aphenomenological design, this study explored how 12 purposively selected schoolcounsellors enact cultural competence, the strategies they employ, and the systemicbarriers they encounter. Data from semi-structured interviews and institutional documentswere analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Three analytic clusters emerged: (1)Competence: counsellors demonstrated self-awareness and cultural knowledge butreported partial confidence due to training gaps; bilingualism was a key asset. (2)Strategies: they built trust through home visits and consistent presence, adaptedinterventions (e.g., storytelling, group activities), used peer mediators, and collaboratedacross sectors. (3) Challenges: limited training, role ambiguity, scarce resources,insecurity, stigma, and weak referral systems undermined continuity of care for displacedstudents. While counsellors actively adapt their practice, systemic constraints hinderconsistent, culturally competent service delivery. Findings call for context-specificprofessional development, formalised roles, investment in bilingual staffing, andstandardised referral protocols. This study informs policy and training for education andhumanitarian actors, emphasising the need for student-centred evaluation, robustmonitoring systems, and strengthened accountability in crisis-affected educationalsettings.