Global Consultation Processes: Lessons Learned from Refugee Teacher Consultation Research in Malaysia

ABSTRACT

The process of global consultation has received little attention despite its potential for promoting international mutual understanding with marginalized communities. This article details theory, entry, implementation, and evaluation processes for global consultation research, including lessons learned from our refugee teacher intervention. The first half of the article addresses the entry process, culture-specific strengths, and challenges that can be faced in global consultation, including our experience with a lack of formal regulatory oversight of refugee education. The second half of the article details feedback collected from consultants, peer trainers, and peer trainees indicating which training content was most valuable; how some Burmese refugee teachers strive for a more student-centered, “free” classroom for their refugee students; and, finally, the toll that intense refugee teacher consultation took on the consultants.

Funding and acknowledgments

Without financial and intellectual support from a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Scholar Award and Fulbright New Leaders Group Award to the first author, in addition to a Fulbright Alumni Education Innovation Fund Award to the first and third authors, this research would not have been possible. We deeply appreciate all of the hard work the consultants on this project did with the peer trainers. We also appreciated the peer trainers and trainees’ time and feedback. We would like to thank Lee Pei Shee of World Vision; Dr. Goh Chee Leong, Psychology Dean at HELP University; Director James Coffman and staff of the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) for their long-term support and financial processing of our grant; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); United States Department of State and the U.S. Embassy-Malaysia for their oversight and celebration of our refugee teacher trainees; and Mic Hoo and the Durian FM Team for their embrace of our intervention and the refugee teachers, opening their studio doors for weeks to our intervention, and getting the word out via video and radio about hidden refugee education in Malaysia. Finally, we dedicate this paper to the memory of Professor Liz O’Sullivan who was our conceptual, political, grants management, and spiritual guide from the beginning and throughout the intervention research process. Liz will be in our hearts forever.

Notes

¹ “Me” or “I” refers to the first author; “Our” or “We” refers to this article’s entire set of authors.

Additional information

Funding

Without financial and intellectual support from a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Scholar Award and Fulbright New Leaders Group Award to the first author, in addition to a Fulbright Alumni Education Innovation Fund Award to the first and third authors, this research would not have been possible. We deeply appreciate all of the hard work the consultants on this project did with the peer trainers. We also appreciated the peer trainers and trainees’ time and feedback. We would like to thank Lee Pei Shee of World Vision; Dr. Goh Chee Leong, Psychology Dean at HELP University; Director James Coffman and staff of the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) for their long-term support and financial processing of our grant; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); United States Department of State and the U.S. Embassy-Malaysia for their oversight and celebration of our refugee teacher trainees; and Mic Hoo and the Durian FM Team for their embrace of our intervention and the refugee teachers, opening their studio doors for weeks to our intervention, and getting the word out via video and radio about hidden refugee education in Malaysia. Finally, we dedicate this paper to the memory of Professor Liz O’Sullivan who was our conceptual, political, grants management, and spiritual guide from the beginning and throughout the intervention research process. Liz will be in our hearts forever.

Notes on contributors

Colleen R. O’Neal

Colleen R. O’Neal, PhD, is an assistant professor of School Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. O’Neal earned a BA in Psychology from Cornell University in 1990. She completed a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University in 2000 with NIMH predoctoral fellowship support, and then completed an NIMH postdoctorate in Mental Health Statistics at NYU. Her primary research goals are to identify risk and resilience processes among ethnic minority immigrant and refugee students with a focus on emotions, stress, achievement, and prevention.

Nicole M. Gosnell

Nicole M. Gosnell, BA, is a second-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to attending Maryland, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communication from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and worked as a researcher in both the Pediatric Psychology Lab at UMBC, and the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on stressors, mental health, emotions, and achievement among migrant and other marginalized child populations.

Wai Sheng Ng

Wai Sheng Ng, PsyD, is a Fulbright alumnus and received her PsyD in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University, Chicago in 2005. She was previously a senior lecturer and program chair of the Master of Clinical Psychology program at HELP University, Kuala Lumpur. Wai Sheng is currently the clinical director of Growing Space Psychology Center in Seremban, Malaysia.

Jennifer Clement

Jennifer Clement, BA, received her BA in Psychology from HELP University, Malaysia and has a law degree from the University of London (External Program). She currently works with nonprofits and refugee communities in Malaysia, looking into better protection and care for unaccompanied minors and alternatives to detention for children in immigration detention centers.

Edward Ong

Edward Ong, B(Psych), is currently a PhD candidate in Forensic Psychology at the University of Birmingham. Prior to this, he completed his B(Psych) degree from HELP University, Malaysia in 2013. His dissertation is cross-cultural based research focused on child protection, safeguarding, and child rights.Note: The authors report that, to the best of their knowledge, neither they nor their affiliated institutions have financial or personal relationships or affiliations that could influence or bias the opinions, decisions, or work presented in this article.