Thursday, October 15, 2009

POSITION PAPER 4 by Nurul Farhana Sulong (0724700)


“Since most of the assessment instruments in the market were made based on American culture, Muslim counselors should not use standardized assessment instruments at all”. Discuss.


Counseling and instruments can not be separated anymore, just like music and lyric. Both elements need to be together always in order to produce good product. In counseling, assessment instruments are needed since it helps counselors to interpret and analyze clients’ behavior and feelings. What is assessment actually? Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves making our expectations explicit and public, setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality, systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. So, here we can see that assessment is a vital element in evaluating things.

As we know, most of the assessment instruments in the market were made based on American culture since they are pioneer of all these instruments and it is used as standardized instruments to all. In my opinion, it is no wrong for Muslim counselors to use all of these instruments even though it is contradict with our belief. As an expert counselor, one should know how to use it properly such as filter all of the elements that contradict with our belief as a way to prevent negative perspective and uncomfortable feeling from the clients. Besides, in Islam we are encouraged to find as many knowledge as we can even though it is from others culture as long as it is useful for our life. Thus, there is no wrong for Muslim counselors to use standardized assessment instruments as long as it helps them in achieving and analyzing the clients’ need without losing their own identity.

Furthermore, it will help Muslim counselors to face the clients from various groups of people that need their expertise by using standardized assessment instruments. Why I say so? It is because the clients that come to the Muslim counselors not totally are Muslims. So, here we can see the use of standardized assessments which help counselors to develop their rapport with the clients since they do not discriminate their clients regardless of their ethnics, races, beliefs, and gender. In addition, by using standardized assessment instruments, it facilitates Muslim counselors to deal with the others when it comes to the way they analyze the results. Some may find it could be difficult since the biasness and credibility of the counselors will be asked and questioned. Here we can see the importance of using the standardized assessment instruments as it prevents Muslim identity and dignity being teased by others.

In conclusion, I totally disagree for the above statement that Muslim counselors should not use standardized assessment instruments at all. For certain situations, it might be useful and beneficial for Muslim counselors to use the standardized assessment instruments. Since all of these instruments created by human beings, it is no wrong for us to use it as long as we know the limits and alter it parallel with our own culture and belief.

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