11/01/2026
Creativity, Flexibility and Self-Efficacy in an Online Flipped Classroom Model
By Chaiqua A. Harris
Multiple universities have undergone digitization and incorporated digital technologies in their curriculum (Reiten et al., 2024). The 2024 CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) Standards feature an evolving focus on equity, digital delivery, and unified counselor identity. Across the United States, CACREP accredits over 969 master’s and doctoral counseling degree programs. Out of the many accredited master’s programs, 100 fully or partially online counseling master’s programs are CACREP accredited which means they must operate under the standards: equity, digital delivery, and unified counselor identity (Counseling Degrees Online, 2026). These statistics support the prevalence of online teaching in counseling. According to Reitan et al. (2024), creativity and flexibility are vital in the design and delivery of online courses.
Creativity and flexibility have an opportunity to lead the design and delivery of online courses when they are provided in a flipped classroom model (FCM). A FCM is a student-centered approach where students are active and focal in the learning process (Kocak, 2024). They learn through asynchronous discussions, required and supplemental readings, and informative videos. During the interactive class meeting with the instructor, the students are provided with active discussions, case studies, and opportunities to apply what they learned from the asynchronous material. While teaching in this model, instructors must create a coherent learning environment that fosters student motivation and interaction, as the face-to-face interpersonal component (which serves as an important source of motivation and encouragement for many students) is not always possible (Bennett & Lockyer, 2004). Providing motivation and encouragement in the absence of synchronous interaction can present a significant challenge for counselor educators teaching online career counseling courses. Therefore, online counselor educators are encouraged to adopt flexible and creative approaches when developing online activities, particularly when synchronous components are not incorporated into the counseling program.
Online Career Course Activities
To be aligned with this belief, CACREP 2024 standards and FCM approach, counselor educators of online programs could adapt the following career activities to efficiently fit the online learning environment: mock interview sessions, career rainbow, career maps, career genogram, and career case studies. These assignments are in alignment with the FCM approach as they require the instructor to operate as a consultant. When guiding the students through assignments that require them to utilize higher levels of learning, the instructor allows the student to create, analyze, and apply (Kocak, 2024). These activities could help increase student self-efficacy through mastery experiences, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and perceptions of psychological states.
Self-efficacy is one’s belief in their ability and skills to obtain a desired outcome. It also offers a valuable theoretical framework for understanding individuals’ beliefs about their capacity to accomplish professional goals (Bandura, 1997). Higher self-efficacy has been linked to higher performance attainment in master’s level counseling students (Basma et al., 2021). This concept suggests that higher levels of self-efficacy may positively influence career-seeking goals, as individuals who perceive themselves as capable of performing effectively may demonstrate greater confidence and motivation to pursue employment opportunities.
According to Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent et al., 1994), career self-efficacy is developed through four main sources:
- mastery experiences: participating in the task and doing well at it
- vicarious learning/modeling: seeing other students succeed at tasks
- social persuasion: supporting and encouraging each other
- psychological states and reactions: decreasing anxiety in connection with the task.
When using mock counseling sessions in live online classrooms, the counselor educator can place student triads in breakout rooms, provide them with interviewing questions, and have each student act as the interviewer, interviewee, and observer. The students would provide each other with feedback, return with the whole class and discuss their feelings and reactions while operating as the interviewer, interviewee, and observer. This activity could help increase career self-efficacy through all four sources; mastery experiences, vicarious learning/modeling, social persuasion, and psychological states and reactions.
While the following activities are not specifically focused on employability, they are pertinent interventions that can be implemented in clinical settings: career rainbow, career maps, and career genograms. During live Zoom class sessions, the counselor educator could share a career case study while using the online platform whiteboard and have the class collaboratively create a career rainbow, career map and career genogram for the career case study client. The counselor educator could lead an active discussion for each assessment, and the students could develop a treatment plan for the career case study client. Again, career self-efficacy could be increased through all four sources of the Social Cognitive Career Theory.
Conclusion
Kocak (2024) found FCM significantly enhanced student learning designs. Creativity and flexibility while mastery experiences, vicarious learning/modeling, social persuasion, and psychological states and reactions are being met is pivotal for an efficacious online learning environment. Counselor educators should be open and equipped to move outside the traditional classroom techniques while incorporating the solid foundational concepts of career counseling, career self-efficacy, and counselor identity.
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman.
Basma, D., & Chen, S. Y. (2021). Global students’ counselling self-efficacy and experiences of a United States based counselling training programme. Counseling Psychotherapy Research, 22, 55-63.
Bennett, S., & Lockyer, L. (2004). Becoming an online teacher: Adapting to a changed environment for teaching and learning in higher education. Educational Media International, 41(3), 231-244. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523980410001680842
Counseling Degrees Online. (2026). Best 95+ CACREP accredited online counseling programs for 2026. https://www.counselingdegreesonline.org/cacrep-accredited-programs
Kocak, O. (2024). Adapting the flipped classroom model to a design course in online learning environments: A case study. International Journal of Art and Design Education, 43(1), 51-66. https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12481
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994) Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice and performance, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79-122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027
Reitan, A., Waage, M., & Habib, L. (2024). From technology to community: The role of artefacts in teaching and learning during and beyond pandemic times. Teaching in Higher Education, 29(8), 1956-1973. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13562517.2022.2162813
Dr. Chaiqua A. Harris, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, is currently a Core Teaching Faculty member/Clinical Assistant Professor for The Family Institute at Northwestern University and Course Lead for the Career Counseling course. Dr. Harris was selected to be a member of the National Career Development Association 2023 Counselor Educator Academy Cohort. She has 12 years of experience as a professor. Dr. Harris has worked as a middle school counselor, high school counselor, private behavior interventionist, and adolescent offender therapist. She obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education from Mississippi State University. Her research interests include academic self-efficacy, ethnic identity, African American women who hold the doctorate, African American hair, sexual orientations, gender differences, socioeconomic status, academic performance, children/adolescents, and the impact of nutrition on mental health, career issues and oppressed populations. She is licensed professional counselor for the state of Texas and is also a National Certified Counselor. She has presented at several local, regional, and national counseling conferences as well as published multiple peer reviewed journal articles. She can be reached at charris@family-institute.org