ABSTRACT
A guidance and counselling programme in a school assist students
to harmonize their abilities, interests and values and thereby develop their
full potential. All this is geared towards improving the self-image of the
students and facilitating better achievement in academic performance. This
study sought to establish the influence of guidance and counselling programme
on academic performance of secondary school students in Agatu local government
area of Benue State. A random sample of 196 students, ten teacher counsellors
and ten head teachers were selected from the five schools. Data were collected
through administration of questionnaires with the selected respondents. The
collected data were then processed and analyzed using descriptive and
inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science
(SPSS) version 16 for windows. The study established the following findings:
Secondary schools in the study area differed in the number of guidance and
counseling services that they had implemented. Teacher counsellors had little
training in guidance and counselling. Stakeholders adequately supported
guidance and counselling programme in the schools. Students were aware of the
role and importance of career counselling in their schools. There was poor
academic performance among students. Guidance and counselling programme has a
positive impact on the academic performance of students. Based on these study
findings, the following recommendations were made: There is need for the
teacher counsellors to implement all the services required for a guidance and
counselling programme. There is need to improve the level of training of
teacher counsellors in guidance and counselling. Teacher counsellors should
take advantage of the positive attitude of the students to enhance career
counselling in their schools. Guidance and counselling programme should be
strengthened in order to improve the academic performance of secondary schools
in the area.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Approval page iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Abstract
vii
Table of contents viii
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Background Information 1
Statement of the Problem 4
Objective of the Study 5
Research Questions 6
Significance of the Study 6
The Scope of the Study 7
Assumptions of the Study 8
Definition of Terms 8
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE
REVIEW
Introduction 10
Genesis of Guidance and Counselling 10
Role of Guidance and Counselling in Secondary Schools 11
An Effective Guidance and Counselling Programme in Secondary
Schools 13
Causes of Poor Academic Performance in Schools 19
Theoretical Framework 22
Conceptual Framework 25
CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design 26
Area of the Study
27
Population of Study 27
Sample and Sampling Techniques 27 Instrumentation for data
collection 28
Validation of the instrument 28
Validation of the Instrument 28
Administration of the instrument 28
Data Analysis 29
CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 30
CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction 50
Summary of the
Findings 50
Conclusion 51
Recommendations 51
Suggestions for Further Research 52
References 53
Appendices 55
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the study
Guidance and counselling are two
closely interrelated concepts and each determines the availability and
efficient of the other. Guidance” refers
to a abroad area of all educational activities and services aimed at assisting
individual students to understand themselves and adjust to school life.
According to Mutie and Ndambuki
(1999) defines “counselling” as a learning-oriented process which usually
occurs in an interactive relationship with the aim of helping the client learn
more about him/herself. Guidance and counselling is therefore aimed at bringing
about maximum development and self-realization of human potential for the
benefit of the individual and the society. In a school, the programme assists
students in harmonizing their abilities, interests and values and enables them
to develop their full potential. It directs students on appropriate career and
subject choices; solving discipline, education, social and psychological
problems; and general adjustment to school life (Gerardo, 2006).
One of the major causes of
unemployment in Nigeria today is lack of proper guidance of the young ones.
There is no programme for guidance and counseling in most of our primary and
secondary schools. As a result of this, many pupils grow up confused over what
to do in life. Many of the young ones have chosen the wrong profession and as a
result they become less useful to themselves and the community at large. Many
of them have the idea that they would be able to work as managers in the public
or private establishments as soon as they complete secondary education. Some
have planned to become lawyers, engineers, physicians, accountants, etc.
Students in secondary schools, like many other young adults, are always worried
about ‘what they will do with their lives and what kind of adults they will be,
or eventually become.
It is a fact that many young people
and their parents do not want education principally as an end in itself but as
means of getting better employment and improved condition of living (Abiri,
2007). Many of them are concerned with the type of life they will live in the feature
.They are always pre occupied with the type of work (an activity that may be a
vocational or technical) that will give them significance as people.
Unfortunately, many educational policies of various governments in West Africa
are unable to help young people prepare for the realities of life after school.
In a
similar fashion, Segun and Segun (2018) were of the view that in some of our
secondary schools, there were no effective vocational guidance and counseling
to advice students on the choice of subjects which best fit their aptitude. In
the study carried out by Ewueleke (2007), it was found that most students
choose their subject for WAEC because their friend and peers choose the same
subject, Their teachers regardless of their previous performance in the
selected subjects, some even confessed that selecting subject for them. It is
imperative therefore that there should be proper guidance and counseling in
both primary and secondary schools to direct the young ones so that we may have
equitable supply for the various demand of personnel.
The role of counseling in
secondary school cannot be over emphasized. Many graduates are unemployed today
because they do not specialize in certain field of education. What one is
saying here is that there is need for proper guidance and counseling on the
pre-requisite to cope with
such vocation.
Guidance and counseling are essential
elements in discipline management of people in all societies even the most
primitive societies grew out of the necessity of guiding individual’s behavior
patterns in the interest of the group. Society itself could not function
without the exercise of discipline. Using guidance and counseling to enhance
discipline must be continuously being practiced if people are to work
harmoniously for the achievement of common purpose. Hendrikz (1986) stresses
that teachers and school administration have the responsibility of ensuring
that students matures steadily along his own personal line. Students are
priceless assets and most essential element in education.
It was absolutely necessary to direct
students to exhibit acceptable attitude and behavior within and outside the
school. The rapid expansion of student enrolment in most African countries
since the attainment of political independence, coupled with inadequate
resources to cope with the ever increasing demand for educational provision,
had made school management a much more complex and difficult enterprise than a
few decades ago. Meyer (2011) states that discipline problems in schools and
institutions are perhaps the single greatest cause of concern for educators
globally. Discipline in consistently identified as serious school problem in
public opinion polls Meyer (2011) and some authors believe that school
discipline in the United States has not change greatly since (Rue & Byarr,
2012).
Student indiscipline had plagued schools
leading to series of unrest, destruction of school property,
vandalism, sexual abuse, killing and drug
abuse just to mention. According to Agenga and Simatwa (2011) at Colobine high
school in Colorado two heavily armed students killed twelve students, one
teacher and seriously wounded nearly two dozen others before killing
themselves, in the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 affected students in South
Africa. In Nigeria 1990 schools were in so much conflict that soldiers were
deployed to school assist in control of students’ behavior. In Kenya the
indiscipline cases were on the rise ranging from school unrest, drug abuse,
sexual abuse pregnancy, bullying, aggressive behavior laziness and inept
parenting.
According to Gururani,G.D. (2006)
Guidance is commonly understood as leadership, instruction or direction.
Counseling may also be taken as a psychological process of helping an
individual to achieve his self-direction, self-understanding and mental balance
necessary to make the maximum adjustment to the school, home and society.
Bhatnagar & Gupta (1999) view guidance as a process of helping individuals
to find solutions of their problems. They further say that guidance is an integral
part of education; a continuous service; both generalized and specialized
service, for the “whole” child and is not confined only to some specific
aspects of his personality. Guidance and counseling has been conceptualized as
a programme of activities which has provided us with the gateway out of the
existing numerous problems in our present age of complex scientific and
technological development (Okobiah and Okorodudu 2004). The country like
Pakistan wherein the literacy level is already falling below the desired level
as well as drop out ratio is alarming, an optimistic scenario could be arisen
by applying guidance and counseling techniques to improve the academic
performances of the students. Olayinka (1996) and Yahaya (2003) view that
passing examination to secure certificates either for admission into higher
institution or secure good jobs is the main goal of education to many people
and not the acquisition of knowledge and skills through studying.
Many students perform poorly because they lack
the right attitude to study and do not have the right orientation from home and
from the society (Obilade, 1987; Ladipo, 2000; Eweniyi, 2002). The attitudes of
human beings play significant role in their behaviours. The study of human
habits and attitudes is relevant and essential to counseling, as it can help in
the understanding of the rationale for their behaviour and provides basis for
prediction and assistance. Abiri (1996) argued that if the society is not to be
plaque by a band/group of disgruntled, frustrated and unrealistic individuals,
it is desirable that adequate guidance and counseling and career information be
provided, to enable the school and society arrive at a realistic vocational
choice for their children/wards with due realization of their potentialities.
Akpama (2005) perceive that the issue
of sex and academic performance has attracted reports while some propose that
males perform better than females in academics, others argue that the reverse
is the case, and still another group says that the difference in performance
between the two is insignificant. Guidance services are presented by Nwachukwu
(2007) as information services, placement services, appraisal services,
vocational guidance services, counseling services, referral services, evaluation,
follow-up, consultancy and research services. As a vital component of any type
and any level of education the absence of non utilization of these services in
the present day school system has led to the unprecedented rise in the crime
wave, violence among students, fuelled cultism, wrong career choice, and wrong
subject combination among other issues.
Therefore,
this study was intended to examine the
underutilization of guidance and counseling programs in junior secondary
schools.
Statement of the Problem
The underutilization of guidance and
counseling programme in secondary schools in gbombe state has been declining over time. This has a negative reflection on the various
programmes put in place to promote teaching and learning in the state.
Guidance and counselling programmes
in Nigerian education system has not been given the attention it deserves. And
until the attention is given to this form of education programme, majority of
secondary school students will continue to find it difficult in career decision
making.
It has been observed that many
students who perform well in mathematics and science technology related
subjects in secondary schools end up studying arts or social science related
courses in the University instead of studying science, technology or
engineering related courses to pursue their careers the relevant fields; this
is mostly seen in Nigerian education institutions. After been admitted into the
University, such students find it difficult copping with other students who choose
the right courses leading to their chosen career path
It could be discovered that most of
the secondary schools in Gombe state find it diffulcult to utilized that
service of guidance and counseling in their schools as a result of lack of
qualified counselor, as a result of this most of the students find it difficult
to choose their career. It was on this note that the researchers find it
necessary to carry out his research on underutilization of guidance and
counseling programme in junior secondary schools in Gombe metropolis
Objectives of the Study
This study sought to assess the underutilization of guidance and counseling
programme in junior secondary schools in Gombe State
The study aimed at achieving the following
specific objectives:
(i)
To
find out the reasons why most secondary schools underutilize guidance and
counseling service in Gombe metropolis
(ii)
To
determine the attitude of students towards educational/career counselling in
their schools.
(iii)
To
establish the relationship between the level of effectiveness of guidance and
counselling and academic performance of secondary school students.
(iv)
To
identify the challenges facing guidance and counselling programme.
Research Questions
The study addressed the following
research questions:
(i)
What
are the reasons why most secondary schools underutilize guidance and counseling
service in Gombe metropolis?
(ii)
What
are the attitude of students towards the utilization of educational/career
counselling in their schools.?
(iii)
What
are the relationship between the level of effectiveness of guidance and
counselling and academic performance of secondary school students.
(iv)
What
are the challenges facing guidance and
counselling programme in Gombe metroplis
Significance of the Study
Secondary school students face
various challenges that if not well handled affect their academic achievement.
Therefore, in order to adequately address these challenges, emphasis has been
placed on the existing programmes within the schools. Guidance and counselling
is one of these programmes. Detailed studies are needed to evaluate the
influence of guidance and counselling programme on academic performance. This
study was based on the premise that it is important to understand the extent to
which the programme is used in addressing challenges facing students in
schools. Such a study helps in providing useful information that could be
useful in redesigning and giving impetus to the programme by those concerned
including the Ministry of Education, administrators of the institutions,
teacher counsellors and students so as to boost the academic performance and
overall self-actualization of secondary school students.
The teacher counsellor will use this
study to evaluate the impact that guidance and counselling will have on
academic performance in their respective schools.
The Ministry of Education will also
use this study in evaluating whether guidance and counselling programme is an
effective measure in addressing the challenges facing secondary school students
in the country.
The study will also assist school
administrators in assessing their contribution to guidance and counselling
programme and its influence on academic performance of students in their
schools. When guidance and counselling programme is well conceptualized by the
Ministry of Education and implemented by the teacher counsellors with the
support of the school administrators, the students will benefit by improving
their academic achievements and self-actualization.
The Scope of the Study
The study focused on the underutilization
of guidance and counseling in gombe metropli
Only Junior secondary school students were involved in this study .
Definition of Terms
In this section, operational
definitions are presented as used within the context of this study.
Academic performance: This refers to the academic
achievement of a student which is Usually measured in terms of grades or marks
attained in a test.
Counselling: Involves helping an individual to
deal with or remove frustrations and obstacles that interfere with their lives
and develop his most acceptable self by thinking through the situation
him/herself in an accepting atmosphere.
Effective counselling: Producing a desired result. In this
case, effectiveness refers to the Ability/capacity of guidance and counselling
programme to offer its required services in a school. In this study, the
effectiveness of guidance and counselling will be measured on a likert scale by examining the extent
to which the programme is able to offer various components of
academic/career/educational counselling in schools.
Guidance: A process of helping learners to
develop self understanding, capabilities for making realistic career decisions,
overcome personality deficits and make optimal academic progress.
Guidance and counselling: Includes all services that help an
individual understanding of him/herself, his/her attitude, interests,
abilities, physical, mental and social maturity for optimum development.
Public schools: These are schools facilitated and
controlled/regulated by the government. Teacher Counsellor: A school
teacher who has undergone formal training in guidance And counselling including
theory and practice.
