Factors Affecting the Utilization of Guidance and Counseling Services in Secondary Schools.

Factors Affecting the Utilization of Guidance and Counseling Services in Secondary Schools.

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the factors Affecting the Utilization of Guidance and Counseling Services in Secondary Schools in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State. A sample size of one hundred (100) students drawn from the population of schools in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government of Abia State was used for the study. Nine (9) item questionnaire was used to test the research questions using the simple percentage. The instrument was used to collect data about the students. The questionnaire was aimed at finding out the factors Affecting the Utilization of Guidance and Counseling Services in Secondary Schools in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State. It was found out that, students attitude affects the utilization of Guidance and Counseling Services among others. Based on the findings, it was recommended that students should develop a positive view of Guidance and Counseling services, government should provide conducive facilities for counseling. Conclusively, the implication of the results and suggestions for further studies were made.     

TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                                PAGES

Title Page    -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        i

Approval Page     -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        ii

Certification         -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        iii

Dedication  -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        iv

Acknowledgements -               -        -        -        -        -        -        v

Abstract -   -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        vi

Table of contents -        -        -        -        -        -        -        vii

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1            Background to the Study        -        -        -        -        -        1

1.2     Statement of the Problem        -        -        -        -        -        6

1.3     Purpose of the Study     -        -        -        -        -        -        7

1.4     Significance of the Study         -        -        -        -        -        8

1.5     Scope of the Study        -        -        -        -        -        -        9

1.6     Research Questions       -        -        -        -        -        -        9

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

         

2.1     Conceptual framework  -        -        -        -        -        11

2.1.1  Concept of Guidance     -        -        -        -        -        -        11

2.1.2  Concept of Counseling -        -        -        -        -        15

2.1.3  Concept of Attitude       -        -        -        -        -        -        19

2.2     Theoretical Framework  -        -        -        -        -        22

2.2     Theories in Guidance     -        -        -        -        -        22

2.2.2The Traditional theory    -        -        -        -        -        23

2.2.3  The Matching Theory    -        -        -        -        -        23

2.2.4  Developmental Theory  -        -        -        -        -        24

2.2.5  Actual or Parsons Theory       -        -        -        -        -        25

2.2.6  Theories in Counseling -        -        -        -        -        28

2.2.7  Person-centered Theory -        -        -        -        -        28

2.2.8  Cognitive Behavioural Theory          -        -        -        -        29

2.3     Empirical Framework    -        -        -        -        -        29

2.3.1Attitude of Principals towards Guidance and

          Counseling Services       -        -        -        -        -        -        36

2.3.2  Academic Freedom of Counselors towards

          Utilization of Guidance and Counseling     -        -        38

2.3.3  The Influence of Gender towards Utilization of

          Guidance and Counseling Service     -        -        -        39

2.3.4  Limited Financial Resources and Provision of

          Facilities     -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        41

2.4     Summary of Literature Review         -        -        -        -        42           

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1     Research Design   -        -        -        -        -        -        44

3.2     Area of Study       -        -        -        -        -        -        -        45

3.3     Population of the Study -        -        -        -        -        46

3.4     Sample and Sampling Techniques    -        -        -        46

3.5     Instrument for Data Collection         -        -        -        -        47

3.6     Administration of the Instrument     -        -        -        47

3.7     Validity of the Instrument       -        -        -        -        48

3.8     Scoring of the Instrument        -        -        -        -        48

3.9     Method of Analysis       -        -        -        -        -        -        48

3.10   Reliability of the Instrument    -        -        -        -        49

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATIONS

4.1     Data Analysis and Presentations      -        -        -        50

4.2     Summary of findings     -        -        -        -        -        55

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1     Discussion of Findings  -        -        -        -        -        56

5.2     Conclusion -        -        -        -        -        -        -        61

5.3     Recommendations         -        -        -        -        -        -        61

5.4     Limitation of the Study  -        -        -        -        -        62

5.5     Suggestion for Further Study  -        -        -        -        63

REFERENCES   -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        64

Appendix I -        -        -        -        -        -        -        -        67

Appendix II (Questionnaire)   -        -        -        -        -        68

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1            Background of the study

          Guidance and counseling is as old a man itself, in the history of human affairs. Guidance and couselling happen to be one of the developments in the field of education in Nigeria. (Gesinde 1991) (Backare 1996) stated that guidance refers to a more directive or prescriptive form of assistance in which the client is given direct advice on what to do. Gesinde (1991) views counseling as an indepth interaction between two or few individuals with the intent of assisting the client to better understand herself/himself in relationship to his or her present or future problems. In otherwords, guidance and counseling had developed as a normal social service long before the introduction of formal education. It is one of those social practices which the school inherited and eventually transformed and incorporated as a unique educational practice. For centuries after formal schooling was developed, no attempt however was made by school to plan and execute guidance as a part of school activities. Guidance and counseling remained as normal and incidental activity carried out by teachers in their daily contacts with the students until the year 1959, when the Irish reverend sisters arranged for a career talk to the outgoing students of St. Theresa’s College Oke-Ado Ibadan. During this period, guidance and counseling was commonly viewed and defined narrowly in terms of vocational service. According to Lee (1988), it was regarded simply as a process of assisting the individual to choose a vocation, prepare for it, enter upon and progress in it. However, as years went by the concept of guidance and counseling progressively changed. It came to be a broader in scope and orientation, addition to serving each students vocational interest, it came to involve other services such as helping each individual student to adjust to his present situation and to plan and work towards his future general adjustment in the society.

          Today, people are living in an exciting time, with an increasingly new technology and expanding opportunities. In other to ensure that they are prepared to become the next generation of parents, workers, leaders and good citizens, every student needs supports and counseling during adolescents, a time of rapid growth and change.

          The process of helping individuals discover and develop their educational, vocational and psychological potential and thereby to achieve an optimal level of personal happiness and social usefulness. The concept of counseling is essential and democratic in that the assumptions underlying its theory and practice are: first, that each individual has the right to shape his own destiny. Secondly, that the relative mature and experienced members of the community are responsible for ensuring that each person’s choice serve both his own interests and that of his society. It is implicit in the philosophy of counseling that these objectives are complementary rather than conflicting. The function of those who guide children and young ones is not to affect a compromise between the requirements of individuals on the other. It is rather to orient the individual towards these opportunities afforded by his environment that can best guarantee the fulfillment of his personal needs and aspirations.

          Guidance can be afforded to an individual’s by their parents, relatives and friends. It can also be given to a community at large through various educational, industrial, social, religious, and political agencies, and especially, through the press and broadcasting services. A part of such guidance may be the giving of information that enables others to increase the scope of their exploratory behaviour. The guidance counselor, for example, may provide informations about a person’s own abilities and interests as determined by psychological tests, or about educational opportunities and the requirements of various occupations. The competent counselor does not attempt to solve people’s problems for them, however; the counselor tries instead of clarify the person’s own thinking.

          According to Kemjika (2003) Guidance and Counseling was introduced to Secondary School curriculum to provide students with the following:

i.                   Opportunities to develop knowledge and appreciation of themselves and others.

ii.                 Opportunities to develop relationship skills, ethical standards and sense of responsibilities.

iii.              Opportunities to develop skills and attitudes necessary for educational goals which are suited to their needs, interest and abilities.

iv.              Information that enables them to make decisions about life career and opportunities.

          Counseling as a profession has not been popular in most of our Secondary Schools, due to the attitude of people. Even most of the educated people seems to neglect the relevance of counseling in the school system, and as a profession and have therefore failed to work towards the realization of the set goals. It is in the view of the foregoing that attempt is made in this study to find out “Factors affecting the Utilization of Guidance and Counseling Services in Secondary Schools in Osisioma Ngwa LGA of Abia State”.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

          Some of the problems affecting the utilization of Guidance and Counseling services in Secondary School are as follows:

i.                   Students ignorance to the usefulness of guidance and counseling services.

ii.                 The principles attitude towards guidance and counseling services.

iii.              The counselors gender

iv.              Lack of facilities and finance.

v.                 Counselors condition of service.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

          The purpose of this study is to find out the factors affecting the utilization of guidance and counseling services in Secondary Schools in Osisioma Ngwa LGA such as:

i.                   The extent students ignorance affects guidance and counseling services.

ii.                 To find out the attitude of principals towards students going out for counseling.

iii.              The extent  counselors gender influences effective guidance and counseling programe.

iv.              The extent provision of facilities affects students attitude towards guidance and counseling services.

1.4     Significance of the Study

          This study is relevant in different perspective as it will reveals some of the factors affecting the utilization of guidance and counseling services in Secondary Schools.

          It will help to provide students the opportunity to know the roles played by guidance counselors in helping them to understand themselves and their problems. This study will also help the student to clearly understand the different between the duty of the principal and of a counselor in educational and career development.

          Moreso, the result of the study will enable educational planners and researchers to understand the relevance of guidance and counseling services in the school system, and therefore put in adequate measures that will facilitate the establishment of counseling services. It will also highlight the important of conducive facilities to ensure effective utilization of guidance and counseling.

1.5 Scope of the Study

          The researcher uses five Secondary Schools out of all the Secondary Schools in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State, to find out the factors affecting the utilization of guidance and counselling services. The following variables will be considered in this research: students ignorance, attitude of principals and counselors gender.

1.6     Research Questions

i.       To what extent does the attitude of students affects the utilization of guidance and counseling service in secondary schools?

ii.     To what extent does the attitude of principals affects utilization of guidance and counseling service?

iii.  To what extent does a counselor gender influences the utilization of guidance and counseling services in Secondary Schools?

iv.  To what extent does provision of facilities influence the utilization of guidance and counseling services?

v.     To what extent does counselor’s condition of service affects utilization of guidance and counseling services in secondary schools?