Effectiveness of Guidance and Counselling Programme in Enhancing Students Academic, Career and Personal Competencies. A Case of Secondary Schools in Nyamira District, Kenya

Abstract

Guidance and counselling programme was first implemented in Nyamira District secondary schools after the banning of the cane in 2001. However, students in the district still lack academic, career and personal competencies as indicated by persistent poor academic performance, school disturbances and high drop-out rates. This may be attributed to ineffective school guidance and counselling programme among other factors. Thus this study purposed to determine the secondary school students, head teachers and teacher counsellors’ perceptions on the effectiveness of the guidance and counselling programme in enhancing students’ academic, career and personal competencies. The study utilized ex-post facto causal comparative design. The respondents of the study were 18 head teachers, 18 teacher counsellors and 302 students drawn from a population of 3752 form three students, 47 head teachers and 47 teacher counsellors. Random sampling method was used to select student respondents. Purposive sampling method was used to select the head teachers and teacher counsellors who participated in the study. Data for the study were collected using open and close ended questionnaires and interview schedules. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Means, frequencies and percentages were the descriptive statistics while one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was the inferential statistic used. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 115 was used to estimate the reliability. Reliability co-efficient of 0.87, 0.92 and 0.60 for students’ questionnaire (SQ), Teacher counsellors Questionnaire (TCQ) and Head Teachers Questionnaire (HTQ) were obtained respectively and were considered acceptable for the study. All the respondents who participated  in the study perceived school guidance and counselling programme as effective in enhancing students academic, career and personal competencies. Education stake-holders and policy makers in education who include teacher counsellors, school managers, TSC personnel, Ministry of education officials and NGOs interested in education matters may use the results of this study to strengthen, improve and maintain the programme services. It was recommended that guidance and counselling programme be implemented and fully supported as a matter of priority in all secondary schools to equip all students with necessary academic, career and personal competencies.

Keywords: Perception, effectiveness, guidance and counselling, competencies, Nyamira District.