Perceptions on the effectiveness of guidance and counselling programme in enhancing students’ academic, career and personal competencies: A case of secondary schools in Koibatek District, Kenya

Abstract

Guidance and counselling programme was first implemented in Kenyan secondary schools in 1971. It was emphasized in Koibatek district secondary schools after the banning of the cane in 2001. However, there are indications that students in the district still lack academic, career and personal competencies. Persistent poor academic performance, school disturbances and students dropping from school among others are the common problems in the district. This may be due to ineffective school guidance and counselling programme among other factors. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of on the effectiveness of the guidance and counselling programme in enhancing student’s academic, career and personal competencies as perceived by secondary school head teachers, teacher counsellors and students. This study utilized an ex-post facto causal comparative design. The respondents of the study were 18 head teachers, 18 teacher counsellors and 302 students drawn from 18 public secondary schools in Koibatek district. The samples were drawn from a population of 1366 form three students, 25 head teachers and 25 teacher counsellors. Random sampling method was used to select respondents. Purposive sampling method was used to select the head teachers, teacher counsellors and the District Education Officers who were interviewed. Data for the study were collected using open and close ended questions 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. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5 was used to aid data analysis. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to estimate the reliability. Reliability coefficients 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 this 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 stakeholders and policy makers in education that include parents, teacher counsellors, school managers, T.S.C 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 is recommended that guidance and counselling programme be implemented on a school wide basis as a matter of priority in all secondary schools to equip all students with necessary academic, career and personal competencies.