Evaluation of the implementation of guidance and counselling programme aspects in Baringo County extra secondary schools, Kenya

Abstract

The need for guidance and counselling services in all learning institutions cannot be overstated. In response to this demand, guidance and counselling programme has been implemented since 1971 and more emphasis on its services in 2001 through Legal Notice, No. 95 of the Kenya Gazette that recommended the implementation of guidance and counseling by establishing counseling departments in all secondary schools. A well implemented guidance and counselling programme should be very clear on keys aspects that include the conceptual framework, structural framework, service delivery and teacher counsellor performance among many other key aspects. However, despite its implementation students still experience problems in form of school indiscipline, school unrest, and increased examination cheating which is a clear indication that there is a lapse in the implementation of the guidance and counselling programme. Thus there was a need to evaluate the conceptual framework and structural framework, service delivery and teacher counsellors‟ performance in the implementation of guidance and counselling programme in Baringo county secondary schools. This study employed a descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 23 extra county secondary schools with a population of 3211 form three students, 23 teacher counsellors and 23 head teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select the number of schools, head teachers and teacher counsellors; stratified random and proportionate sampling was utilized to select the number of students to be included in the study. The sample size comprised of 23 schools, 330 form three students, 23 head teachers and 23 teacher counsellors. A total of 376 respondents constituted the study sample. The data was collected through questionnaires, document analysis and a check list. Piloting of the instrument was done to improve validity and the test items were validated by experts in the Department of Counselling, Psychology and Educational Foundations. Reliability of the Principal Questionnaire, Teacher Counsellor Questionnaire and Student Questionnaire was established by use of Cronbach‟s alpha method and reliability coefficients of 0.75, 0.86 and 0.79 respectively were obtained. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were utilized to analyse the data with the aid of SPSS version 20 for windows. The level of significance was tested at 0.05. An analysis of the findings indicated that the conceptual framework, service delivery was not fully implemented and teacher counsellor‟s performance was fair in the implementation of G&C programme. The findings also showed poor implementation of the structural framework in all the secondary schools. Further, the findings showed that there was statistically significant difference between the implementation of the conceptual framework, structural framework, service delivery and teacher counsellor‟s performance in the guidance and counselling programme. Further, lack of time, funding, inadequate facilities, uncooperative clients and qualified personnel were among the challenges facing the implementation of the guidance and counselling programme. It was concluded that guidance and counselling programme in Baringo county extra secondary school is not fully implemented. The study recommended that guidance and counselling conceptual framework, service delivery should be enhanced. The study also recommended the provision of adequate human and physical resources to strengthen the structural framework and employment of more professional counsellors in secondary schools on full time basis to enable them to perform their duties and responsibilities effectively.