A Study of Selected Cultural Factors Inhibiting Effective Guidance and Counselling Programmes in Secondary Schools in Taita-Taveta District, Kenya

Abstract

ln secondary schools, adolescents from diverse social, cultural and economic backgrounds meet and learn together. Many ofthese adolescents, may have various levels ofsocial and emotional maladjustments. ln effect, they need to be guided iu order to he well adjusted in areas of academic, psychological and social interactions. However, their behavioural patterns are diverse and culturally-oriented. This is because of the diverse cultural factors that influence their upbringing. The main purpose ofthis study therefore, was to determine the selected cultural factors inhibiting effective guidance and counselling programmes in secondary schools. The study was carried out in public schools in Taita-Taveta district. A sample of thirty five secondary schools was selected hy use of stratified random sampling technique. Out of this figure, two were boys, five girls and twenty eight mixed schools. The respondents of the study comprised school counsellors and head teachers who were purposively sampled out from each of the thirty five selected schools giving a total of seventy respondents. Questionnaires for school counsellor and headteachers were used in the collection of the required data. Descriptive statistics that included frequencies and percentages were used to analyse and summarize the data. The analysis was done with the aid of a Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version l l.5 for Windows. Analysis ofthe findings indicated that the selected cultural factors (parenting styles, gender ascribed roles, socio-economic status, confidentiality and self disclosure in a cultural setting, and conflicting roles of acolytes and modern counsellors) inhibited effective guidance and counselling programmes in Kenyan Secondary Schools. Specifically, it was found out that poor parenting styles and culturally ascril>ed gender roles learnt through socialisalion patterns inhibited effective guidance and counselling progrninrncs in Kenyan secondary schools. Besides, socio-economic status was found to impede on guidance and counselling services in the sense that rich students undermined counsellors from low socio- economic status. lt was consequently recommended that guidance and counselling services be strengthened through more training for school counsellors and head teachers. ln doing so, training should include cross-cultural counselling skills and adoption of important cultural values in the training. Also, seminars for counsellors need to be stepped up to discuss cultural factors they encounter in daily counselling that may possibly inhibit effective guidance and counselling prograrnnies in secondary schools in Kenya.