| dc.description.abstract | The research project is concerned with counseling of teachers at work place.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of counseling teachers, on
their administration of secondary schools in homa- bay district Kenya. The
study was aimed at making counseling of teachers effective as it is the most
reliable helping intervention strategy in getting teachers out of horrid life
(McGuiness. 1998). The main objective is to find the extent to which
counseling of teachers can be used in the administration and to establish the
best way it should be administered. Questionnaire was designed and structured
into seven different questionnaires. targeting: headteachers. teachers. head of
Department Guidance and Counseling. students, District Education officer,
head of Guidance and counseling unit at DEO's office, rating of counseling
skills of Head of Department of Guidance and Counseling: and headteachers.
Piloting for the field study was done, where six schools within and near Homa-
Bay town were considered; public and private schools were selected;
comprising of all categories of schools, pure girls school, pure boys schools,
mixed day school. mixed boarding and day schools. The questionnaires were
modified by removing unnecessary parts and by correcting various questions.
The reliability of the questionnaires proved to be high, as coefficient of
reliability stood at 0.9. The research was a qualitative research which involved
testing of the constructs b) the use of scales like Likert Scale. The constructs
were measured by rating items on points scale in the weighted values e.g I
rated as highly dissatisfied, while 5 was rated as highly satisfied and 3 as
neutral. The weighted mean values were got to determine the exact
corresponding value to the construct. The data collected were tabulated with the help of frequency tables,
percentages, means and degrees and were presented in figures in the form of
graphs and charts. Descriptive data collected were analyzed independently as
per specific questionnaire e.g questionnaire for teachers. Finally quantitative
computed and analyzed data were linked with the descriptive data. All the
findings from the questionnaires and literature review were used as a whole in
making interpretation and summaries. The study was guided by research questions, and findings were revealed by
responses from the questionnaires and materials from literature review in
accordance to the research objectives.
The research proved that counseling as an administrative skill is crucial for
empowerrnents of teachers in secondary schools. Thus counseling plays a key
role in restoring order in schools. Those who could be rejected as wayward can
be reinstated through provision of counseling which enable them to cope up
with life as per the expected code of conducts and norms. Through counseling
the headteachers are in position to establish therapeutic atmosphere at work
place and it enhances positive change in behaviour; promote free working
atmosphere; mutual respect, effective communication, create the spirit of trust
and honesty, cordial relationships and improve the level of involvement in
performance.
Teachers become more self-satisfied, self actualized, autonomous, comfortable,
motivated, psychologically stable, and work with vigor and zeal. The study
also proves that headteachers have potentials that if exploited can make them
to be good counselors for teachers: are more experienced interms of age,
teaching and handling administrative matters; leader of the institutions; have
central office; and are in position to offer intervention measures in terms of
finance and physical facilities. The study identified several teachers concerns which were requiring
counseling; stress, frustrations, dissatisfaction, anger, painful experiences eg
due to loss and bereavement, sickness, hostile relationships; psychological
problems; living in fear as a result of threats from indisciplined students and
those in authority.
Several factors were identified as hindering forces to effective counseling of
teachers: lack of qualified professional counselors; lack of conducive
environment for counseling e.g counseling room; inadequate use of principle
and code of ethics in counseling e.g lack of confidentiality and trust; lack of
awareness of the importance of counseling on part of teachers; and not defining
counseling of teachers as an important role in the administration of schools. Without addressing the problems, most of them resort to seeking alternatives
like praying which cannot substitute counseling role.
The study emphasized a need. to integrate contents relevant to counseling of
teachers in the courses designed for training them, create awareness to teachers
as far as importance of counseling is concerned and to have qualified
counselors. In conclusion, there was dire need to increase possibilities of making
counseling viable and effective as an administrative skill as the best means of
making teachers satisfied and motivated in the teaching profession. The
headteachers need to use counseling directly and indirectly as a skill in the
administration. Directly in that the headteachers need to counsel teachers at
individual or at group level. Indirectly, promoting counseling offered by
professional counselors. teachers and make necessary referrals for more
complex cases.
The researcher proposes a number of steps which if taken can make the
performance for counseling teachers successful; availing professional
counseling services by employing qualified counselors, and make referrals;
headteachers and teachers to be educated on the need for counseling teachers;
training headteachers on counseling, encouraging headteachers to put the
counseling of teachers a priority in administration, encourage headteachers to
do away with their superior resistance in relation to performance counseling,
the TSC, MOEST, BOG and other relevant institutions must strive to promote
counseling of teachers, and need to emphasize the importance of effective
application of the philosophy, code and ethics of counseling. Finally the study recommends, reinforcing functioning guidance and
counseling networking (units) from the school level to MOEST headquarters.
Due to the limitation and delimitations of the study, the following were
identified for areas of further research:- principle, philosophy, code and ethics
of counseling in schools; techniques and approaches used in counseling; and
directional and non-directional methods in administration. | en |
