Guidance and Counseling Support Services- Learners Characteristics and Study Habits of Distance Learners- a Case of Bachelor of Education Programs by Distance Learning at the University of Nairobi Kenya.

Abstract

Repercussion of commercialization of distance education in universities globally has brought issues of sustaining quality education, which is the bedrock of study habits. Failure to develop sound study habits through guidance and counselling has made distance learners victims of educational systems. It is against this backdrop that the study sought to determine the influence of guidance and counselling support services and learners’ characteristics on study habits of distance learners in Bachelor of Education programmes at the University of Nairobi. The study was guided by the following objectives: To establish how personal guidance and counselling influence study habits of distance learners in Bachelor of Education programme at the University of Nairobi. To determine how social guidance and counselling influence study habits of distance learners in Bachelor of Education programmes at the University of Nairobi. To examine how educational guidance and counselling influence study habits of distance learners in Bachelor of Education programmes at the University of Nairobi. To assess the extent to which Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome guidance and counselling influence study habits of distance learners’ in Bachelor of Education programmes at the University of Nairobi. To determine how combined guidance and counselling support services influence study habits of distance learners’ in Bachelor of Education programmes of the University of Nairobi. To establish the extent to which learners’ characteristics moderate the relationship between guidance and counselling support services and study habits of distance learners in Bachelor of Education programmes at the University of Nairobi. Descriptive survey study research adopted. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using structured questionnaire, interview and observation guide. Simple, stratified random and purposive sampling was employed to select the 357 participants from a population of 2229. Cronbach’s alpha at α =0.770 and 0.749 was attained as the reliability coefficient of the pre-test instruments for distance learners’ and university officials respectively. The quantitative data analysed using descriptive statistics. Pearson correlation employed to test hypothesis. Regression model adopted to determine the influence between independent and dependent variables. Six hypotheses were tested at α=.05 level of significance and the results were H01: Personal guidance and counselling does not significantly influence study habits of distance learners was rejected since P=0.000<0.05. H02: Social guidance and counselling does not significantly influence study habits of distance learners was rejected since P=0.000<0.05. H03: Educational guidance and counselling does not significantly influence study habits of distance learners was rejected since P=0.000<0.05. H04: HIV/AIDS guidance and counselling does not significantly influence study habits of distance learners was rejected since P=0.000<0.05. H05: The combined guidance and counselling support services does not significantly influence study habits of distance learners was rejected since P=0.000<0.05 and H06: Learners’ characteristics does not significantly moderate in the relationship between guidance and counselling support services and study habits of distance learners was rejected since P=0.000<0.05. Therefore, the study concluded that there is significant influence of guidance and counselling support services as well as moderating effect of learners’ characteristics on study habits of distance learners. This study recommends that universities should integrate guidance and counselling support services in their distance programmes in order to address study habits of distance learners’. Relevant digital technologies should be improved to take guidance and counselling support services where distance learners are to cater for their study needs.