Status of guidance and counseling in secondary schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent and effectiveness of students counseling resources amongst secondary students in Laikipia district and the effect of sex and year of the students on the problems experienced by the students preference for counseling resources and attitudes towards seeking psychological help. In doing so the study had two broad objectives namely to assess the problems faced by secondary school students and to assess the attitude of the students toward guidance and counseling. A sample of 400 students from Laikipia district was used in this study by students feeling questionnaires. The questionnaires provided data for analysis for five hypotheses. The data collected was tested by means of chi-square test. Frequency tables and descriptive statistics were also used to present and analyze the data. The results obtained indicated that the number of problems students experienced was relatively independent of the sex of the student, but showed a definite stratification relating to the year of study. This was the same case as far as awareness of resources and attitudes towards psychological help was concerned. The study findings indicated that the current counseling services 111 general need to be increased and those resources, for which students have a high affinity to, should be expanded. It was also recommended that the means of increasing students' awareness of available resources and the locations of those resources should be established and developed as well as improvements made on the current ones. Due to the broad nature of the study undertaken it is recommended that this study be used as a basis for further studies, dwelling in depth on the topics covered here in.