| dc.description.abstract | Individual, Group and Peer Guidance and Counselling (G&C) services in Secondary
Schools are conceived as important services towards strengthening students' character
and academic achievement. In Bureti Sub County performance in K.C.S.E. from 2007 to
2009 was below average, that is, mean scores of 4.445, 4.435 and 4.491 respectively in
spite of G&C services being in place, perhaps due to shortcoming in the effectiveness of
these G&C services on academic achievement. The purpose of this study therefore was to
examine guidance and counselling services and their influence on students' academic
performance in Bureti Sub County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: Establish
the professional qualifications of the personnel providing G&C services; Examine the
adequacy of G&C facilities and materials in secondary schools; Find out the preferred
types of guidance and counselling services offered in secondary schools and; Determine
the relationship between G&C services and students' academic performance in Public
secondary schools in Bureti Sub County. A conceptual framework based on Biswalo's
(1996) concept that guidance and counselling helps students develop proper study skills
and acquisition of knowledge on examination techniques was adopted in this study to
establish the influence of G&C services on student's academic performance. The study
used descriptive survey and correlation research designs. The study population comprised
of 22 principals, 22 heads of G&C department and 1,201 form four 2012 students from all
the 22 Public Sub County secondary schools in Bureti Sub County. Two principals, two
G&C teachers and 120 students were used in the pilot study. The study employed
saturated sampling technique to select 20 principals and 20 heads of G&C department
while simple random sampling technique was used to select 400 students. Questionnaire,
interview schedule and document analysis guide were used to collect data for the study.
Face and content validity of instruments was established by supervisors. Reliability of
instruments was determined using test-retest method. Reliability coefficient of the
instruments was 0.72, 0.71 and 0.74 for principals, .G&C teachers and students
questionnaires respectively. Data collected using questionnaires were analysed using
descriptive statistics in form of frequency counts, percentages and means; while
inferential statistics, that is, Pearson r and multiple regressions were used to determine
relationships between variables. Data collected using interview schedule were audio
tapped and transcribed into themes and sub-themes as they emerged from the data. The
study established that 13(65%) of the practicing school counselors did not have the
required qualifications of diploma and above in G&C. Guidance and Counseling facilities
were inadequate in most schools. Types of G&C services offered in schools included
individual, peer and group. The relationships between G&C services offered and
academic performance was statistically significant. The study concluded that the types of
G&C services preferred were peer and group and that G&C services accounted for 47.5%
of students' academic performance. The study recommended that teacher counselors
should be trained and the facilities for counseling should be improved. The findings of
this study are significant to teacher counselors, Principals and the Ministry of Education
Science and Technology as they will enable them to enhance G&C services in schools so
as to achieve the set objectives of school guidance and counseling program. | en_US |
