Effect of management of guidance and counseling services On students’ discipline and academic performance in public Secondary schools in Kisii County, Kenya

Abstract

School counselors design, deliver and manage inclusive school counseling programs that are meant to promote students’ academic achievement and discipline. The counseling program is meant to focus on academic, career, and social/emotional curriculum experiences through classroom lessons, group activities and individual consultation. Despite such programs, various research studies have indicated cases of student unrest in most schools in Kenya in the recent past and poor academic performance. Evidence shows that students have emotional and behavioral problems which cause frustrations and despair. For instance, in Kisii County such cases have come up whereby students have burnt dormitories and razing down property belonging to the students. Some students have attacked school administrators with Pangas thus threatening their lives. Unwanted pregnancies are on the rise, sexual and drug abuse and school dropouts have also been recorded. Guidance and Counseling (G&C) would be viewed as a powerful means of giving students psychosocial support and help with individual problems. The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of management of guidance and counseling services on students’ discipline and academic performance in Kisii County. The objectives of the study were to: Establish the effect of management of G&C infrastructure on student academic performance; establish the effect of management of G&C infrastructure on students discipline; determine the effect of management of G&C financial resources allocation on student academic performance; determine the effect of management of G&C on student discipline; establish the effect of G&C time allocation management on students academic performance and establish the effect of management of G&C time allocation on students’ discipline. The study adopted descriptive survey and correlational research designs. A conceptual framework was used to help focus on the variables of the study. The target population was 10385 and consisted of 355 principals, 355 teacher counselors and 9,675 form four 2015 cohort of students. Fisher’s formula (1925) was used to determine the sample. The sample sizes consisted of 185 principals, 185 teacher counselors and 370 form four students. The set of questionnaires, interview schedules and observation guide were used to collect data. Face and content validity of instruments was established by experts in Education Administration whose input was incorporated in the final drafts. Reliability coefficient of questionnaire was .836 meaning that they were reliable as the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was greater than 0.7. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, means and regression analysis. The study established that management of Guidance and Counseling infrastructure accounted for 71.5% of the variation in students’ academic performance and 55.8% of students’ discipline. Management of Guidance and Counseling financial resource allocation accounted for 66.7% of the variation in students’ academic performance and 67.1% of students’ discipline. Management of Guidance and Counseling time allocation accounted for 41.1% of the variation in students’ academic performance and 45.6% of the students’ discipline. The study concluded that Guidance and Counseling had effect on students’ academic performance and discipline. The study recommended that school principals should improve on G&C infrastructure management, G&C financial resource allocation management and G&C time allocation management so as to further enhance students’ academic performance and discipline. The findings of this study are significant to stakeholders in education as they provide data on formulation of policies on G&C services in relation to students’ academic performance and discipline.