AN EXAMINATION ON THE IMPACT OF GUIDIANCE AND COUNSELLING ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND TRANSITION RATE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Guidance and counseling is a professional discipline that includes a wide range of activities and services designed to help people better understand themselves, others, and their educational environment, as well as develop the ability to change appropriately. Individuals face issues, challenges, and conflict situations as they progress through life stages and educational attainment. According to Braddock and Barake (2011), the goal of school guidance and counseling is to improve academic performance, foster positive study attitudes and habits, increase the acquisition and application of conflict resolution skills, and reduce school dropout rates. Guidance and counseling services, according to Herman and Hannah (2009), are intended to assist people who are experiencing psychological distress in willingly changing their behavior and making good decisions. future decisions by clarifying their thoughts, perceptions, attitudes, and aspirations. The primary goal of a school’s guidance and counseling department is to provide students with a comprehensive range of personnel services. These services were defined by Denga and Almone (2011) as a “cluster of institutionalized educational services created by the school to assist students in achieving the self-knowledge or self-understanding necessary for them to fulfill their maximum potential for self-development and self-realization.” Student assessment, information, counseling, placement, orientation, referral, follow-up and evaluation, and research are among the services provided. Appraisal services include gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data on students in order to help them better understand themselves. It also gives counsellors and significant others insight into children’s strengths and limitations. The information service is intended for on providing students with vital information in the areas of education, employment, and personal and social development. This knowledge is essential because it enables children to make sound life decisions (Denga & Almone, 2011). Counseling is a one-on-one interaction between a counselor and a student in which the student is assisted in overcoming academic, career, personal-social, and other life needs obstacles. The mission of the placement service is to assist students in transitioning to the next stage of growth, whether in school or at work. The orientation program’s goal is to familiarize new students with their surroundings. It is the process of acclimating a person to a work or learning situation by introducing him to the applicable rules, regulations, and obligations. He adapted to his new surroundings. The referral function allows the school counselor to refer cases that he or she cannot handle to experts such as clinical psychologists, medical practitioners, and others. The follow-up and assessment service is intended to determine the extent to which the school’s previous guidance program is achieving the goals for which it was designed, as well as to track students’ progress in their jobs. Academic performance refers to a student’s ability to complete assigned activities and studies successfully (Scortts Maline 2012). Academic performance, according to Ward, Stocker, and Murray-Ward (2006), is the outcome of education; the degree to which a student, teacher, or institution achieves its educational objectives. Academic performance is defined as the ability to learn and apply knowledge. recall information, as well as the ability to communicate knowledge either verbally or in writing (Answers, 2010). Academic performance refers to the extent to which students have mastered the objectives of the topics they study in school. Secondary school students have demonstrated academic performance in school subjects, particularly mathematics and English language (Aremu and Sokan 2003). Low academic performance in secondary school students can be attributed to a variety of factors, including student inability to manage their time, peer influence, and familial issues. Parents, teachers, curriculum specialists, professionals, and assessors have expressed grave concern about students’ poor performance on public tests. Guidance also helps children develop good study habits, motivation, identify learning or subject-related challenges, and recognize the importance of education.
School years in life and the future, developing skills, attitudes, and interests to aid in job selection. Thus, guidance and counseling contribute to the overall development of each student. This demonstrates the importance of every teacher becoming a guidance-minded educator as they carry out their duties with the goal of making a difference in the lives of their students. Thus, the goal of this study was to see how guidance and counseling affected secondary school students’ academic performance and transition rate.
1.2 Definition of the problem
In its 2004 National Policy on Education, the Federal Government of Nigeria mandated that all states incorporate guidance and counseling programs into their school curricula. However, one is disappointed by the slow pace at which the majority ofThis critical education policy has been implemented by state governments. This is demonstrated by the fact that professional guidance counselors are required in only 70 of the state’s 2001 public secondary schools (Aremu and Sokan 2003). Inadequate academic performance among secondary school students is cause for concern because it has a negative impact on various programs. It is concerning for stakeholders to see students continue to perform poorly academically despite the numerous ways in which they are guided by their teachers or parents. This appears to be due to the students’ refusal to adhere to established norms and regulations. Despite the availability of guidance and counseling services in both homes and schools, there is still a high level of indiscipline among students, which has an impact on their academic performance.
their academic achievement.
1.3 The Study’s Objective
The study’s overarching goal is to investigate the impact of guidance and counselling on secondary school students’ academic performance and transition rate. The study specifically seeks to:
i. Determine the availability of secondary school guidance and counselling services.
ii. Determine the impact of guidance and counseling services on students’ academic performance.
iii. To investigate the impact of guidance and counselling services on the transition rate of state students to higher education institutions.
iv. To investigate the extent to which students in secondary schools use guidance and counselling services.
1.4 Research Suggestions
The following study questions have been prepared:
i. Determine the availability of guidance and counselling services
in secondary schools.
ii. Determine the impact of guidance and counseling services on students’ academic performance.
iii. To investigate the impact of guidance and counselling services on the transition rate of state students to higher education institutions.
iv. To investigate the extent to which students in secondary schools use guidance and counselling services.
1.5 Importance of the Research
This research will be useful to the Ministry of Education because it will help the government develop adequate plans and budgetary allocations for effective guidance and counselling services in secondary schools. It will also assist them in recognizing the need for more professional counsellors in schools through training and recruitment.
The findings of this study will be beneficial to school administrators.
will enable them to recognize the significance of guidance and counselling services in schools, providing counselors with all the necessary support to carry out their counseling duties effectively.
The study will be important to the academic community because it will add to the existing literature.
1.6 Scope of the Research
The study will determine whether or not secondary schools offer guidance and counselling services. The research will also look into the impact of guidance and counselling on students’ academic performance. The study will also look into the impact of guidance and counseling services on the transition rate of state students to higher education. Finally, the study will look into how much students use guidance and counselling services in secondary schools. As a result of this,
The study will be restricted to Osun State.
1.7 The study’s limitations
The researchers encountered minor constraints while conducting the study, as with any human endeavor. Inadequate funds tend to impede the researcher’s efficiency in sourcing relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection process (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher chose a moderate sample size. Furthermore, the researcher will conduct this study alongside other academic work. As a result, the time spent researching will be reduced.
1.8 Definitions of terms
Guidance and counselling: advice or relevant information provided by a superior in order to solve a problem or overcome adversity.
Academic
performance: the assessment of student achievement in various academic subjects
A key property of a multi-state stochastic system is the transition rate.
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