GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING SERVICES AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page ……………………………………………………………..i
Certification ……………………………………………..……………ii
Declaration ……………………………………………………………iii
Dedication ……………………………………………………………iv
Acknowledgement …………………………………………………….v
Table of contents ……………………………………………………..vi
Abstract ………………………………………………………………vii

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study …………………………….…………….1
1.2 Statement of the problem ………………………………………….5
1.3 Purpose of the study ……………………………………………….6
1.4 Research questions …………………………………………………7
1.5 Hypotheses………………………………………………………….8
1.6 Significance of the study …………………………………………….8
1.7 Delimitation of the study ………………………….………………9
1.8 Definition of operational terms …………………………………..9

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction ………………………………………………………..11
2.2 The concept of guidance ………………………………………………11
2.3 The concept of counseling……………………………………………..13
2.4 The scope of guidance and counseling……………………………….15
2.5 Educational guidance and counseling…………………………………15
2.6 The concept of vocational counseling……………………………………..16
2.7 The concept of personal social guidance………………………………18
2.8 The objectives of guidance and counseling in school……… …………19
2.9 Guidance and counseling services rendered…………………………….22
2.10 Counseling services……………………………………………………23
2.11 The concept of information service……………………………………23
2.12 The concept of appraisal service………………………………………24
2.13 The concept of orientation service……………………………………24
2.14 The concept of placement service…………………………………….25
2.15 The concept of referral service………………………………………..26
2.16 The concept of follow-up service……………………………………..27
2.17 The importance of guidance and counseling………………………….28
2.18 Summary of chapter two………………………………………………30

CHAPTER THREE
METHOD AND PROCEDURE
3.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………….32
3.1 Research design …………………………………….………………….32
3.2 Population and sample ……………………………… ………………..33
3.3 Sampling techniques ………………………………… ………………..34
3.4 Instrument for data collection …………………….… ………………..34
3.4. Description of the instruments ………………………………………..35
3.5 Procedure for instrument development ………………………………..35
3.6 Validity and reliability of instrument …………………………………..35
3.7 Method of data collection ………………………………………………36
3.8 Method of data analysis…………………………………………………36

CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Presentation of results …………………………………………………37
4.2 Test for hypotheses …………………………………………………….45
4.3 Discussion………………………………………………………………45

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of findings …………………………………………………49
5.2 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………50
5.3 Recommendations …………………………………………………….51
5.4 Limitation of the study …………………..…….…………………….52
References…………………………………………………………………54
Appendix I…………………………………………………………………56
Appendix II…………………………………………………………………57
Appendix III………………………………………………………………58
Appendix IV………………………………………………………………58
ABSTRACT
This research work tried to find out whether guidance and counseling services are rendered to students in the secondary schools, in Jos North LGA. and whether it has any importance to students. A survey research design was used for the purpose. The finding has discovered that, there are no professional counselors, accommodation, facilities, and materials for the practice of guidance and counseling in Jos North LGA. Students usually have problem with their studies, which need to be addressed through the right channel, which is guidance and counseling services. Therefore, principals and staff should establish guidance and counseling programs in their schools whereas government should endeavor to post trained counselors to the schools.

CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In today’s world, everyone is faced with numerous problems ranging from personal social, educational and vocational problems which need to be addressed by the school setting, be it nursery, primary, secondary or tertiary levels.
Mallum (2000) posits that, the changing world and its complexities demand frequent adaptations on the part of the individual whether big or small, rich or poor. Our growing children are confronted with different problems or situations that need help whether as a group or individual. This is where the guidance and counselling services are found worthy to be employed by the secondary schools through the guidance counsellor to provide the necessary assistance to students. Guidance and counselling are just like twins or a coin with two different sides. Opinions differ as to the definition of guidance and counselling but no matter how they are defined they remain part and parcel of one another.
Mallum (2000) states that, guidance and counselling as an educational concept contains the special services which schools can provide to enrich the educational experiences of all categories of school levels. He further stresses that, the services can be expanded to include efforts at helping students adjust to their present and further life situations, goals and aspirations (that is why in school and after leaving school), to plan and work towards their future, general adjustment in society in their capacity as citizens as well as being informed vocationally and becoming effective and self fulfilled citizens.
Guidance and counselling are in fact two complex concepts where cleat meaning can be brought out through a process of classification.
Shertzer and stone (1976) define guidance as the process of helping an individual to understand the “self” and to take appropriate steps in educational, occupational and life planning generally.
Like its twin term, counselling too has many definitions because many authorities have defined it more in style than in substance. Many contemporary professional have defined counselling as a wise man’s job. Implying that, it is an organized process of assisting people to deliberate and judge wisely over their personal situations and problems.
Bulus (1990) defines guidance and counselling as a process of helping, aiding, facilitation, assisting, supporting or even advising an individual or group or an organization individually or collectively within the environment they exist; so as to function successfully for personal or group well being. He further stressed that it is also a process of helping one to understand himself, accept and utilized his ability, aptitude and to interact well with others so that he can be effective in the society or community in which he belongs.
As an educational programme, guidance and counselling service is an organized effort on the part of the school to help students understand themselves and the world around them so that they may become increasingly more capable of decision making and carrying out educational, personal social and vocational plans effectively.
Helen and Maclean (1976) in Mallam (2000) say that counselling is that process which takes place in a one to one relationship between an individual troubled by problems with which he cannot cope all alone and a professional worker whose training and experiences have qualified him to help others reach solutions to various types of personal difficulties.
Besides, the present day school has a widened and broad based curriculum, which requires the process of a moderator to bridge the gap in understanding the relationship of the curriculum content to the development of an individual and his role in the adult world of work. Therefore, the role of a guidance counsellor in this situation is understandable as far as the need for the guidance of an individual whether as a child, adolescent or adult student is concerned.
There is need for guidance towards choice of the right subjects, which could lead to the type of occupation best suited to the individual’s aspirations and aptitudes. As a result of this, guidance and counselling has been enshrined in the National Policy on Education as a requisite educational service to be provided by government in schools from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
In pursuit of these objectives, the federal Government initially took the burden of producing the required man power by sponsoring in-service course in some selected universities and colleges of education. In Plateau State, two examples of such institutions are University of Jos and College of Education Pankshin. In the course of time however, it became necessary for all Secondary Schools to establish guidance and counselling programme in order to be given approval for registration or for entrance into WAEC/SSCE Examination. This condition led to the withdrawal by the Federal Government of being the sole sponsor of training prospective personnel in this regard. Various state governments were left with no option but to bring a deliberate programme calculated towards meeting this demands. Federal Republic of Nigeria (1981) National Policy on Education.
It was as a result of this that, the programme found its way into the secondary schools in Plateau State. In the 1980s, short, long vacation courses were run at the Educational Resource Centre (ERC) Jos, to prepare some teachers to serve as career masters or para-counsellors. Only few schools were to start this programme.
Emphasis was placed on government secondary schools to start with which was viewed as beneficial to the development of their students. This programme initiated into government secondary schools served principally the following purposes. It helps to:
 Facilitate the harmonious development of each student’s potentials to the maximum level through constant advice giving.
 Place students into various fields of study or work according to their potentials and abilities.
 To facilitate the development of teacher-students, parent-students relationships.
 Minimize students’ dropout rates.
 Provide remedial treatment to disinterested students and to help them to fight out any emotional stress or behavioural problems.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problem to be researched into by the researcher is whether or not guidance services are being rendered in the secondary schools and whether students deem it necessary or not. It is a case study of some selected secondary schools in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. The services as viewed in this research work are:
• Counselling service
• Information service
• Orientation service
• Placement service
• Appraisal service
• Follow-up and evaluation service
The awareness of its importance to our secondary schools will also be investigated. The research work will create awareness of the importance of guidance and counselling in our secondary schools. It will as well find out the number of school enjoying the guidance services and the types of services rendered. The researcher will also look into the practice of guidance and counselling service in secondary schools, which is aimed at directing and helping the individual to do what is expected of him as a normal human being. The work will determine whether students who have difficulties in their studies or school work are being helped or not.
It is believed that, this research work will help in pointing out the types of services lacking in the schools, creating awareness of both staff and students to the importance of guidance and counselling services offered in our secondary schools today; it will also serve as a means of eradicating the ills or ignorance of our modern societies about guidance and counselling services.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Evidences abound that counselling is not totally a new thing to us. It is as old as man because it is being practiced in every home by parents and through this children are groomed to behave well as expected or as guided.
However, in schools, teachers render formalized guidance to their students and as a result of the good academic background given to them by their teacher the students excel. The researcher wants to find out whether schools have been rendering guidance and counselling service adequately to their students or not. The researcher also wants to find out in the course of her research work whether teachers and counsellors or para-counsellors have been playing the roles as guidance and counselling masters to promote the standard of education of our students most especially academically. She also wishes to investigate the benefits of these services to the students.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 Are there guidance and counselling services in government secondary schools in Jos North local Government Area?
 Are there facilities for the practice of guidance and counselling in the secondary schools?
 Are there physical materials for the practice of guidance and counselling?
 Are there students who have learning difficulties?
 Does guidance and counselling create awareness in schools?
 Do guidance and counselling services play vital roles in solving the student’s problems?
 Do the teachers refer students to the counsellor?
 What is the response of teachers regarding guidance and counselling?
 Do principals agree and support guidance programmes in their schools?
 Do students appreciate the guidance and counselling services rendered to them by the counsellors?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
There are assumptions about the variables involved in the study. H1 means there is a significant relationship between guidance services and students performance in life. H0 means there is no significant relationship between guidance and counselling services and the student’s performance in life. This research work adopted H1which means that there is a significant relationship between guidance services and students performance in life.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will help enlighten the public and proprietors of schools who are interested in the training of the youth of the aim of guidance and counselling services rendered in the schools, which is meant to help the school in achieving their goals.
The result of this finding will also be used for counselling purposes so as to promote counselling in schools. This research work will identify the various available services in practice in the secondary schools and the result will be useful to the school principals, government, proprietors and general public. Policy makers will also tap the solution for effective planning for our younger generations.
1.7 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The research work is based on some selected secondary schools in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. However, below are the schools selected:
Government Secondary School Laranto, Jos
Government Secondary School Township, Jos
Government Secondary School Tundu Wada, Jos
Government Secondary School Kabong, Jos
Government Secondary School Rot Norong, Jos
These schools are selected from the district (Gidong) that makes up Jos North Local Government in order to have valid realistic information from Jos North Local Government.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
GUIDANCE: Guidance is a process of helping, aiding, assisting, advising, supporting students to enable the individual or collectively to understand themselves and the society in which the live, so as to function effectively and successfully for personal or group well being.
COUNSELING: Counselling is an intimate and confidential relationship between two people on a one to one relationship or an encounter between an individual who is troubled by problems which he cannot cope with all alone and so he seeks the help of a professional worker whose training and experiences have qualified him to help others reach solutions to their problems of various types.
SERVICES: These refer to the procedures and the helping relationships offered to those in need.
COUNSELOR: These are trained personnel in the field of guidance and counselling who is specially trained to help counselees or clients or an individual who is vulnerable and is searching for clarification of problematic situations.