EFFECTIVENESS OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN ENHANCING DISCIPLINE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OLOKURTO DIVISION NAROK COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

While education is expected to change the behaviour of learners positively by moulding them into self respecting and self- reliant individuals, discipline related issues have been at the fore of educational debates as students encounter challenges associated with adolescence. Cases of truancy, drug abuse, immorality, destruction of property and loss of life, are however, indicators of the existence of a conflict between educational aims and discipline among secondary school students. This is despite the provision of guidance and counselling services in schools, hence the need to examine the effectiveness of guidance and counselling in enhancing discipline among secondary school students. The objectives of study were; to examine the effectiveness of guidance and counselling in enhancing discipline among secondary school students; establish the effectiveness of guidance and counselling types; examine the effectiveness of teacher counsellors’ service delivery and establish the hindrances to effective delivery of guidance and counselling services towards enhancing discipline among secondary school students in Olokurto Division, Narok County, Kenya. Descriptive survey design was employed in the study, questionnaires were used obtain data from respondents. Person centred theory advanced by Carl Rogers guided the study. The study population comprised 861 students, 12 teacher counsellors and 6 deputy principals drawn from the six public secondary schools in the division. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to sample 129 students for the study. Schools, deputy principals and teacher counsellors in the division were purposively sampled. Supervisors and experts from the education office established the validity of the instruments. Using test-retest method, the instruments yielded a reliability coefficient of r = 0.76, thus accepted for the study. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 20.0 and presented in tables, charts, graphs, means, frequencies and percentages. From the analysis and interpretation, the study found out that guidance and counselling had not been effective in enhancing discipline among students. Further, the study established shortage of resources, facilities and trained service providers as hindrances to the effective delivery of guidance and counselling services. The study recommended development of guidance and counselling policy, its integration to the college curriculum for the training of teachers and implementation as well as strengthening of school guidance and counselling departments. The findings and recommendations of this study, if implemented will be useful to policy makers in the Ministry of Education, heads of secondary schools, counselling personnel and students through improved services from more informed teacher counsellors.