Effectiveness Of Guidance And Counselling Procedures In The Development Of Values Among Learners In Public Secondary Schools In Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

In Kenya today, numerous cases of unrest and indiscipline in secondary schools across the country in the last 3 years, create doubts as to the effectiveness of guidance and counselling policies and procedures adopted by schools. Moreover, most schools in Nakuru County exhibit a high level of deterioration of values among students. It appears the values yielded by these procedures are contrary to expectation. Therefore, this study investigated the effectiveness of guidance and counselling (G/C) policies and procedures in the development of values among learners in public secondary schools in Nakuru County. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population comprised 285 principals, 2458 teachers and 285 student leaders in the 285 public secondary schools in the county. The study used a sample size of 86 principals, 86 students’ representatives and 86 Form three class teachers drawn from 86 schools, which was selected using simple random sampling technique for teachers and purposive sampling technique for principals and student leaders. Data collected was by the use of questionnaires. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, and percentages), while textually analysis was used for analysing qualitative data. The study established that G/C policies and procedures were effective in developing values among learners in most of the Public Secondary Schools in Nakuru County. The types of counseling included career guidance / educational counseling, vocational counseling, social counseling, health counseling, and personal counseling. The effectiveness of the G/C policies and procedures was affected by challenges such as undisclosed information by students due to fear of teachers knowing their personal life, inadequate guiding and counseling offices, inadequate trained counselors, insufficient time for carrying out G/C, lack of role models from the parents, lack of sincerity, lack of total commitment to the work of guiding and counseling, and lack of seriousness in the uptake of G/C services. The study recommended that principals in secondary schools consider scaling up guidance and counselling services and providing requisite support such as an office and materials, as well as training and recruiting more counselors.