INFLUENCE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING ON STUDENT'S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN GWARIMPA, ABUJA FCT.

TOPIC IS SUITABLE FOR:

1-Department of Education

2-Department of Guidance and Counselling

3-Department of Educational Psychology

4-Department of Educational Management

TOPIC: INFLUENCE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING ON STUDENT'S  ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN GWARIMPA, ABUJA FCT.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Abstract

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem 

1.3 Objectives of the Study 

1.4 Research Question (s) 

1.5 Hypothesis

1.6 Significance of the Study 

1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

1.8  Operational Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Theoretical/Conceptual Frameworks

2.2 Empirical Review

2.3 Summary of Reviewed Literature

2.4 Uniqueness of the Study

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population of the study

3.3 Sample and Sampling Techniques

3.4 Research Instrument 

3.5 Procedure for Data Collection 

3.6 Method of Data Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR - DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.0 Introduction

4.1 Data Presentation 

4.2 Data Analysis 

4.3 Discussions 

4.4 Summary of the Major Findings

CHAPTER FIVE - SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction

5.1 Summary 

5.2 Conclusion 

5.3 Recommendations

References

Appendix

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the influence of guidance and counseling on student's academic performance using in some selected senior secondary schools in Gwarimpa. The study was specifically set to find out the extent  guidance and counseling is established among in secondary schools in Gwarimpa, evaluate the relationship between guidance and counseling and secondary school students academic performance in Gwarimpa, assess the effectiveness of guidance and counseling programme in enhancing students' academic performance, identify the challenges affecting the effectiveness of guidance and counseling programme among secondary schools in Gwarimpa, and recommend best practices for improving the effectiveness of guidance and counseling programme among secondary schools in Gwarimpa. The survey design was adopted and the simple random sampling techniques were employed in this study. The population size comprise of senior students in some selected secondary schools in Gwarimpa. In determining the sample size, the researcher conveniently selected 200 respondents and 150 were validated. Self-constructed and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected and validated questionnaires were analyzed using frequency tables and mean scores. The result of the findings reveals that the extent  guidance and counseling is established among in secondary schools in Gwarimpa is low. The findings further show that guidance and counseling programme is effective in enhancing students' academic performance as it helps students set and achieve academic goals, it has a  positive impact on students' motivation to succeed academically, it improves students' time management skills, it helps reduce academic stress among students, leading to better academic outcomes, and it effectively addresses students' academic challenges. Therefore it is recommended that schools and local education authorities should allocate more funds and resources to establish and maintain effective guidance and counseling programs. This includes investing in facilities, materials, and training for counselors. To mention but few.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION (Preview)

1.1 Background of the Study

The current educational environment has become considerably dynamic and multifarious, characterised by a complex interaction between academic demands, personal growth and social adjustment. As students are regularly faced with the pressures of competitiveness, mental health issues and changing values in society, there is currently a shift in the way that academic institutions worldwide conceptualise and facilitate learning. Dobson and Kazantzis (2020) argue that an emphasis on holistic development is now a necessary prerequisite, looking beyond cognitive performance to include emotional, psychological and social well-being. Consequently, support systems of a psychosocial nature, especially guidance and counselling services, have taken a central place in the experience of students in academic life. Luk-Fong and Lung (2023) further state that the advent of student-centred educational models comes with an equally strong support mechanism, which prioritises not only academic achievement but also emotional resilience. This increased recognition of guidance and counselling as a core part of education is a manifestation of a widened conception of human development and learning in the wider formal institutions.

Students' engagement with academic tasks and developmental transitions is mediated by their perception of the necessity for guidance and counselling services, this forms a critical lens for the interpretation of their interaction with support systems. Adegboyega and Salisu (2022) point out that need for guidance and counselling is usually reflected by an internal realization of personal, social, or academic problems associated with such issues that may not be outwardly expressed. Often, the effectiveness of carrying out guidance and counselling interventions is not just dependent on the availability of these services, but on student recognition and identification with these services. Eze and Nwosu (2023) believe that when students accept that they have some problems and they believe that guidance and counselling can offer constructive help, they are more likely to effectively make use of such services. Consequently, this perception forms a prerequisite to uptake of guidance and counselling and may influence the coping strategies of students with respect to their academic stress, career uncertainty or emotional instability. Therefore, understanding this perception in a specific academic setting is fundamental for the development of effective intervention strategies.

Moreover, guidance and counselling plays a multidimensional role in the promotion of academic success, which goes beyond the reduction of psychological distress to the development of critical cognitive and behavioural competencies that are necessary for learning. Hofmann et al. (2022) show that cognitive-behavioural counselling strategies have a measurable impact on skills required by students for organising, concentrating and managing time - skills that are indispensable for academic excellence. Likewise, Cornelius-White (2020) argues that the therapeutic alliance that is developed in the guidance and counselling settings fosters personal development and self-efficacy, which directly influences how students manage their educational challenges. Ali and Suleiman (2024) report that students who are able to acquire coping skills and problem solving skills through guidance and counselling, are more resilient and are better able to handle complex academic workloads. These findings affirm the interdependence of emotional stability and academic performance, thereby suggesting that the function of guidance and counselling is not limited to the provision of emotional support, but also includes the provision of support for the improvement of educational outcomes through skill development and self-awareness.

In secondary schools, adolescents face a multitude of social, emotional and academic challenges which makes integration of guidance and counselling services especially critical. Students are regularly challenged by peers, by their struggle to find identity, by the stress of exams and the demands of their families which require cognitive maturity and emotional support. Gachenia and Mwenje (2020) note that the emotional volatility that is common during adolescence can lead to behavioural problems and withdrawal from studies if not handled properly. Akinmoladun (2022) brings out that secondary-school pupils often face compounded pressures, such as transitions of responsibility and preparation for examinations of formative nature and all of these require emotional resilience. Within such contexts, the offer of guidance and counselling services, in particular, the perception of the relevance of the services, becomes a decisive factor in the academic journey of students. Isah and Abdullah (2023) state that the environment of guidance and counselling has to respond to these unique stressors in order to promote academic performance and psychological well-being of the secondary school students.

Focusing specifically on selected secondary schools in Gwarimpa, the importance of guidance and counselling in the determination of academic outcomes is given increased relevance in the context of the changing nature of secondary education in Nigeria. Ibrahim et al. (2021) state that in Nigerian secondary schools, the effect of integrating psychosocial support is still limited by infrastructural and perceptual deficiencies. Students face challenges on a regular basis, as part of their academic workload, from peer influences or emotional instability - factors that reinforce the need for accessible and trusted frameworks for guidance and counselling.

Ndanu, Mukadi, and Tarus (2022) emphasise the importance of understanding the intrinsic value of the guidance and counselling service by the students, especially in settings where such services may not always be institutionalised or where stigma exists. In Gwarimpa, understanding how students view the need for guidance and counselling could help reveal the underlying patterns of behaviour and attitudes towards academic support systems, and therefore help develop effective institutional strategies geared toward improving learning experiences and performance. Based on the above, this study seek to examine the influence of guidance and counselling services on the academic performance of students in selected secondary schools.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

In today's education system, guidance and counselling services have become a key resource in helping students with their academic, psychological and emotional well-being (Audu & Jacob, 2021). Globally, it is recognised in institutions that the provision of academic instruction alone is inadequate without the mechanisms to address the developmental needs of students (Dobson & Kazantzis, 2020). Nevertheless, in a number of Nigerian secondary schools, the integration and utilisation of the services are not consistent. In selected secondary schools in Gwarimpa, the acceptance of guidance and counselling as a necessary academic support tool seems to be underdeveloped. The problem is that, despite the nature of secondary education, which requires high levels of cognitive engagement and emotional stability, students' perception of the relevance and accessibility of guidance and counselling services is much reduced (Ibrahim et al, 2021).

In these schools, many students face excessive pressures of academics, social stress, adjustment problems, etc., but often there is little tendency among them to approach professional guidance and counselling services. This may be due to a combination of cultural stigma, a lack of awareness, and a weak guidance and counselling infrastructure in the school system (Adegboyega & Salisu, 2022). Besides, the existing support systems are seemingly ill-suited for the secondary school students specific psychosocial needs. As noted by Ndanu, Mukadi and Tarus (2022), when students fail to perceive guidance and counselling as a necessity or benefit, their academic coping mechanisms become impaired especially within demanding educational settings. The gap that results between perceived need and actual utilisation is a key institutional issue.

The consequences of these gaps are far reaching. Students who have unaddressed psychological stress may experience difficulty in concentration, fatigue or show declining academic performance (Eze & Nwosu, 2023). Emotional suppression and unmanaged anxiety may also result in withdrawing from academic activities, poor interpersonal relationships, and reduced self-efficacy (Cornelius-White, 2020). These academic and psychosocial disruptions, if ignored, can reduce school retention and student achievement as a whole. This situation unveils the urgent need for a study that investigates the impact of guidance and counselling services on the academic performance of students in selected secondary schools in Gwarimpa.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The primary objective of this study is to examine the influence of guidance and counseling on student's academic performance. Specific objectives of this study are:

1.To find out the extent  guidance and counseling is established among in secondary schools in Gwarimpa.

2.To evaluate the relationship between guidance and counseling and secondary school students academic performance in Gwarimpa.

3.To assess the effectiveness of guidance and counseling programme in enhancing students' academic performance.

4.To identify the challenges affecting the effectiveness of guidance and counseling programme among secondary schools in Gwarimpa.

5.To recommend best practices for improving the effectiveness of guidance and counseling programme among secondary schools in Gwarimpa.

OTHER PARTS OF CHAPTER ONE INCLUDE:

1.4 Research Question

1.5 Research Hypothesis

1.6 Significance Of The Study

1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

1.8 Operational Definition Of Terms 

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE (Preview)

This chapter critically examines relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and, furthermore, recognizes the contributions of scholars who have previously conducted studies related to the research topic. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and address the perceived gaps in existing literature. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the concept of guidance and counselling, the objectives and importance of guidance and counselling in schools, the concept of students’ academic performance, the influence of guidance and counselling on students’ academic performance, and the challenges affecting the effective provision of guidance and counselling services in senior secondary schools. The chapter covers the following subheadings:

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.2 Theoretical Framework

2.3 Empirical Review

2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (Preview)

Research Design: The study adopted a survey research design.

Population of the Study: The population of the study comprises senior secondary school students in five secondary schools in Gwarimpa, Abuja FCT.

Sample Size Determination: The study adopted the Taro Yamane formula to determine a sample size of 200 participants.

Sampling Technique: The study employed a stratified sampling technique, while convenience sampling was used to select the individual respondents.

Research Instrument: The study utilized a structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection.

Methods of Data Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to summarize and present the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their responses. Inferential statistics, particularly Pearson correlation, were used to test the hypothesis.

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

MAJOR FINDINGS (Preview)

The analysis results were presented in tables. Based on the results obtained from the analysis, the following findings are made:

i. The study found that the establishment of guidance and counseling programmes in senior secondary schools in Gwarimpa, Abuja FCT, is generally low, as evidenced by 49% of the respondents who reported a low extent of establishment, compared to 24% who reported a high extent and 27% who were undecided.

ii. The study found that there is a positive relationship between guidance and counseling programmes and students’ academic performance in senior secondary schools in Gwarimpa, Abuja FCT, as evidenced by a grand mean of 3.18, which is above the acceptance benchmark of 2.50. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.821 and a p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis.

iii. The study found that guidance and counseling programmes are effective in enhancing students’ academic performance in senior secondary schools in Gwarimpa, Abuja FCT, as evidenced by the mean scores ranging from 3.00 to 3.46, which are above the acceptance benchmark of 2.50. This indicates that the programmes help students set academic goals, improve motivation, develop time management skills, reduce academic stress, and address academic challenges.

iv. The study found that several challenges affect the effectiveness of guidance and counseling programmes in senior secondary schools in Gwarimpa, Abuja FCT, as evidenced by the mean scores ranging from 3.34 to 3.73, which are above the acceptance benchmark of 2.50. The major challenges identified include a lack of qualified guidance counselors, inadequate funding, insufficient time for counseling sessions, low student awareness, and inadequate support from school administrators.

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter covers the following outline:

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Summary

5.3 Conclusions

5.4 Recommendation

References

Appendix

UPLOADED BY MIRACLE