EFFECTS OF COUNSELING SERVICES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
Abstract
The research was undertaken to justify the effectiveness or otherwise of counseling services in Odeda Local Government Area, the research method used in this research is descriptive survey research method. The population of this research consists of students of secondary schools in Odeda Local Government Area these schools consist of boarding, day and private schools.
The samples of four (4) schools were selected within Odeda Local Government Area and the sample of fifty (50) students were collected from each school to represent the population, the procedure used in this research was random sampling techniques. The instrument used for this research was questionnaires and the method used for analyzing data is a simple percentage… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Academic performance of Nigerian secondary school students has been a thing of worry because it degrading in value day in day out and these have to be as a result of many factors that have been militating against it and all these abstract factors could be uprooted or avoided in order to attain academic excellence through the proper placement of regular and well-planned counseling services in our various secondary schools.
Counseling as the third force in education along with instruction is an integral part of the educational system. Counseling programs for secondary school students are designed to address the physical, emotional, social, vocational, and academic difficulties of adolescent students. This is to complement learning in the classroom and also enhance academic performance/achievement of students.
Counseling plays a vital role in preventing educational, personal, social, mental-emotional, and other similar problems among secondary school students. Ministry of education and principals of schools are aware of the heavy reliance placed on counseling services for most aspects of the new 9-3-4 system to actually succeed. These services are counseling services, referral services, and evaluation, follow-up, consultancy, and research services.
As a vital component of any type and any level of education the absence of non-utilization of these systems, again the third goal of the educational services in the present day school system has led to the unprecedented rise in the crime wave, violence among students, fuelled cultism, wrong career choice, and wrong subject combination among other issues… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
Statement of Problem
The counselor occupies a very strategic position in most educational systems. The federal government is aware of this. This is why the emphasis is on the need for counseling services in the new national policy on education 9-3-4 system. It is also clear from the federal ministry of education that counselors should operate on fulltime basis, raise a generation of people who can think for themselves, respect the views and teaching of others, respect the dignity of labor, appreciate those value specified under our broad national goals and live as good citizens.
Also, most principals and teachers are aware of the counselor’s functions/services. Despite this fact, it has been observed that the program/services are not encouraged at the secondary school level… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
Research Objectives
This study sought to assess the effects of counseling services on the academic performance of students in selected senior secondary schools in Odeda Local Government area of Ogun State.
- To determine the effects of counseling services on academic performance of students in senior secondary schools exposed to it and those not exposed… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Guidance and counseling activities in each level of education is expected to contribute to the achievement of educational goals. However, when education goals are not been achieved, the foremost place to look into is the available guidance services rendered, how effective was it? These chapters examine the various views of some authors on the meaning, purpose and essence of guidance and counseling service in school. The view and the findings of previous research works related to this study shall be assessed under the following sub – heading:
- The concept of guidance and counseling
- Brief history and development of guidance and counseling in Nigeria.
- Disparity between guidance and counseling
- Review of guidance practices of the national policy on education
- Need for guidance and counseling in Nigerian schools.
- The school guidance services
- Problems militating against effective guidance as discussed by other researchers/scholars
- Summary of the chapter
Concept of Guidance and Counseling
Various authors have used the term “guidance” and “counseling” either to the mean different things or to mean the same thing. Due to this, many texts use the term interchangeably. However, the general consensus amongst professionals in that guidance is an umbrella name for all the helping services. To a layperson, guidance simply means to guide or direct someone toward a certain goal but to the professional guidance counselor, it involves a much deeper meaning (Oladele, 1987)… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
- Guidance
Ipaye (1983) sees guidance as an umbrella term that covers all the means whereby an institution identifies and responds to the individual needs of students, thereby helping the individual to develop his/her maximum potentials… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
- Counseling
Counseling involves a wide range of procedures including advice-giving, support in times of need or trouble, information giving encouragement, and test interpretation. Counseling is perceived as part of the guidance program involving a more personalized process that involves a one – on – one relationship or small groups.
Counseling deals more intensively wit personal and emotional issues, it is very private and confidential… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
Brief History and Development of Guidance and Counseling in Nigeria
Africa communities had always had their own guidance counselors that fitted into their own cultures; usually, guidance counseling was carried out by traditional helpers who help people solve their personal problems (Oken, 1984).
Mankinde (1983) in Idowu (1998) identified these traditional helpers in the various African cultures as Dibia and Ogabfu amongst the Igbos, Babalawo amongst the Yorubas, Uzenakpo amongst the Ibibios, and Obozi amongst the Tive – Igalas in Nigeria. (Across Africa, Bugisu – Ugandas) calls them Omufunmu, Tanzania use Nganga and Malagsy says its Sikidy… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
In conducting this research, a questionnaire has been designed to help the researchers acquire the needed information. The questionnaire has sections A, B, C, and D, section ‘A’ contains students’ information, section ‘B’ contains subjects offered in the schools, while section ‘D’ contains career choice and aspiration of students.
Population of the Study
The population of this study is secondary school in Odeda Local Government Area … (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
In this chapter, the result of the investigations is presented. The data collected was analyzed using the frequency distribution table and simple percentage.
Presentation of Data
Table 1: Distribution According to Career Choice of Female Students.
| Careers | Frequency | Percentage |
| Teaching and related professions | 55 | 27.5 |
| Health and related professions | 64 | 32 |
| Engineering | 30 | 15 |
| Law | 20 | 10 |
| Business and related professions | 20 | 10 |
| Others | 11 | 5.5 |
| Careers | 200 | 100 |
In other to find out the career choice of the students, the respondents were asked whether they had decided on a career they hope to pursue in future. 98% of the students responded positively, while the remaining 2% indicate they had not decided on any career… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
Discussions
An encouraging development covered by the study was the high level of education of parents. This could be attributed to the growing awareness among parents and the populace that education is a vehicle for rapid social and economic development. This also revealed why there is no clash of interest between the students and their parents on the issue of career choice.
This is an agreement with the fact that a very high educational attainment on the part of parents brought about awareness which results into freedom for the students to choose a career different from their parents, and as a result acceptance of that career choice by the parents… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
Summary
This research is derided into five chapters, chapter one contains the background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research question, significance of the study, scope, and delimitation. Chapter Two is a review of related literature where we look at the various works done by other scholars who are directly or indirectly related to this work.
Conclusion
It has been established in this study that science and medical professions were more sought careers by the students. In this aspect, even female students are not left out at all. There are no many differences between careers sought for, by female and male students. This development as earlier pointed out is a welcomed one especially in the area where this study had been conducted. It was also observed that most of the student chooses the base of their career on personal interest and ability… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
Recommendations
As a country Nigeria is blessed with children that possess diverse ability .it is the responsibility of the country to harness these talents. One of the ways of harnessing these talents is through qualitative education because no nation can rise above the quality and strength of it is the educational system, a great economy demands great education systems. It is in the realization of these needs that the following suggestion and recommendations are made.
Students shall be properly guided in making the right career choice by the authorities concerned. Qualified teachers should be employed to teach the students in other for them to make their dreams a reality… (Click the Link Below For the Complete Project Material)
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