Specific challenges facing guidance and counselling teachers in public secondary schools in Kiambaa division of Kiambu district

Abstract

Cases of students' indiscipline in secondary schools have heightened the government's resolve about the importance of guidance and counseling in secondary schools. There are glaring problems with students characterized by drug and substance abuse, unwanted pregnancies and high school drop outs, rape, wanton destruction of property and arson attacks to mention but a few. There is therefore a big problem with guidance and counseling in our schools. The concern of this study was to find out the specific challenges facing guidance and counseling teachers in public secondary schools in Kiambaa Division of Kiarnbu District. The study focused on the following objectives; to identify the level of counseling training for guidance and counseling teachers, tire case load of guidance and counseling teachers and the personal issues counselors find themselves working through as they offer counseling to students. A descriptive survey design was used in carrying out the study. Stratified randorn sampling was used to select six secondary schools on the basis of type of school (boys', girls' or mixed-gander. Purposive sampling was used to select 42 guidance and counseling teachers. Data was collected using questionnaires for all teacher counselors. Pilot study was conducted to establish the reliability and validity of the instruments of data collection. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) using descriptive statistics frequencies and percentages Frequency distribution tables were used to present the data. It was established that teacher counselors lace a number of' challenges in executing their guidance and counseling functions, which affects the quality of' service offered by this vital department in secondary schools. Through the study, the researcher came tip with recommendations that could be used by policy makers in the ministry of education when formulating guidance and counseling policies for Kenyan schools.