Florence M. ItegiThaddaeus O. RugarNjeri, Muriuki Rose2022-04-282022-04-282021http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/23684A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Education Administration in the Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, Kenyatta University, December, 2021Guidance and counseling are crucial and the most effective method of maintaining school discipline. Guidance and counseling in most Kenyan schools are not effective as evidenced by the many cases of indiscipline in the schools, meaning that it has not been properly managed. The principal as the chief architect of the school is mandated to oversee the guidance and counseling department. This implies that the success or failure of the department is determined by the management practices carried out by the school head. The purpose of this study was to “find out how management practices influence guidance and counseling in secondary schools in Migwani sub-county, Kitui County”. The objectives of the study were to determine the influence of appointment procedures of guidance & counselling department heads on the implementation of G & C in secondary schools; to Establish the influence of guidance and counselling facilities & resources on the implementation of guidance and counselling in secondary schools; to determine the influence of teacher counsellors’ skills levels on the implementation of guidance and counselling in secondary schools; and to assess the influence of guidance and counseling programs on the Implementation of guidance and counseling services in secondary schools in Migwani sub-county, Kitui County. The study was guided by Getzels and Guba theory (1957), who saw a school as a social system with a normative and idiographic dimension where the institution and individual worker interact to bring the observed behavior. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The study targeted all the 42 public secondary schools in the Migwani sub-county, from where samples of 10 (23.8%) schools were selected using a random sampling technique. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used for data collection. The test-retest method was used to determine the reliability of research instruments. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation. Data analysis was done using SPSS 20. The results were presented in charts, frequency tables, and graphs and qualitative data organized into themes and categories pertinent to study objectives. The findings showed that the principals played a significant role in appointing and recruiting the head of guidance and counseling but, some teachers were appointed without any skills and knowledge on guidance and counseling; thus, affecting the delivery of G&C efficiently. It was also found that teacher counselors have teaching workloads that hinder their service delivery. The study further found that some schools lacked facilities such as counseling rooms and reference materials; thus, hampering effective counseling service delivery. Besides, some schools lacked formal guidance and counseling program. It was; therefore, recommended that TSC should ensure that all teachers who are appointed to the position of head of guidance and counseling department first get the necessary skills; a similar counseling program should be implemented in all public schools. The school principals should ensure all facilities and resources required for efficient delivery of guidance and counseling are available. It was also recommended that students should be sensitized about the importance of guidance and counseling.enInfluencePrincipal's Management PracticesImplementationGuidance and Counselling ProgrammePublic Secondary SchoolsMigwaniKitui CountyKenyaThesis