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UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA

ASSESSING THE GUIDANCE SERVICES AT WESLEY COLLEGE OF
EDUCATION, KUMASI

OSEI KUFFOUR

JANUARY, 2015

ASSESSING THE GUIDANCE SERVICES AT WESLEY COLLEGE OF
EDUCATION, KUMASI

OSEI KUFFOUR
4129170083

A LONG ESSAY SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY AND
EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT OF THE AWARD OF A BACHELOR OF EDUCATION DEGREE IN
GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

JANUARY 2015

DECLARATION
CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this project work is the result of my own original research and that the
sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of
complete references and that no part of it has been presented for another degree in the
University or elsewhere
...

Date: …………………………………
...

Supervisor’s Name: REV
...

Date: …………………………………
...
It is in this direction that I wish to express my heartfelt
appreciation to my supervisor, Very Reverend Eldad Bonney of the Counselling Centre,
University of Educati on, Winneba for his constructive criticisms, suggestions and
support which helped to make this work a success
...
The specific
guidance services under study were Information and Counselling Services
...
The data was then subjected to frequency and
percentage analysis to answer the research questions formulated to guide the study
...
The
guidance programme also faced such problems as some students not knowing the counsellor;
students not being informed about the services available in the college; the counsellor not
keeping some discussions with students confidential; no counselling room; no fixed
counselling schedule; the counsellor not working with other tutors and lack of administrative
support
...
He
could form guidance and counselling committee to help him in his work and also update his
knowledge and skills and put up good attitude in order to attract students for help
...


viii

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Human existence is beset with many problems
...
Apart from the limitedness of means of achieving
life’s objectives there are many negative intervening variables which usually stand in the way of
achieving life’s desires
...


These problems are of various types and grades
...
Yet, there are others concerned with marital, moral, economic,
social and political issues
...
However, there
are others which are beyond lone-self solution range
...
Those who have little confidence in themselves or in others as regards their
ability to solve these problems satisfactorily may resort to supernatural powers
...

These unresolved serious problems may push the victim into a sort of psychological
sickness
...
Such a situation paves the way for unhealthy interpersonal
relationships, reduced productivity in whatever business one is engaged in
...


Most of these cannot be solved by the

citizens themselves
...


This is true of adults as well as

adolescents
...
To
solve their problems effectively, they need the services of the members of the helping
profession; to be precise, the services of qualified professional guidance counsellors
...
Sometimes he may be lucky to come across that person who

2

actually helps him in solving the problems
...

There is therefore, much need for establishing official guidance and counselling units
for offering psychologically sound services much needed for various problem solutions
...

According to Assoah (2007) in the United States of America, George Merrill in
1895, started an experimental career guidance programme at the California School of
Mechanical Arts for students
...
Davis implemented

systematic guidance programmes in public schools in Michigan
...
Parsons in 1908 established a Vocational
Bureau to guide young people seeking jobs and to train teachers to serve as career or
vocational counsellors
...
Consequently, schools
incorporated guidance activities into the curriculum for the purpose of developing skills for
living
...
In 1946, academic
programmes in Guidance and counselling were introduced in the universities
...

legislation provided funds to develop and support

3

In the
This

Guidance and counselling activities in schools and other settings
...
This Act provided
funds to help the states establish and maintain school counselling, testing a n d o t h e r
guidance related services in secondary schools
...
In the 1950s, new theories of
counselling were introduced and used for counselling students and other categories of
people
...

In Ghana, the Ministry of Labour, Social Welfare and Education established a Youth
Employment Department to offer career guidance to middle school leavers in 1955
...
R
...
U
...

The C
...
D
...
made the first attempt to introduce cumulative record cards in first cycle
institutions (Assoah, 2007)
...
He agitated for the establishment of guidance and counselling in
secondary schools and also gave public lectures on the need to introduce guidance and
counselling services in schools
...
In 1976, the Institute of Educational Planning and
Administration (I
...
P
...
) of the University of Education, Winneba organized eight-week
intensive in-service training for selected teachers in guidance and counselling to enable them
function as guidance co-coordinators (Pecku, 1991)
...
It was in this year that the University of Ghana established a counselling centre for
students
...


The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and

Technology also established a counselling centre for her students in 1993
...

This university later introduced sandwich Masters in Guidance and Counselling in the year
2006
...
With the introduction
of guidance and counselling courses at University of Education to complement the effort of
the University of Education, Winneba in training guidance counsellors it is evident that
Guidance and Counselling has come to stay in Ghana (Taylor & Buku, 2006)
...
However, the students face several problems for which reason guidance and
counselling is needed but partially provided
...
There is no confidentiality as counselling sessions are held either under
trees, the Assembly Hall or in the counsellor’s home
...
The guidance co-ordinator is a member of the
disciplinary committee
...

Some of the training college students are adults but most of them are adolescents
...
Young people
of every generation have seemed radical, unnerving and different from adults
...

The problems of Wesley College Students are so many
...
The adult
students usually have families and therefore have financial responsibilities toward them
...


In the college, students seek their own solutions (which may be

inappropriate) to problems because of the problems with the guidance and counselling
programme in the school
...


6

Statement of the Problem
Wesley College will soon attain tertiary status
...
They could be better off than they are today
...
There is therefore the need to investigate into the
guidance problems of the college
...


Identify the problems of the guidance and counselling programme in Wesley
College
...
These are the problems that the work will seek to
find out
...
Investigate the causes of the problems
...
Recommend the measures for improving upon the Guidance and counselling
services in the college
...
What major problems are faced by the students?
2
...
To what extent do students patronize the guidance programme of the college?

7

4
...
What services are offered by the present guidance programme?

Significance of the Study
The study will be beneficial to the college as it will help to bring out the problems of
the college as far as students and the guidance programme are concerned
...
The college will
soon turn fully tertiary and the college counsellor’s work will be made easier as
most of the problems that make him inefficient will be known
...
They will now be happy to go for counselling knowing
that their problems will be solved
...


It looks at the guidance

programme that already exists as to the problems of the programme and what can be done
to improve it
...
The study concentrates on only two guidance
services (counselling and information services)
...


There may be some of the students within the sample who either did not know the

college counsellor at all or had not interacted with him
...

2
...

3
...

4
...


Definition of Terms
The following definitions are provided to facilitate an understanding of the terms used
throughout the study
...

COUNSELLING: A process by which a troubled person is helped to feel and behave in a
more personally satisfying manner through interaction with an uninvolved person (the
counsellor)
...
COLLEGE COUNSELLOR: A person
9

appointed by the college to attend to the guidance and counselling needs of the students
...

EARLY/YOUNG ADULT: One whose age lies between 23 and 35 years
...
The review is organized
under three main headings namely, introduction, theoretical framework and empirical
review
...
The theoretical
framework gives the conceptual framework of the issue (guidance services) under study and
its related areas
...

It proceeds from broad to focus
...
Before the Review of
Related Literature, chapter one (Introduction) had dealt with

areas such as the

background of the study, purpose of the study, research questions, significance of the
study, delimitation, limitations, definition of terms and organization of the rest of the study
...
It covers sub-headings such as research
design, population, sample and sampling procedure, research instrument, data collection
procedure and data analysis plan
...
The accessible population was Wesley College of Education
...
A Likert type was
designed and used to collect data for the research
...

For the method of analysis, the four-scale questionnaire was collapsed into two namely,
‘True’ and

10

‘Not True’
...


Chapter four (Results and Discussions) presents the results with their discussions using the
research questions
...
Implications were drawn from the findings as well
...
The
summary gives the overview of the research problem and methodology
...
The conclusions were based on the results of the study
...
Suggestions for further research were
also added
...
The traditional
society provided certain services which could be termed guidance
...


Such assistance it seems was offered in times of crisis, therefore making it crisis oriented
...
It was neither structured nor systematic
...
With the passage of time, however, attempts have
been made to provide systematic guidance and counselling in schools and colleges
...
Whether people who lived
years ago faced more serious problems than people today is highly debatable
...


The giving of professional assistance has become an accepted and vital part in our
society
...

During the past half century, a new movement designed to give professional assistance to
the young people in schools and colleges has improved and developed
...


12

In the view of Meek (as cited in Makinde, 1990), guidance in the colleges has become
necessary due to the greater complexity of modern living
...

Guidance should, therefore, aim at correction of maladjustment
...
This is because guidance is part and parcel of the education system, (Gibson &
Mitchell, 1995)
...
If this all important programme had been fused into
the educational programme, it could have prevented many delinquent problems in the
training colleges
...
They
want to be autonomous, free and independent of the adult control; an attempt by the
adult to suppress these, give rise to resentment, uprising and confrontation with adults
...
He also battles with the problems of growing up
alone
...
An
adolescent must know what he can do in order to know who he is
...
The young adults may still be ignorant about
how to deal with family pressures which they experience (Chauhan, 2002)
...
There
is therefore, the need for a programme which will help identify the various groups derived
from various cultures and backgrounds and provide their various needs
...


In addition to facts already discussed, the training college curriculum is subject
matter oriented as well as practical oriented
...
To such
students, there is emotional stress which should be properly handled through subject tutors
and the counsellor co-operation
...


To help treat this chapter very well, there will be a brief discussion on the
following topics
...
The Concept of Guidance
...


14

B
...

C
...

D
...

E
...

F
...

G
...

H
...


Theoretical Review
The Concept of Guidance
Guidance may be defined as professional aid to individuals and small groups in dealing
with commonly recurring personal, educational and vocational needs and problems
(Oladele, 1987)
...


According to Shertzer and Stone (1981), Guidance as a concept denotes the utilization of
a point of view in order to help an individual; as an educational construct, it refers to the
provision of experiences that helps students to understand themselves; and as a service,
it refers to procedures and processes organized to achieve a helping relationship
...
Learning how to solve problems is more important
than the solution of a specific problem
...

Shertzer and Stone, (1981), see Guidance as the process of helping the individual to
understand himself and his environment/world so that he can utilize his potential
...


First is the word “process”
...

The use of the word here denotes that Guidance is not a single event but involves a series of
actions or steps progressing towards a goal
...
Many helping occupations such as Psychiatry, Psychology,
Social work, and the like have as their major purpose the prevention and remediation of
human difficulties
...
Thirdly, the word “individual” refers
to students in the school setting
...


“Guidance services are formalized actions taken by the school to make guidance
operational and available to all students” (Shertzer & Stone, 1981)
...


Educational

guidance

helps

individual

students

to

function

more effectively in

their school
...


16

Vocational guidance is designed to aid the individual in choosing and adapting to a
vocation
...
It
provides the student with an understanding of the world of work (Shertzer & Stone, 1981)
...

Personal/social guidance is aimed at solving students’ social and emotional problems
...
In order to get rid of personal maladjustments such as unhappiness, annoyance,
anger, excessive frustration and many others, students must be helped to cope with problems
and difficulties of the school and the home (Shertzer &Stone, 1981)
...


Orientation or Adaptive Service
Orientation services are provided to help students adjust better in any new environment
(Makinde, 1990)
...
Many of these students
get lost socially and psychologically in their new environment
...
Also the
new environment with its rules, regulations and administrative set up, appears completely
17

different
...


Programmes are drawn up to familiarize them with the overall school situation
...


In schools where there are guidance

coordinators, orientation service enable new students to interact with their guidance
coordinators for the first time (Taylor & Buku, 2006)
...
It is for the purpose of
better understanding of students in order to assist them to understand themselves (Shertzer
& Stone, 1981)
...
It is also a
way of helping an individual to acquire and organize useful information about him
...


Systematic analysis of student’s information permits teachers, counsellors, parents and
school authorities to help students
...


18

Information or Distributive Service
While the appraisal service collects information about the student, the information
service gives information to the students (Shertzer & stone, 1981)
...
When this is done, it enables students to make informed decisions and
choices
...
The service also aims at making feasible
choice in the light of students’ unique characteristics and opportunities
...
Information

service

may

be

educational,

vocational,

social,

recreational, emotional or moral (Olayinka, as cited in Makinde, 1990)
...

According to Pecku (1991), placement starts with information and ends when students
have been able to carry out their plans and have been followed up to find out the progress
they are making
...

According to Miller (as cited in Makinde, 1990), placement occurred in three
phases:
1
...


2
...


3
...


Placement can be vocational, educational or personal/social
...


Consultation Service
This service brings together the guidance coordinator and other people to work with
the student so that they can help him
...

Consultation becomes imperative when the problem of the student has to do with or is
caused by another person
...
The counsellor consults on behalf of the client with the
client’s consent
...


20

Follow-up Service
The follow-up service is a systematic method of finding out how individuals are
getting on in places where they have been placed (Pecku, 1991)
...
Any
mistake and problems that are detected could then be resolved
...
Feedback from follow–up techniques may include mail survey (questionnaire)
personal interview and telephone interview
...
It deals with students who
have left the school either as drop outs or graduates
...
Follow up is also
concerned with the impact of guidance programmes on student
...
Unlike the other services, evaluation
services are not direct services to students or clients, but more for the benefit of school
officials and the community and the guidance programme
...


21

Miller (as cited in Makinde, 1990) is of the opinion that successes cannot be easily
quantified
...
In this way,
it may be quantified for evaluation purposes
...
Pecku (1991) observes that
counselling is a person to person relationship
...
It has been described as the core of all guidance services
...
To
Makinde (1990), counselling is a service designed to help an individual analyze his
capabilities, achievement, interests and mode of judgments in relation to new decisions he
has made or has to make
...
As a process, counselling goes on over a period of
time
...
As a relationship, it involves face to face interaction between the
counsellor and the counsellee
...
It is more intimate and
more confidential than guidance
...


22

The Role/Responsibilities of the College Counsellor
Different groups of people seem to hold different views on what the college
counsellor’s role should be
...

Shertzer and Stone (1981) and Miller (as cited in Makinde, 1990), are of the view
that the college counsellor’s role includes counselling students on matters of selfunderstanding, decision making and planning
...
They also play the role of understanding and using
information about students
...
Shertzer and Stone
(1981) noted that the counsellor has responsibilities towards students, staff, parents
(guardians), the community and his or her profession
...


Demonstrating respect for worth, dignity and quantity and quality of student
human right
...


Showing concern for and assisting in the planning of the student’s educational,
career, personal and social development
...


Aiding the student in self-evaluation, self-understanding and self-direction
enabling him to make decisions consistent with the immediate and long range goals
...
Assists students in developing healthy habits and positive attitudes and values
...
Assisting students in understanding their strengths and weaknesses, interest, values,
potentials and limitations
...


Contributes
administrators

to

curriculum

development

and

c o -operates

with

and teachers in the refinement of methods for individual learning
...
Contributes to the development of flexible curriculum to provide meaningful
education for each student
...
Utilizes modern technology and

para-professional

personnel

to disseminate

educational and career information
...


Assists in research related to students’ needs by conducting studies related to the
improvement of educational programmes and services
...


Makes discreet and professional use of information and shares information during
conferences
...


Shares with parents and guardians information related to student and interprets
pertinent data about the counsellee’s academic record and progress
...


Interprets the guidance programme of the school to the parent or guardian and
familiarizes him with the guidance service available
...


Involves the parent/guardian in the guidance activities within the school
...
The
coordinator works in conjunction with these agencies for the benefits of the
student
...


Must have an understanding of his own characteristic and their effect on
counselling
...


Is aware of his level of professional competence and present it accurately to others

3
...


4
...


Counselling Adolescents
Hall (as cited in Santrock, 2005) referred to the adolescent years as a time of “storm
and stress”
...
The adolescent may be nasty to appear one
moment and kind the next moment
...
Freud (as cited in Santrock, 2005) described adolescent as sexually
driven and conflicted
...
It occurs roughly between the ages of twelve and twenty
...
Adults describe this period as
a period of body contour and stature resembling that of an adult (Meek, as cited in
Makinde, 1990)
...


Biological, refers to that span of a young person’s life between the obvious onset of
puberty and the completion of bone growth
...


sociological, r e f e r r e d t o

as the transitional

period

from

d e p e n d e n t childhood to self – sufficient adulthood
...
psychological, referred to as a “marginal situation” in which new adjustments have to
be made namely, those that distinguish child behaviour from adult behaviour in a
given society
...
Biological changes at
puberty clearly differentiate in physical development of males and females
...


26

The growth hormone and gonadotrophic hormones initiate change that result in the
individual reaching his/her full physical size and sex maturation
...

In terms of social and emotional development, associated with puberty are the
problem of sexual identity and a person’s perceptions of self (self- esteem)
...

Adolescents are concerned about how the opposite sex perceives the other so both boys
and girls worry about pimples, their figure etc
...
They want to belong and to be accepted
...
This coupled with the high energy level during adolescence make it
imperative that young people channel their energy and interest constructively
...
From the point of view of
Piaget, the adolescent reasons in more abstract, idealistic and logical ways
...
g
...
Adolescents are no longer satisfied with being told what to
do
...
They may, therefore, challenge or rebel
(Dulcan, 1997)
...
Another aspect of
cognitive development that changes during adolescence is reasoning about moral issue
...
This may lead to increased religious activity
and sometimes some fanaticism
...
Certain needs are
accentuated, and a series of development task must be mastered properly
...

There is a wide variation in the age at which an adolescent’s growth spurt start and
end when puberty takes place; adolescents become pre-occupied with their looks and are
often dissatisfied with how they look
...
Therefore in
order for an adolescent to adjust and overcome the needs, the counsellor must assist the
individual to accept himself/herself emphasizing on uniqueness and individual differences
...
This will make
the adolescent understand why somebody can do something she cannot do and also she
does something uniquely
...
Hormonal imbalances in adolescents could lead to mood
swings and the counselor should assure the adolescent that it is transitional and will
not stay with him/her permanently
...

The child comes to know about sex from the early age
...
Puberty triggers off an interest in the opposite sex
...
It is therefore the role of the counsellor to assist them to understand such biological
changes
...


Stanley Hall perceives adolescence as a turbulent time charged with conflict and mood
swings (Hall, as cited in Santrock, 2005)
Morgan (as cited in Chauhan, 2002) emphasizing the importance of emotions writes
that emotions are basic, primeval forces of great power and influence , designed by nature
to enable the organism to cope with circumstances which demand the utmost effort for
survival or success, or to “add colour and spice to living”
...
The counsellor should assure the adolescent of the emotional support of their
parents, teacher and guardians
...


29

As adolescence and emerging adulthood unfold, achievement takes on a more
central role in development, work becomes a major aspect of life, and a stronger interest in
careers emerges (Santrock, 2005)
...
What they will do after school haunts
their mind especially when they see thousands of adolescents unemployed
...
The adolescent must
also be helped to understand the competitive nature of education today and know that
his/her

achievements

will

determine

the educational programme he/she can pursue
...
Adolescents
should also be assisted by the counsellor to develop positive attitudes of human relations
...
Through counseling, adolescents should be assisted to access scholarship
and other source of finance toward their education and career development
...
The adolescent is engaged in
many activities which involve money yet some feel shy of asking for it from their parents
...


Counsellors should assist adolescents to spend within their means
...
Adolescents should be helped to distinguish
their needs from their wants so that they can depend on the little resources available
...
Thus, adult in the British law is
someone over 18years old and capable of paying the admission fee but children get into
school free of charge
...

According to Gould (as cited in Parrillo, 2008), the central goal of young adulthood
(18 to 30 years) is establishing a primary relationship in an occupation and in an
appropriate social milieu
...
People may experience a mid – life crisis when success in one area of
life leaves them feeling unfulfilled and ready for a decisive shift of career or life style
...
Counselling adults will therefore help them get their
focus well set and prevents embarrassment and stress
...
These are:
1
...
Substance abuse and depression
...
Anxiety, stress, panic attacks and fear
...
Guilt, shame and post-traumatic stress disorders
...
Relationship difficulties and marital problems
...
HIV/AIDS and STI cases, etc
...
These services
include the following:
1
...
Appraisal/testing
...
counselling (helping process)
...
Recording, placement, follow-up, referral/research and evaluation
...
Diagnosis and recommendations

32

Categories of Counselling for Adults
Adults (young adults, middle-age, and older adults) have their counselling needs,
therefore, adults counselling is best approached by counsellors when they are able to
classify adult

needs

into

personal

and

social

counselling,

crisis

counselling,

vocational/career counselling, and academic/educational counselling
...
These problems have to do with emotional disturbances
...
Adults w i t h H I V /AIDS a n d S T I p r o b l e m s w h e r e i s o l a t i o n , n e g l e c t ,
depression and hopelessness are featured
...
Adult survivors of child abuse
...
The various types of crisis could be described as:
1
...

2
...
Accident victims like fire disaster with deformities and incapable to work
...
Adults with grief and bereavement for example, where one’s parents and siblings die
or financial support is disrupted by sudden death of parents or guardian: sickness and
treatment of incurable disease
...
Loss of position, job or esteem, etc
...
Therefore, adults in crisis will need counselling
...
They may need help to understand their interest and abilities through
accurate and reliable information about the world of work, the world of education,
employability skills and decision making skills
...
It
involves counselling the gifted, talented, handicapped and average learners in resolving
various types of academic problems
...
This means, educating him/her towards becoming a
cultivated individual on a life activity, which will be socially useful and personally
satisfying
...

We also have people with special problems who are discriminated and are not given
education
...
They also
have counselling needs which have to be met
...
It was also found that the termination rate for AsianAmerican blacks, Chicanos and Indians was 50% after the first interview, this compared
with a fair termination percentage rate for Anglo clients (Sue, 1990)
...

The issues related to counselling women are many and varying from sex
discrimination and sex role stereotyping to career choice and support services for women
combining profession and

family roles especially for those re-entering the work force
...
Sexist attitudes have permeated in social, religious and educational institutions
...
Women throughout history
have been socialized to relate in traditionally feminine ways
...

Since career decisions are made by many women during high school, interventions
must begin in the early years (Chusovir, 1983 as cited in Parrillo,
2008)
...
Additionally, they must design interventions that help

35

young girls develop positive self-concepts
...


Characteristics of Effective Guidance Programme
According to Shertzer and Stone (1981) all guidance programmes must have the
following characteristics to make it more effective:
1
...

2
...


3
...

4
...

5
...

6
...

7
...

Any lapses in any of the above characteristics render the guidance programme in the school
less effective
...
Someone must help these students adjust to
school life
...
Those who have moved
from a village to a town have more difficulty getting used to the school and the new town at
the same time
...
This is usually taken care of through orientation
...
Teachers and heads of institutions formed the population for the study
...

Earlier studies conducted by Sowah (1984), Affum-Gyan (1992) and Ocansey
(1992), revealed that orientation, counselling, information, consultation, appraisal and
placement services were offered in schools while follow- up and evaluation were not
offered
...
These findings,
therefore, support the fact that teachers and heads of institutions see the need for guidance
services and attempts are made in some schools to institute guidance and counselling
services to help students to adjust to the school situation and make utmost use of their
abilities, interests and ambitions
...
The sample was made up of teachers and students
...

This view is supported by Onumah, in an article published in the “Daily Graphic” of
February 28, 1992 issue, P
...
The
heads are at loggerheads with coordinators because students confide in the latter
...
This of course deters other teachers from showing interest in
the programme
...

Looking at the functions and roles of the guidance and counselling coordinator, it is
imperative for the school coordinator to undergo some form of training
...
Most of the schools made use of interested teachers
...
For their counselling roles, they
would not be specialists, since teaching and guidance should be handled by two persons not

38

one
...

This is due to lack of trained counsellors
...

Factors that Account for the Effectiveness of the Guidance Programme
1
...


2
...

3
...
The absence of these characteristics in the
guidance programme in the schools leads to ineffectiveness in the programme
...
He also delved
into the factors that account for the ineffectiveness of the services and whether teachers,
headmasters and students see the need for the establishment of guidance services in the
schools
...
Questionnaires and interview guides were used in
collecting the data
...


The findings were consistent with the view of Onumah (1992), who stated that the lack of
qualified personnel, lack of funds, and lack of offices and heavy work load of coordinators
are the main problems hindering the effective running of guidance services in the schools
...


Lack

of

furniture, lack of understanding the of guidance programme by students, lack of offices
and heavy work load on coordinators account for the ineffectiveness of the programmes
...


In the same vein, a study was carried out by Bondah (1996) in secondary schools in the
Assin District of Ghana
...
The study was
to find out the existence and effectiveness of guidance and counselling programmes in the
schools in the area
...


The findings revealed that the ineffectiveness of the programme in schools is due to
financial problems, lack of coordinators and in some cases ignorance of the existence of
such a programme
...
All these findings are in line with views expressed by Shertzer
and Stone (1981) and other earlier studies conducted on guidance and counselling services
in schools
...
Some see the home as the source of their emotional problems
...
The resultant effect is that the individual’s behavior and attitude to school
work or activities are adversely affected
...

A study was conducted by Awabil (2002) on the Guidance needs of senior
secondary students in the Bulsa and Kasena-Nankana Districts of Upper East Region
(Ghana)
...

Forde (1999) also conducted a study on the self-perceived personal and social
worries of Ghanaian adolescents, using six senior secondary schools in the Greater Accra
Region
...
It also came to light that the frequency of
the expressed worries was inversely related to the adolescent’s socio-economic background
...
To alleviate this problem, there is the need to cater for
personal, educational and vocational needs of the adolescent
...
This is one of the most important student personnel
services which are to be provided in the school
...
The various problem areas identified
include: the adolescent’s desire for independence which sometimes results in conflict and
friction with adults, the problems of young adults and the heterogeneous nature of the
college population which calls for attention to deal with individual differences
...

Guidance has three main components which are educational guidance, vocational
guidance and personal or social guidance
...

The role of the school counsellor is seen in his responsibilities to the student, the
staff, parent or guardian, the community and the counsellor’s own profession
...
Any lapses in any of them, renders the guidance programme less effective
...
Reasons for the absence of guidance and counselling
programmes in schools include teacher’s lack of interest in the programme and their failure
to attend courses on guidance and counselling even when the opportunity was created
...

The roles and functions of the guidance coordinator points to the fact that the
counsellor should be trained personnel and should have the skills and techniques of
handling the programme
...

Ineffectiveness of the services can also be attributed to the lack of qualified
personnel, lack of funds and lack of offices among others
...

Using the review of related literature, as a guide therefore, it is necessary to
outline the guidance and counselling programme as they pertain to Wesley College
...


43

CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter is solely concerned with the research methodology that the researcher
used to collect data about the study
...


Research Design
The study was a descriptive design and the strategy was a simple survey
...
Descriptive research thus
involves collecting data in order to test hypothesis or answer research questions
...
This write up seeks to
describe and document the guidance and counselling situation as it naturally occurs in
Wesley College of Education
...
The researcher has to go
further to draw conclusions from the data being described
...

According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007), simple survey asks
questions and reports answers about the status of something (phenomena)
...
The data collected using the
survey strategy can be used to suggest possible reasons for particular relationships between
two variables
...
The researcher needs to ensure
that the sample is representative, designing and piloting the data collection instrument and
trying to ensure a good response rate
...
The data collected by survey is
unlikely to be as wide–ranging as those collected by other research strategies (Saunders,
Lewis & Thornhill, 2007)
...
Only second year students were chosen because the third year students were on
the one year internship (out) programme and therefore were outside the campus
...
First years
were also too fresh to be able to provide the needed information
...
The sample was drawn from the various programmes
(General, French and Science) without considering gender
...
Since the
college is a Science and

45

French institution, General students were few
...


Table 1: Distribution of Students Chosen by Programmes
Programme

Number of

Number sampled

% of sample

Students
General

87

50

25

French

108

63

31
...
5

Total

344

200

100

Sampling Procedure
The stratified random sampling was used
...
In using the lottery method, a list of all the students in a particular programme
(second year) was obtained and the names were numbered
...
The pieces of paper were mixed very well and picked one at a
time from the container without looking into it
...
The
process was repeated for all the programmes
...
The first section dealt with the personal or biographical data of
respondents such as age, sex, programme, level and marital status
...
The scale
was weighted

1, 2, 3 and 4 representing ‘Not At All True’,’ Not True’,’ True’ and

‘Very True’ respectively
...
Information on all these areas was collected
to help assess the Guidance programme so far as information and counselling services
offered in the college are concerned
...

The instrument was pilot tested at Offinso College of Education using thirty students and
their college counsellor
...
84
...
Copies of the
questionnaire can be seen in Appendix I and II
...
It was administered within
a day
...

Students who fell into the sample were gathered at the college’s Assembly Hall and
47

briefed on the researcher’s intention to administer the questionnaire
...
The purpose of the study was also
explained to them before the questionnaire was administered
...
The f r e q u e n c i e s and percentages
on the total (200) were then computed
...
Not At All True and Not True became Not
True while True and Very True became true
...


48

CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
This chapter deals with the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data collected with
reference to the research questions
...
In presenting the results, the multiple categories of the four
point Likert scale has been combined into two categories, that is Not True (Not At All
True and Not True) and True (True and Very True)
...
Twenty (20)
students (10%) were between were between twenty-five (25) and thirty-five (35) years
...
The ages indicate that most of the students were
between late adolescence and young adulthood with a few of them being adults
...
There were also
88 females, representing 44% of the total
...
The
reason for the males out-numbering females is that the college is a Science and
French institution
...

The general class has been maintained in Wesley College of Education because of visually
impaired students
...
5)

33 (16
...
5)

43 (21
...
5)

17(8
...
5)

15 (7
...
5)

32 (16)

3 (1
...
5)

35 (17
...
5)

72 (36)

True

I know who the
counsellor is
At orientation
students are
informed about
the services
The college
counsellor can
freely be
approached
The counsellor
keeps discussions
with students
confidential
The counsellor
counsels in his
office
...
5)

4 (2)

200 (100)

place under trees
The counsellor

101(50
...
5)

9 (4
...
5)

200 (100)

113 (56
...
5)

15 (7
...
5)

4 (2)

200 (100)

70 (35)

58 (29)

48 (24)

14 (7)

10 (5)

200 (100)

15 (7
...
5)

136 (68)

200 (100)

meets students
for counselling at
the Assembly Hall
I am aware of the
counsellor’s
schedule
The counsellor
works with other
members of staff
The counsellor
interacts well with
everybody

50

Research Question One: What major problems did Guidance and
Counselling face in the college?
The responses to the Research Question have been provided in Table 2
...

True and Very true have also been collapsed into True
...
One hundred and thirtysix students representing 68% said they did not know the counsellor
...
To
the item that asked whether the counsellor is affable or not, 30 students’ constituting
15% said it was not true,
46 (23%) said it is True but a whopping 124 (62%) of the respondents were undecided
(Missing System)
...
As to
whether or not the counsellor kept discussions confidential, it was almost a 50/50response
since 100 (50%) responded Not True and 97 (48
...
Majority of
the respondents (64%) circled Not True to the item that said the counsellor counsells in his
office
...
Also, 128 (64%) of the respondents indicated that it
was not true that the counsellor works with other tutors
...


The set of findings here was that the counsellor was not a professional; most of the
students did not know the counsellor; students were not informed about the guidance
programme in the college; the counsellor did not keep some discussions confidential; no
counselling office/room; heavy work-load of the counsellor; no fixed time schedule for
counselling; the counsellor not working with other tutors and lack of support from the
administration
...
It is also the view of Shertzer and stone (1981) that the
roles and functions of the school guidance co- ordinator need special skills and expertise
...
The counsellor of Wesley College

additionally teaches the schedule that every tutor in his department teaches, serves as the
chaplain of the college, pastors a church outside the campus, serves on the disciplinary
committee and also serves as the electoral commissioner of the college
...
The lack of patronage may be due to some of the problems mentioned
above such as the counsellor not keeping discussions confidential and counselling
taking place under trees and in the counsellor’s house in the full glare of his family
...


Table 3: How Students Patronized the Guidance Programme
Item

Not At All

Not True

True

True
Freq (%)
I need to talk to a

Very

Missing

Total

T rue
Freq (%)

Freq (%)

Freq (%)

Freq (%)

Freq (%)

26 (13)

46 (23)

66(33)

58 (29)

4(2)

200 (100)

34(17)

57 (28
...
5)

36 (18)

2 (1)

200 (100)

73 (36
...
5)

48(24)

20 (10)

2 (1)

200 (100)

86 (43)

72 (36)

19 (9
...
5)

200 (100)

Counsellor
...

Guidance and
counselling can
help me solve my
Problems
...


53

Research Question Two: To what extent did students patronize the guidance
programme of the college?
The responses to the research question are presented in Table 3
...
In Table 3, 62% (124) of the students responded that it
was true that they needed to see the counsellor
...


Ninety-one (91)

constituting 45% of the students answered Not True but 107 (53
...
An overwhelming majority (158 or 79%) of the respondents said it was Not True that
they read information pasted by the college counsellor
...
All
these confirm the views of earlier writers that the ignorance of students about the existence
of the programme (Bondah, 1996) and lack of understanding of the programme (Ocansey,
1992) are some of the factors responsible for the ineffectiveness of the programme
...
5)

34 (17)

9 (4
...
5)

7 (3
...

The
counsellor’s
office has
furniture,
computer
and
books
...

Not At All True has been subsumed under Not True, just as Very True has been
subsumed under True
...
Majority of the respondents (75
...
Overwhelmingly, 172 respondents constituting 86% also said it
was Not True that the counsellor has furniture, computer and books
...
5%) of the
students said it was True
...
It has already been stated that the
counsellor had no office
...
Counselling took place either under
trees, at the Assembly Hall or in the counsellor’s house
...
Since the counsellor
tripled as a tutor and the chaplain of the college, he used chaplaincy money to work on the
few seminars that he was able to organize
...
For instance, the counsellor has no
office, furniture, forms, computer and books
...


The lack of facilities may be due to the counsellor’s

inadequate academic and professional background in counselling

and

the

administration’s poor attitude towards guidance and counselling
...
Abem (2007) also agrees

that

important cause of the programmes ineffectiveness
...
5)

17 (8
...
5)

24 (12)

14 (7)

3 (1
...
5)

73(36
...
5)

14 (7)

3 (1
...
5)

30 (15)

15 (7
...

organizes
talks on HIV
and AIDS
...
5)

59(29
...
5)

20 (10)

7 (3
...
5)

62 (31)

26 (13)

9(4
...

Students
receive
information
on
substance
abuse
...

For the purpose of the discussion, Not At All True has been added to Not True as Not
True and Very True has been added to True as True
...
Majority (153 or 76
...
5% of them responded that it was True
...
5% circled Not True for the fact that the counsellor
organized talks on HIV/AIDS for the students
...
For instance,

Very little information was given to

159 respondents, representing 79
...
A whooping 160 (80%) of the
students chose Not True to the item that stated that the counsellor provided information on
further studies
...
From the foregoing, it can be seen that very
little was done in the provision of Information and Counselling services
...
This means, very little information
was provided
...


In terms of counselling, very few students went to see the counsellor for
Olayinka, as

cited

by Makinde ( 1990) h a s s t a t e d t h a t

i n f o r m a t i o n s e r v i c e m a y b e e d u c a t i o n a l , vocational, social, recreational,
emotional or moral
...


59

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter deals with the summary of the study and conclusion drawn from the
findings
...


Summary
The purpose of this study was to assess the guidance and counseling services as they
were practiced in Wesley College of Education, Kumasi
...
The study aimed at finding the guidance
and counselling situation in the college
...
Thirty – item questionnaires for students and also for the counsellor
were designed to answer the following questions:
1
...
What major problems do guidance and counselling face in the college?
3
...
What facilities are there for the counsellor to work with?
5
...
Guidance and counselling faced problems such as some of the students not knowing who
the counsellor is; students not being told about the guidance programme of the college; the
counsellor not keeping discussions confidential; the counsellor not working with other
tutors and lack of support from the college administration
...
Students did not patronize the little guidance service offered
...
There were no facilities for the counsellor to work with
...
Counselling was held either at the college’s
Assembly Hall, in the counsellor’s home or under trees
...


The few seminars organized were the only ways the counsellor used to give
information to students
...


Conclusions
From the findings it can be realized that students of Wesley College had various
problems that needed to be solved
...


be

obtained through

However, t h e guidance

programme was bedeviled with so many problems
...
The problems must definitely be worked
on
...
This
can be done in the form of a survey
...

Students should be encouraged to take advantage of the guidance programme in
order to better their lot
...
They
need to be informed properly at the orientation
...

There should be guidance and counselling committee in place to see to the planning
and implementation of the guidance and counselling programme
...
This strategy will bring other tutors on board and also reduce the burden of the
counsellor
...
Some allowance should also be given to motivate him to work
...
This is one way
Of encouraging students to patronize the programme
...

It was found that majority of the students seemed not to have interaction with
the counsellor
...
Such
inform ation will hel p students to m ake i nform ed choices
...
Such
workshops or seminars will help the counsellors to update their knowledge and skills
and boost their confidence in handling students’ problems
...
It will compel the administrators to pay attention to
meeting the emotional needs of the students as well
...
It was based on the responses of the students of only one college in
the Ashanti Region of Ghana (Wesley College of Education)
...
The study could
have been

extended to involve at least two colleges in each region
...

63

Further study can be done in the other services of guidance
...


g u i d a n c e s e r v i c e s ( information a n d

The o t h e r s

include

counselling

orientation, consultation, placement,

a p p r a i s a l , referral, follow-up and evaluation services
...
(2007)
...
A case study of the Kasena-Nankana and Bulsa Districts of the Upper
East Region
...
Ed
...

Affum-Gyan, K
...
An educative study of guidance and counselling programmes in
selected second cycle schools in Birim South District
...
Ed
...

Anyimah, S
...
An investigation of guidance and counselling programmes
in the Sefwi District of Western Region
...
Ed
...

Awabil, G
...
Guidance needs of senior secondary school students in the Bulsa and
Kasena–Nankana Districts of Upper East Region (Ghana)
...

Assoah, S
...
(2007)
...
Kumasi: Saviour
Printing Press
...
W
...
Child study and guidance and counselling services
...


Bondah, E
...
(1996)
...
Unpublished
master’s thesis, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast
...
M
...
The helping relationship
...
Englewood

Cliffs, N
...
: Prentice Hall Cambridge International Dictionary of English
(1995)
...

Chauhan, S
...
(2002)
...
New Delhi: Vikas
...

(1997)
...
Journal of the American
Academy of

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 36 ( 10 Suppl): 85S–121S
...


http://meta
...
com/pt/pt-coretemplate-

journal/lwwgateway/media /landingpage
...
N
...
(1999)
...
Unpublished M
...

thesis, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast
...
L
...
H
...
The development and management of school guidance programme
...
Brown Company
...
(1990)
...
London:
Macmillan Company
...
(1997)
...
Lagos: Vitaman
Educational Books
...
(1981)
...
U
...
A
...
V
...


66

Ocansey, S
...
(1992)
...
Unpublished M
...

Okoye, N
...
(1990)
...
Lagos: Hienemann
Educational Books (Nigeria) Limited
...
(1987)
...
Lagos: Co Service
Limited
...
K
...
Guidance and counselling needed in schools
...
7
...
(2008)
...
SAGE
...
K
...
Accra; Waterville
Publishing
...
J (1980)
...
Chicargo, U
...
A
...

Santrock, J
...
(2005)
...
New York: McGraw-Hill
...
, Lewis, P
...
(2007)
...
Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited
...
, & Stone, C
...
(1981)
...
Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Coy
...
(1984)
...
Unpublished M
...
thesis,
University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast
...
(1983)
...
New York: McGraw-Hill
...
W
...

Taylor, A
...
, & Buku, D
...
(2006)
...
Winneba:
University of Education
Turkson, R
...
A survey of guidance and counselling programmes in some selected
elementary schools in Takoradi
...
Ed
...
It is aimed at finding out
the Guidance and Counselling problems of the college and recommends measures to curb the
problems
...
Please,
carefully read the questions and statements that follow and circle the answer of your
choice
...


SECTION A Personal information
Age : Below 25years [
Female [

]

]

] above 35 [

]

Marital status: Married [ ]
[

25 - 35years [

Second year[

Single [

] Level : First year

]

70

] Sex : Male [

]

SECTION B
Questions
In the ensuing items, you are required to circle either1, 2, 3 or 4 to indicate the extent to
which the statement is true or otherwise
...
Academically, I don’t perform to the

Not

True

True

Very
True

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

3
...


1

2

3

4

4
...


1

2

3

4

5
...
Family problems affect my studies
...
I know who the counsellor is
...
At orientation, students are informed

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

level of my satisfaction
...
I do not know how to learn in order to
obtain good grades
...


about the Guidance and Counselling services
available in the college
...
Guidance and counselling is useful
because they have helped me / a friend to solve a
problem
...
I know that Guidance and counselling
71

can help me solve my problems because I
always see the counsellor when I have a problem
...

11
...
Counselling takes place under trees
...
The counsellor meets students for

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

approached for help
...
The counsellor keeps the discussions
with students confidential
...
The counsellor counsels students in his
office
...

16
...

17
...

18
...

19
...


20
...
I do not have problems on how to study
...
The counsellor interacts freely with

1

2

3

4

further studies provided by the
counsellor
...
The counsellor organizes seminars and
talks on HIV and AIDS
...
The counsellor works with other
members of staff in rendering guidance and
counselling services to students
...
I read information pasted by the
counsellor on the notice boards often
...
The counsellor gives talks on opposite
sex relationship
...
Students receive information on
substance abuse
...
Students are given information on how to
relate well with peers and parents
...
I have problems relating with students in
my dormitory, class and the college as a whole
...


30
...


1

2

3

4

APPENDIX B QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE COUNSELLOR
The following questions are part of an educational study being conducted by a counselling
student of University of Education, Winneba on Wesley College
...
Your responses will help the researcher to draw a clear result of the study
...

Your response will be kept absolutely confidential
...

Statement

Not at
all True

True

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

1
...

2
...

3
...

4
...

5
...

6
...

7
...

8
...

9
...


10
...

11
...

12
...

13
...


14
...

15
...

16
...


17
...
I give talks on human relations
...
The guidance work is done in

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

to h a v e enough time for guidance and
counselling
...
Programmes for students are
Advertised to make them appealing
...
Seminars on drug abuse are
Organized for student
...
The guidance and counselling
Programmes are planned before the
commencement of the semester
...
Students get to know of the
Guidance services available in the school soon
after freshmen have reported to school
...

24
...


25
...


26
...

27
...

28
...

29
...

30
...


in

the guidance



---