Guidance Needs of Hearing Impaired Students and Their Perceptions of Guidance Services in the Wa School for The Deaf, Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the guidance needs of hearing impaired students of the Wa School for the Deaf, and the services that are available to them. Descriptive survey design was used for the research. A total of 163 students were included in the study using the census method. Data were collected using questionnaire and analysed using means and standard deviations, independent samples t-test and One-Way ANOVA. The findings revealed that guidance services were a priority in the school. The respondents also knew of the existence of a counselling unit but their knowledge and awareness of the availability of the school counsellor was lacking. The study also found that the respondents perceived guidance services to be necessary and transformational for students in the school. Regarding the educational guidance needs of the students, the study showed that the students had difficulty retrieving from memory during examinations and also had difficulty preparing for examinations. In terms of vocational guidance needs, it was found that the respondents needed more information about occupations or careers or jobs in their areas of specialization. Concerning the personal-social guidance needs, the study showed that the respondents expressed the need to understand more about themselves. On the basis of the findings, it was recommended that school counsellors in Wa School for the Deaf should increase their visibility to students so that awareness levels of students about their work can be enhanced.