Assessment of the effectiveness of guidance and counselling services in second cycle schools in the Kwaebibrem District in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Abstract

The underlying objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the School Guidance and Counselling services in second cycle schools in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. Data for the study was obtained through a survey using a questionnaire designed to elicit information on variables of interest. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the student respondents while purposive sampling technique was used to select the counsellors and teachers. In all, 172 respondents were selected, comprising 129 students from all the forms and 43 school counsellors. The analysis was conducted using both descriptive and inferential, particularly chi-square analysis. The empirical estimation of the chi-square regression model revealed that although the SGC services were viewed as beneficial and rated as fair and the school counsellors were effectively playing their role, the services did not match the international benchmark. In addition, the quality of the SGC services in senior high schools is hindered by the lack of both human and material resources. The study suggests there is the need for training and retraining of school teachers and counsellors in SGC services planning needs assessment and evaluation to improve services delivery. This should also be complimented with the provision of adequate resources by the government through the Ministry of Education.