Abstract:
Knowing students’ guidance needs helps counsellors to discharge their
guidance duties more effectively. This paper investigated the guidance needs of teacher
trainees in Colleges of Education in the Volta region of Ghana. The study employed the
concurrent triangulatory mixed methods research design in which both quantitative and
qualitative data were collected from a total of 401 second year teacher trainees (256 males
and 145 females) and three (3) counsellors. Two out of the three counsellors were males.
Data were collected using a 27-item questionnaire, a semi-structured interview and focused
group interviews. The quantitative data were analysed using chi-square statistics while the
qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results showed that the guidance needs of
teacher trainees in Colleges of Education in the Volta region are academic (study habit, how
to further their studies, time management and test anxiety); financial (how to fund their
education and how to handle or use money); social (intimate or boy/girlfriend relationship,
interpersonal relationship); personal (knowing oneself, problem solving, self-control); and
placement (the selection of elective courses, postings, and joining other professions). It was
recommended that college counsellors to undertake regular needs assessment of trainees and
design guidance programmes based on such needs.
