Guidance Needs of Teacher Trainees in Selected Colleges of Education in the Volta Region, Ghana

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.