Counselling needs of distance education students of University of Cape Coats, Ghana: a model for effective counselling service delivery.

Abstract

Needs assessment is a pre-requisite for developing a comprehensive and relevant counselling service for students. This study assessed the counselling needs of distance students, focusing on the diploma students of the College of Distance Education (CoDE), University of Cape Coast (UCC). The explanatory sequential mixed methods design was adopted. The population of the study was 36,798 with a sample size of 1115, made up of 1110 respondents and five participants. Out of the 1110 questionnaire administered 1075, was retrieved and used. Purposive, stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.895. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations) and inferential (independent samples t-test and ANOVA) statistics. However, the qualitative data were analysed manually using thematic approach. The study revealed that personal/social and practical needs were of greater concern to students than educational and vocational needs. Majority of the students indicated that non-availability of counsellors at their respective study centres was very challenging. Students differed significantly in their perception of their counselling needs on the basis of age, marital status, programme of study, and academic level, but not gender. The counselling services put in place by the College are not able to adequately meet the needs of the students. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the College’s management should establish counselling offices with professional counsellors in all its regional study centres to provide effective counselling services based on the most important needs of students.