Students' attitudes towards guidance and counseling in public secondary schools in Kikuyu division, Kiambu district

Abstract

This study examined attitudes among public secondary school students towards guidance and counseling and the challenges faced by the teacher-counselor. Basically, counseling is a learning-oriented process, which occurs, usually in an interactive relationship. In this relationship, one person helps another to understand and solve his/her problems. In Kenya, secondary school students are at the turbulent age of adolescence (13-19 years). This is an age in human development characterized by identity versus role confusion. As such, most secondary school students experience a lot of stress in dealing with this ambiguous stage in life. The student is therefore in danger of forming maladaptive behavior if he fails to achieve the desired goals. Effective counseling, especially in institutions of learning, has now become important. Counseling should empower students to participate fully in, and benefit from the economic and social development of the nation. Most students want to communicate with people who can help them. In schools, students are advised to seek help from the teacher-counselor. However, the work of a teacher-counselor in our present education system is very challenging. The objectives of the study were to determine the attitudes of secondary school students towards seeking guidance and counseling services in secondary schools. To establish whether boys and girls have different attitudes towards seeking guidance and counseling services in secondary school; to determine students perception of guidance and counseling in their schools and to determine problems faced by guidance and counseling department in secondary schools in Kikuyu Division