School-based factors influencing implementation of guidance and counselling programme in Public primary schools in Kikuyu sub county, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the school-based factors influencing implementation of guidance and counselling programme in public primary schools in Kikuyu Sub County, Kenya. It was guided by four objectives that included; time allocation, school workload for teacher counsellor, gender of teacher’s counsellor and head teacher’s choice of a teacher counsellor. The study adopted descriptive survey research design with the target population teacher counsellors, head teachers and education officers in public primary schools constituting the target population. Purposive and census sampling methods were used to select respondents. Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size estimation table was finally used to get a sample size of 116 respondents. Questionnaires and interviews guides were used to collect data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data. The key findings were; an adequate sentiment was provided for the assertion that counseling programme is allocated time in time table. Majority of the respondents indicated that the teacher counsellor should have a reduced teaching time to accommodate counseling duties. Most of the respondents indicated that the attitude of the head teachers on male teachers as counseling teachers in the school as lukewarm with a few indicating the attitude as negative. The results indicate that most of the respondents suggested that the common criteria of appointing counseling teachers in the school is based on gender, interest in guidance and counseling and religion. The study concluded that workload of teacher counsellor is therefore the predictor variable of implementation of guidance and counseling programme in public primary schools. The study recommended that Schools should set aside adequate time in the time table for guidance and counseling programme in the school. There is need of reducing the teaching workload of counseling teachers to enable them implement guidance and counseling programme effectively in the school. To deal with the stereotype attitude of head teachers on male teachers practicing counseling in the schools, there is need to inculcate the importance of counseling programme to them through seminars and trainings. TSC and Ministry of education should come out with an articulate criteria for the appointment of the schools teacher counsellor to streamline the current confusion in appointment. A suggested area for further research is undertaking a study on school-based factors influencing implementation of guidance and counselling programme in secondary schools.