EFFECTS OF COUNSELING SERVICES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background To The Study

Academic performance of Nigerian secondary school students have been a thing of worry because it degrading in value day in day out and these have being as a result of many factors that have been militating against it and all these abstract factors could be uproot or avoided in order to attain academic excellence through the proper placement of regular and well planned counseling services in our various secondary schools.

Counseling as the third force in education along with instruction, is an integral part of educational system. Counseling programmes for secondary school student are designed to address the physical, emotional, social, vocational and academic difficulties of adolescent students. This is to complement learning in the classroom and also enhance academic performance/achievement of students. Counseling plays a vital role in preventing educational, personal, social, mental emotional and other similar problem among secondary school students.

Ministry of education and principals of schools are aware of the heavy reliance placed on counseling services for most aspect of new 9-3-4 system to actually succeed. These services, counseling services, referral services, evaluation, follow-up, consultancy and research services. As a vital component of any type and any level of education the absence of non utilization of these system, again the third goal of the educational services in the present day school system has led to the unprecedented rise in the crime wave, violence among students, fuelled cultism, wrong career choice, and wrong subject combination among other issues.

Counseling is one of the educational services. Educational services as contained in the National Policy of Education (NPE) (2004) are to “facilitate the implementation of the educational policy, the attainment of policy goals and the promotion of effectiveness of educational services is to “make learning experience more meaningful for children”. Based on these goals, the counseling activities in schools are beneficial because what the counselors working with students in secondary school guide them thoroughly to help them succeed in their educational pursuit.

According to Okobrah and Okorodudu (2006) counseling is encompassed by activities of relevant services and also processes of helping persons within and outside the school, to achieve their full potentialities in their emotional, moral, social, academic and vocational developments. In this paper, the focus is on the achievement of full academic potentials through the proper utilization of the services of counseling programmes in secondary schools.

Counseling according to Akpon (2010) is “an educational service that seeks to provide the school child opportunity to obtain holistic education development that prepares him for functional life.” Ipaye (2000) sees counseling from educational perspective as those experiences that help pupils to understand themselves, accept themselves and live effectively in their society. Esen (2008) says that counseling is aimed primarily at assisting the receiver to discover his own hidden strengths and ultimately grow in independence.He summarizes the definition of counseling as a systematic and organized educational helping service, professionally given by a professionally trained counselor or therapists to a learner of any age, within or outside the school walls at appropriate level. The essence is to assist him understand himself, situation and environment, discover his interests, potentialities and opportunities in life and learn how best to effectively utilize his assets as well as minimize his weaknesses, to live a maximum productive life.

As a result of these definitions by these scholars, counseling therefore is a human oriented programme which is based on helping the individual to define and redefined his goals and aspirations in life pursuits for greater productivity.

In counseling profession, there are many services that the professional counselor renders to the school and the host community.This include vocational education.The educational services in counseling is a serves which takes care of all issues associated with education as they relates to the physical environment of the school, the structural make up of the school, activities within the school. To this end Olayinka (2009) says that academic counseling is assisting student make the most appropriate use of their educational opportunities. Also Egbule (2006) defines educational counseling as assistance given to pupils and students that enable them function well in the school. He continues by saying that it assists them in understanding themselves and how their potentials could be developed with these definitions, education counseling for the adolescents is sin-qua-non if they must achieve maximally.

1.2 Statement Of Problem

The counselor occupies a very strategic position in many educational system. The federal government is aware of this. This is why emphasis is on the need for counseling services in the new national policy on education 9-3-4 system. It is also clear from the federal ministry of education that counselors should operate on fulltime basis, raise a generation of people who can think for themselves, respect the views and teaching of others, respect the dignity of labor, appreciate those value specified under our broad national goals and live as good citizens. Also most principals and teachers are aware of the counselor’s functions/services. Despite this fact, it has been observed that the programme/services are not encouraged at the secondary school level.

Apart from academic problems of failure and dropout of students from school, other numerous psycho-social, vocational and personal social problems abound among students in our secondary schools, parents and teacher in recent times have been so concerned about academic problems of students. The control of resolution of these problems is always channeled to mainly school authorities and teachers while the seeking of counselor’s attention is always ignored. This study therefore attempts to took at the effects of counseling services on academic performance of students in senior secondary’s school.

1.3 Purpose Of The Study

This study sought to assess the effects of counseling services on academic performance of students in selected senior secondary schools in Odeda Local Government area of Ogun State.

1. To determine the effects of counseling services on academic performance of students in senior secondary schools exposed to it and those not exposed
2. To examine the effects of counseling services on the academic performance of secondary school students exposed to it and those not exposed to it.
3. To x-ray the effects of counseling services on the academic performance of secondary school students exposed to the service and those not exposed to it.

1.4 Research Questions

The study is focusing in finding solution to the following research questions:

1. What are the effectiveness of counseling programme in secondary schools?
2. What is the attitude of students towards educational career counseling in their schools?
3. What is the academic performance among secondary school students in Odeda Local Government Area og Ogun State?

1.5 Scope Of The Study

The researcher focused on Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. This study will be restricted to selected secondary school in Odeda Local Government area of Ogun State. They are;

1. SalawuAbiola Comprehensive High School, Osiele, Abeokuta
2. N.U.D Grammar School Obantoko, Abeokuta
3. Alabata Comprehensive High School, Abeokuta
4. IsoluMuslim High School, Isolu, Abeokuta

This study investigates the influences of counseling service background on students’ academic performance.

1.6 Significant Of The Study

The finding of this study will be of great value to the teacher to identify the effects of counseling services on academic performance of students. Also it will help the teacher not to disregard the effect of counseling service on student’s performance, it will serve as a way out for the teachers to realize the need to consider individual differences among the students.

Moreover, it will help psychologists and counselors to know the types of educational counseling services needed by the societies in order to destroy the vices of poor academic performance of the pupils. Finally, this study will be of great benefit to teachers, pupils government and educational administrators because having read through this project, their counseling service will have great impacts on the performance of students in the schools. This study highlighted the advantages of using counseling services on academic performance of student in senior secondary school and how beneficial people will be. The stress experiencing during counseling services on academic performance of students in senior secondary school.

1.7 Definition Of Terms

1. Counseling:

Is an activity that utilizes interpersonal relationship to enable people to develop self understanding and to make changes in their lives.

2. Services:

Is an intangible commodity. A types of economic activity that is intangible, is not stored and does not result in ownership.

3. Academic:

Is the internationally recognized establishment of professional scholars and students, usually centered around secondary, colleges and universities, who are engaged in higher education and research.

4. Performance:

Is deemed to be the fulfillment of an obligation in a manner that releases the performer from all liabilities under the contract.

5. Student:

Is a leaner, or someone who attends an educational institution.

6. Secondary:

Takes place in secondary schools, taking place after primary education and may be followed by higher education or vocational training. In some countries, only primary or basic education is compulsory, but secondary education is included in compulsory education in most countries.

7. School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students (or pupils) under direction of teachers.