THE NEED FOR ADVICE AND SUPPORT AMONG POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS IN NIGERIA

1.1 Introduction

Guidance and counseling is a practice that had been in existence for a long time and had been passed on from one generation to another. Guidance and Counseling carry different but overlapping meaning (Birichi et al., 2009). Main goal of guidance and counseling is to help people understand themselves in order to deal with life experiences in a healthy manner, by being able to recognize the factors that cause problems and look for appropriate methods of resolving or avoiding the situations that may lead to unhealthy lifestyles.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Guidance and counseling are essential elements in discipline management of people in all societies even the most primitive societies grew out of the necessity of guiding individual’s behavior patterns in the interest of the group. Society itself could not function without the exercise of discipline. Using guidance and counseling to enhance discipline must be continuously being practiced if people are to work harmoniously for the achievement of common purpose.

The services of guidance and counselling in tertiary institution is to bring about well guided and properly counseled among Polytechnic undergraduates who will be leaders of tomorrow because the role of guidance and counselling cannot be over emphasized. Most Polytechnic administrators in Nigeria are searching for stability as a way out of crises and a means to restore some lasting tranquility on campuses. Recently, dramatic increase in violence and revolutionary behaviour among students has almost attained a high proportion throughout the world. Guidance and counselling services are needed in order to find lasting solutions to some problems that have plagued institutions of learning for a very long time.

Student indiscipline had plagued schools leading to series of unrest, destruction of school property, vandalism, sexual abuse, killing and drug abuse just to mention. According to Agenga and Simatwa (2011) at Colobine high school in Colorado two heavily armed students killed twelve students, one teacher and seriously wounded nearly two dozen others before killing themselves, in the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 affected students in South Africa. In Nigeria 1990 schools were in so much conflict that soldiers were deployed to school assist in control of students’ behavior. In Nigeria the indiscipline cases were on the rise ranging from school unrest, drug abuse, sexual abuse pregnancy, bullying, aggressive behavior laziness and inept parenting. Traditionally, suspension, expulsion and corporal punishment were popularly used to contain indiscipline.

Students need counselling programme as a result of these unruly behaviours. In order words, Polytechnic undergraduates need help to resolve their home, social, academics, health, emotional, vocational, financial and religious problems. The undergraduates at this level are made to understand the nature and complexity of their problems and better means of solving the problems. Fresh students appear to be plagued by the questions self-defined by their present status within the community, by their position within their peer group and by their academic performances in secondary school. Without counselling programme/support, they will feel inferior and be defeated of their social identities. Difficulties may come the way of new students trying to adjust to the new environment and they will find it painful and hectic. This may be due to the differences they encounter in life when in secondary schools. Values espoused by other students are social climate, course of study, study conditions and degree of freedom and adjustment to these differences often result in crises of some sort. The crises can be averted if guidance and counselling services are made available to this category of students at the point of entering into the Polytechnic. The importance of guidance and counselling services among undergraduates are glaring and inevitable. The services are veritable instruments for achieving success in and out of school.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Need for Advice and Support among Polytechnic Students.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that Student who have access to counseling programs reported being more adjusted, positive and having greater feelings of belonging and safety in their schools. A thorough study of previous researches has shown that researchers have been limited in their study due to various factors the most common being their own idea on concept of what guidance and counselling is. Therefore, this research is aimed at combining all the factors that involve guidance and counseling and studying them as a whole. This research is focused on lack of proper career guidance and counseling for undergraduates and how it affects their motivation and adjustment to school because of the change in environment and systems they need proper guidance on how to adjust properly.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Need for Advice and Support among Polytechnic Students in Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To establish the approaches used in guidance and counseling in solving Polytechnic students disciplinary problems in Nigeria;
2. To examine the status of guidance and counseling among Polytechnic Students in Nigeria;
3. To determine the factors that hinder effective guidance and counseling of Polytechnic Students in Nigeria;
4. To determine the influence of training of peer counselling on students’ discipline; and
5. To compare the motivation towards school of those students who received career guidance and those who have not received guidance and counseling.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What the approaches used in guidance and counseling in solving Polytechnic students disciplinary problems in Nigeria?
• What is the status of guidance and counseling among Polytechnic Students in Nigeria?
• What are the factors that hinder effective guidance and counseling of Polytechnic Students in Nigeria?
• What is the influence of training of peer counselling on students’ discipline?
• What is the motivation towards school of those students who received career guidance and those who have not received guidance and counseling?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypotheses One

• H0: Guidance and counseling does not have any influence on students’ performance
• H1: Guidance and counseling has an influence on students’ performance

Hypotheses Two

• H0: There is no need for guidance and counseling services in Nigerian Universities.
• H1: There is a need for guidance and counseling services in Nigerian Universities.

1.7 Significance of Study

The study will provide contemporary and best way for guidance and counselling suitable for undergraduates of the Polytechnic. It would help the Polytechnic administrations to identify areas of guidance and counselling services that need attention. The study will also help in aiding the curriculum planners to decide essential services to be established firmly in guidance and counselling unit in the Polytechnic.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Need for Advice and Support among Polytechnic Students in Nigeria. This study will cover only the students and staff of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
4. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
5. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

1.10 Definition of Terms

Guidance and Counseling:

Guidance and counseling refers to the services that promote personal, social, educational, and career development. Guidance counseling attends to the needs of students, parents, professional associates and the community.

Polytechnic Students:

A student is primarily a person enrolled in a school towards Polytechnic level programs.