EDUCATIONAL COUNSELING SERVICES A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL THREE STUDENTS IN...

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EDUCATIONAL COUNSELING SERVICES: A NEEDS

ASSESSMENT OF JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL THREE

STUDENTS IN IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA,

IBADAN

BY

SUWA MAZHIM GLORIA

NTI/PGDE/2013/12475

BEING A PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT

OF SCIENCE EDUCATION NATIONAL TEACHERS‘

INSTITUTE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF POST GRADUATE

DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION (PGDE).

DECEMBER, 2013

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DEDICATION

To my ABBA, He opened every door that I knocked.

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ABSTRACT

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank God, the all sufficient one who remains faithful.

I am greatly indebted to my competent and brilliant supervisor, Dr. O. A. Odeniyi who has really

contributed immensely to this work. I appreciate the exceptional, professional and fatherly

guidance he gave me throughout the conduct of this study. He was always ready to listen, advise,

make constructive criticisms and help me with necessary materials. May God Almighty reward

him.

I wish to express my profound gratitude to all the facilitators at Loyola college study center

whose technical and moral support helped me in completing this study. I appreciate the support

of the officers at the Local Inspectorate of Education, Ibadan North Local Government, the

examinations department of post-primary teachers‘ service commission (TESCOM), Oyo State

Ministry of Education and all the teachers at the various schools I visited for the study. I also

acknowledge all the authors whose works were used as reference materials for this study.

I would like to thank all my friends and colleagues, who contributed in one way or the other to

the success of this research work. I must specially mention Akintayo Olamide Ogunwale whose

dissertation meticulously guided my work, Uchechi Ekezie, Ifeoluwa Makinde and Mr.

Oyeyemi. Thank you so much.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to Stefan who was the consistent push behind this project. Many

times, I felt I wouldn‘t meet the deadline, but your priceless support kept me going. Thank you

so much for ensuring that I got up to work!

I am eternally grateful to my wonderful parents, Mr. & Mrs. B.P. Suwa, who have been my

enduring, unshakable support. I appreciate their ceaseless prayers, encouragement and love. I

want to appreciate my lovely siblings; Kathryn, who ensured that I registered for the first

semester, Jemima and my cousin Grace. I love you so much.

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CERTIFICATION

I certify that this project was carried out by Gloria Mazhim SUWA in of the department of

science education, National Teachers‘ Institute Kaduna, Nigeria under my supervision.

SUPERVISOR CENTER MANAGER

Dr. Odeniyi, Olujinmi Adebayo Dr. Odeniyi,

Olujinmi Adebayo

NCE (1985) Ila-Oragun ibid.

B.Ed. (1994) University of Ibadan

M.Ed. (1998) University of Ibadan

M.A. (2002) University of Ibadan

PhD. (2010) University of Ibadan

Date Date

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Dedication ii

Abstract iii

Acknowledgement iv

Certification v

Table of content vi

List of Tables ix

List of Figures x

Chapter one: Introduction

Background of the study 1

Statement of problem 3

Justification 3

Research questions 4

Objectives of the study 4

Chapter two: Literature review

Introduction 5

Confidence in preparing for tests and examinations 6

Participation in class activities and homework 9

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Difficult subjects 10

Educational help topics of interest to students 14

Chapter three: Methodology

Study design and scope 16

Study area 16

Study population 19

Inclusion and exclusion criteria 19

Sample size 19

Sampling technique 20

Methods and instruments for data collection: 21

Validity 22

Reliability 22

Data collection process: Semi-structured questionnaire 22

Data management and analysis 23

Ethical considerations 23

Chapter Four: Research results

Respondents‘ Socio-demographic characteristics 24

Responses to confidence scale 27


Responses to scale of activity based on class work and homework 35

Meeting a counselor for help with school work 39

Help topics 45

Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations

Socio-demographic characteristics of participants 47

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Responses to confidence scale on tests and examinations 47


Scale of activity based on classwork and homework 48

Meeting counselor for help with school work 49

Help topics of interest to respondents 49

Implications for Health Education 50

Conclusion 51

Recommendations 51

Suggestions for further study 52

References 53

Appendix I Semi-structured Questionnaire 58

Appendix II Scoring guide for scales 61

Appendix III Letter of Introduction 62

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Table Page

2.1 Summary of BECE results in IBNLG from 2009-2013 11

3.1 List of public junior secondary school in IBNLG 16

3.2 List of selected schools in IBNLG 20

4.1 Respondents‘ socio-demographic characteristics 25

4.2 Responses to confidence scale 28

4.3 Confidence grade by selected demographics 29

4.4 Likelihood of confidence grade 30

4.5 Difficult subjects by some selected demographic variables 34

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LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

4.6 Responses to activity scale on class work and homework 36

4.7 Class activity grade by some selected variables 37

4.8 Likelihood of activity grade in classwork 38

4.9 Meeting counselor for help by some selected demographics 43

4.10 Likelihood of meeting a counselor for help 44

Figure Page

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2.1 Participation of counseling services in the United States 15

4.1 Respondents‘ type of work after school 26

4.2 Most reported difficult subjects 32

4.3 Reasons given for difficulty 33

4.4 Responses to who Respondents‘ met with school problems 40

4.5 Proportion of respondents that said they had a school counselor 41

4.6 Proportion of respondents that met their counselor for help 42

4.7 Responses to help topics that interested respondents 46

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the study

According to Okobiah and Okorodudu (2006) Guidance and 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. The National Policy on Education (2004) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

points out that guidance and counseling services are important education services that are

essential for successful implementation of the Nigerian educational system. It advocates setting

up guidance services in secondary schools with professionally trained counselors to administer

such services. The UNESCO module on guidance and counseling (2000a) posited that Guidance

is a programme of services to individuals based on their needs and the influence of

environmental factors. Educational counseling is the assistance given to pupils individually and

through group techniques to help them function more effectively in their school programme. It

helps the pupil to develop to their maximum potential. Guidance and counseling is seen as the

best strategy to improve students‘ academic performance in school, thus successfully

implementing Nigeria‘s 6-3-3-4 educational system introduced in 1982.

The Counseling Curriculum designed by the Counseling Association of Nigeria (Adegoke,

2004), noted that counseling should be viewed as an integral and comprehensive school

programme rather than a peripheral one. Adegoke, (2004) and Alutu and Etiobhio (2006) posited

that there is need to introduce classroom Guidance and Counseling as early as possible so as to

prevent social vices among youths. They noted that educational reforms which include guidance

and counseling as a subject to be taught and examined have the potentials for promoting

effective learning in schools. School counselors are vital members of the education team. They

help all students in the areas of academic achievement; personal/social development and career

development, ensuring today's students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow

(American School Counselor Association, (ASCA) 1997). According to Muro and Kottman

(1995), the roles of the school counselor include:

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1. Individual counseling and advisement

2. Consultation—working with administrators, teachers, and staff to meet student needs

3. Student appraisal—coordinating information that goes into confidential student files and

interpreting the info to help qualify students for special programs

4. Parent help—meet individual and in groups with parents, provide resources and

information on child development, specific topics

5. Referral—provide referrals to appropriate professionals in the schools and in the outside

community

6. Program planning—coordinating work of various school personnel, parents, and other

interested parties in implementation of the school counseling program.

7. Career development—developing and implementing career awareness as part of the

school counseling curriculum

8. Change agent for the school atmosphere

9. Student advocate in meetings with teachers and staff

10. Classroom observations on behaviors, relationships and providing feedback to teacher,

students, parents, staff

11. Public relations—explain importance of counseling with school staff, parents, teachers,

students, community members, explain problems students may have. Relate to cultural

stigmas

12. Local research—student population characteristics (drug use on campus, etc.)

13. Screen students—interview new students, etc.

14. Staff development—around particular issues

To transit from one level of the educational system to the next, pupils have to undergo selection

or achievement examinations to determine their suitability for the level they are transiting into.

To transit from junior to the senior secondary, the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination

(JSCE) is conducted for candidates in their third year of the Junior Secondary School. A

candidate is expected to sit for a minimum of ten subjects and a maximum of thirteen. A

candidate is deemed to have passed the JSCE if he/she has passes in six subjects including

English and Mathematics (NECO, 2003).

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School counselors play a critical role in guiding the students, especially those writing the

Certificate examination, to enhance their performance. Studies in Cross River state have shown

that students have a positive attitude towards guidance and counseling services (Eyo et al.,

2010). It is therefore expected that the students meet the school counselors when they have

problems with schoolwork.

This study provides educational counseling information from a needs survey conducted among

students in junior secondary school three (JSS3) in Ibadan north local government area, Oyo

state.

Problem statement

Although the national policy on education advocates for counseling services, professional

counselors are often saddled with more classroom/teaching activities to carry out their activities

and have few amenities to implement counseling programs in schools (Eyo et al., 2010). The

Local Inspectorate of education (Ibadan North local government) does not perform academic

needs assessment surveys in the secondary schools but relies on general information from the

research and statistics department of the State ministry of education. Furthermore, there are no

student appraisal reports submitted to the local inspectorate from any counseling association. In

the light of this, there is scarce current information about the educational needs of the junior

secondary school three students in Ibadan north local government.

Justification

The educational needs of junior secondary school three (JSS3) students need to be assessed,

documented and considered for educational counseling intervention because they are at a critical

point in the education system, transiting from junior to senior secondary school.

This study will provide information about what subjects JSS3 students in Ibadan North Local

government find difficult, their confidence in taking tests and examinations and who they meet

when they have problems with school work; it will give the guidance and counseling department

baseline information for subsequent planning of educational interventions in the schools.

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Research questions

1) What is the examination confidence level of Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3)

students in Ibadan North Local Government Area (IBNLG)?

2) What are the subjects that Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3) students in Ibadan

North Local Government (IBNLG) find difficult?

3) What is the class and homework participation level of Junior Secondary School Three

(JSS3) students in classwork?

4) Do Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3) students in Ibadan North Local Government

(IBNLG) meet the school counselor when they have problems with school work?

5) What academic help topics are of interest to Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3)

students in Ibadan North Local Government (IBNLG)?

Broad Objective

This study aims to conduct an educational needs assessment among Junior Secondary School

Three (JSS3) students in Ibadan North Local Government.

Specific objectives

1) To determine the examination confidence level of Junior secondary school three (JSS3)

students in Ibadan North Local Government (IBNLG)

2) To find out what subjects the students find difficult to learn

3) To discover the class and homework participation level of Junior secondary school three

JSS3 students in Ibadan North Local Government (IBNLG)

4) To ascertain whether Junior secondary school three (JSS3) students in Ibadan North

Local Government (IBNLG) meet the school counselor when they have problems with

school work

5) To find out which academic help topics are of interest to Junior secondary school three

(JSS3) students in Ibadan North Local Government (IBNLG)

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CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

School counseling was borne out of offering career services to students. As the 20th century

moved forward, academic guidance became more interwoven into the vocational counselor‘s

responsibilities (Gysbers, 2001). Guidance leaders like John Brewer and G.E. Meyers began

emphasizing the educational role that vocational counselors could assume within schools. By the

mid 1930‘s into the 1940‘s, guidance counselors began providing personal counseling to students

as well.

Olayinka (1985) is of the opinion that guidance is a programme that provides service to

individual students based upon their needs and understanding of their immediate environment

factor have on the students and the unique features of each school. Guidance and counseling can

also be as the process and techniques used by a counselor to assist individual to cope with the

problems in the areas of his/her life, so that he/she can become useful and contribute to the

society in which he lives.

Needs assessment

One very important function of the counselor is student appraisal. The Encarta dictionary (2009)

defines appraisal as an evaluation: a judgment or opinion of somebody, especially one that

assesses effectiveness or usefulness. This implies some form of assessment of the student to be

able to make a judgment on the students‘ performance.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) module on

guidance and counseling program development defines needs assessment as a formal process

which determines the gaps between what is and what should be.

Needs assessment finds out what is needed. It is the basis for accountability and allows for

programme evaluation.

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Needs Assessment for guidance and counseling programs is carried out for the following

reasons:

1. To determine programme goals and objectives

2. To ensure the involvement of all staff members

3. To allow for programme evaluation

4. To ensure accountability

5. To ensure that the programme is relevant

6. To ensure the success of the programme

The needs assessment process involves:

a) Identifying the population to be surveyed

b) Collection of data

c) Classifying and analyzing data

The guide for Victorian government schools (2012) defines an educational needs assessment as a

diagnostic and clinical assessment using identified tools to address a child or young person‘s

particular and individual learning needs. This will provide advice to their Student Support Group

and significantly inform their Individual Education Plan. It may also provide advice about further

services or supports that may be required.

2.2 Confidence in preparing for tests and examinations

In 1999, the Nigerian government established the National Examination Council of Nigeria

(NECO) as an alternative to the West African Examinations Council.

To transit from the three years of junior secondary to the senior secondary, the junior secondary

certificate examination (JSCE) is conducted for candidates in their third year of the Junior

Secondary School. While each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

conducts the JSCE for its candidates, the National Examinations Council (NECO) conducts the

JSCE for Federal Unity Colleges, Armed Forces Secondary Schools and other Federal

establishments operating Secondary schools. Private Secondary schools also take part in the

NECO JSCE provided they are permitted by their State Ministries of Education.

Twenty two subjects are administered at the JSCE level. A candidate is expected to sit for a

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minimum of ten subjects and a maximum of thirteen. A candidate is deemed to have passed the

JSCE if he/she has passes in six subjects including English and Mathematics.

The grading system is as follows:

A - Distinction

C - Credit

P – Pass

F - Fail (NECO, 2003).

Most students are nervous or afraid of examinations; however, a moderate nervousness is often

an advantage if the student is to perform at his/her best. Every student needs to believe in their

abilities to perform well in tests and examinations. Lack of confidence or fear can lead to poor

performance in examinations (Students Counseling services (SCS), 2012)

When nervousness becomes anxiety

Some students experience more burdensome anxiety problems regarding their examinations –

either when studying for the examination or at the examination itself. If the problems are

recurring, causing the student to fail or opt out of an examination several times, the problems can

turn into a regular fear of attending examinations.

Problems with preparation

When preparing for an examination fear or worry could make the student find it difficult to

structure reading properly; prioritize the reading material, or separate reading time and leisure

time. It is also very common that students push themselves too hard and study too much each

day.

Problems during the examination

In connection with the examination itself some students, because of fear and stress, experience

that they can't remember the material, despite the fact that they have prepared well for the

examination. This can happen during preparation, or memory may fail when they have sat down

in front of the examiner and external examiner.

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Physical symptoms of anxiety

For some students it is enough just to think of the word examination before their body reacts

with symptoms of anxiety: Rapid heartbeat, outbursts of perspiration, and stomach aches. The

physical inconveniences may be so marked – possibly even several months before the

examination – that the student contemplates all kinds of solutions with the purpose of escaping

the discomfort. For instance, by skipping or considering postponing the examination or

considering to drop out.

Fear of examinations can be many things

Fear of examinations can be expressed in many ways, and may be connected to various issues:

Being a new student

Academic difficulties

Fear of examinations could be about having made the wrong choice of study programme, or lack

of motivation to do the necessary effort – or simply lack of abilities for some reason. The student

may fear an examination with good cause, because he is not properly prepared for it.

Inappropriate study techniques

If the student‘s motivation is high, he may not have learnt to pick up on the material yet because

of inappropriate study structuring and reading techniques.

Perfectionism and performance anxiety

Many students who fear examinations suffer from perfectionism, and thus often also of

performance anxiety. They set extremely high demands for themselves in all matters, and

thereby the risk of failure becomes greater, which in turn increases their anxiety. Here it is not

enough to look at the examination separately. The student must also consider the way he looks at

himself and others. Behind perfectionism people often hide a low self-esteem and lack of self-

confidence.

Severe personal problems

If the student had severe personal problems - for instance, serious problems concerning

relationships, a serious disease, or death of a loved one - it will naturally affect his preparation

and examination. It is therefore to be assumed that his fear of examination is not about his ability

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to do the examination, but the fact that he has not had the necessary inner calm that examination

requires (SCS, 2012).

Students‘ lack of confidence was also identified as a cause of exam malpractice by such scholars

as Olasehinde (1993): Oladunni (1995); and Adeboye (1998). Also there is a need for adequate

guidance and counseling for the students. This should be done in order to instill acceptable moral

values and encourage regular attendance of lectures which would in turn give them confidence to

face examinations.

2.3 Participation in class activities and homework

According to Anahs (2008), Class works are daily written works done in the classrooms. The

teacher uses them to re-enforce information just explained. Class work may occur daily. The

teacher grades students for class work and class participation on a weekly basis. Homework is to

be performed at home. Homework is not a test of the knowledge of the student. The goal of

homework is to ―motivate‖ the student to open the textbooks, read, and find the correct answers.

Homework should re-enforce the effort of the teacher at class. Students are to be encouraged to

use all resources available for them: textbooks, internet, friends, teachers, parents, etc. The goal

is to prepare a ―neat‖ and ―correct‖ homework and understand it. The students are expected to be

able to answer the homework questions in class if they were asked by the teacher.

Active participation of students is imperative for learning. According to the Nigerian Educational

Research and Development Council (NERDC, 2013), Characteristics of Modern Teaching

Approaches include that it is Learner-centered, Activity or Task-based, and problem solving

centered, Interactive, Authentic materials based, Integrative, Inclusive, gives the students

Conceptual understanding , and it is Assessment based.

A learner–centered teaching/learning approach engages students actively in the teaching and

learning process. Students are the focus of teaching and learning. The teacher is simply a guide, a

coach, a motivator, or a facilitator of learning. He should provide learning experiences for the

students and guide them to investigate experiment, explore, and discover knowledge. To

facilitate this, he should first identify students‘ prior or initial ideas/conceptions and use

appropriate learner-controlled activities to counter ‗naïve‘ ideas/conceptions.

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Modern teaching approaches are necessary for learning because most teachers dominate

classroom instruction as confirmed by research reports of Atkins and Brown, (2001) Anorue,

(2004) Lathrop, (2006) Weimer, (2008) who believed that the teacher determines the classroom

climate.A study by Oranu and Onwioduokit (2012) showed that teachers in their study

classrooms failed to use different strategies to draw out knowledge, positive ideas and

experiences from the student. Therefore, there was poor quality of classroom discussions as

teachers adopted to a large extent direct instruction method confirming the findings of Atkins &

Brown,(2001) Anorue, (2004) Lathrop, (2006) Weimer, (2008); the study therefore challenges

teachers to engage all students positively in classroom sessions. The results also indicated that

students in Government classrooms shy away from active classroom discussion; these students

very likely are afraid of speaking in a group, peer criticisms, they may also lack understanding of

the material; they may lack interest in the subject, they may be waiting for the teacher to call the

―smart kids‘‘ who know the answer; they may not like the instructor as documented by scholars

like Roe (2012), Dees (2010). Teachers need to create a warm and positive classroom, where

students are free to make voluntary verbal contributions with a high level of creativity instilled in

the students. Javaria, Nazia, and Sadaf (2008) and Bordbar (2010) strongly opined that classroom

participation helps students to perform better in school and engenders positive attitude toward

school subject. Furthermore, the findings by Fakeye and Amao (2013) revealed that only

classroom participation has a significant relative contribution to students‘ achievement in

Literature -in- English and therefore is the only factor that that predicts students‘ achievement in

Literature - in - English.

2.4 Difficult subjects

Although the curriculum of the Junior Secondary differs a little from that of Senior Secondary,

they have in common some basic core subjects like, Mathematics, English Language, Nigerian

Languages (Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa), Agricultural Science, French Language, (or Arabic

Language), Christian Religious knowledge/Islamic Religious knowledge and Arts (NERDC,

2007). It is speculated that achievement of students in these subjects at the JSCE, which also

stand, as entry qualification for the Senior-Secondary programme could positively predict

student‘s performance in Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) (Sylvanus & Okechuku,

2013). There are presently two versions of the SSCE: the one conducted by National

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Examinations Council (NECO) and the one conducted by West African Examinations Council

(WAEC). The present study is focused on the SSCE conducted by NECO.

The Curriculum of the Junior Secondary differs from that of the Senior Secondary in terms of the

integrated subjects (Social Studies and Basic Science). At the Senior Secondary School level, Social

Studies is split into Geography, Economics, Government and History. Students in the science classes

offer geography and Economics, while Government and History are offered by students in the arts

classes. At the Senior Secondary level, Basic Science is likewise split into Chemistry, Biology and

Physics, but the popular choice among the science students are Biology and Chemistry. The issue of

whether or not performance of students in Social Studies in JSCE would positively predict

achievement in the related subjects in the NECO-SSCE remains uncertain and inconclusive

(Sylvanus & Okechukwu,2013).

In the SSCE, English Language and Mathematics are compulsory subjects for all candidates;

hence much time and attention are devoted to the teaching of these two subjects in both the

primary and secondary schools. Nevertheless, the students have not been doing well, and the

situation is not improving. For example, in the SSCE of May/June 1992, English Language

recorded only 13.8% passes with Distinction and Credit grades while 59.6% of the total 381,506

candidates failed. For Mathematics, only 9.7% passed in Distinction and Credit grades while

59.4% failed (WAEC, 1994). In the examinations taken in June 1994 by 618,119 students, 14.2%

and 13.7% passed with Distinction and Credit levels in English and Mathematics respectively.

The failure rates for the two subjects were 56.3% for English and 67.4% for Mathematics

(WAEC, 1994). Results in other subjects were equally poor with students doing much worse in

subjects with practical work. In SSCE of December 1996, for example, failure rates were 64.6%

for English, Biology 58%, Music 75%, and Book-Keeping 67%.

However, the JSCE result in the last five (5) years has shown impressive performance by the JSS

3 students in IBNLG. This is shown in the following table:

Table 2.1: Summary of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results in IBNLG

from 2009-2013

Year Percentage pass Percentage fail Subject failed

2013 97.10 24.56 Mathematics

2012 61.39 12.58 Mathematics

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2011 90.52 12.73 Basic Science

2010 99.74 1.38 French

2009 90.91 11.8 Arabic

*Source, Examinations department, TESCOM.

2.5 Meeting the school counselor for help with school work

First coined by Truman Kelley in 1914 (Makinde, 1988), educational counseling is a process of

rendering services to pupils who need assistance in making decisions about certain important

aspect of their education such as choice of courses and studies, decision on interest and ability,

choices of college and high school. Educational counseling increases pupil's knowledge of

educational opportunities.

To ensure that counseling wears a national outlook, the National Policy on Education (2004)

made it clear that counseling services should be rendered to students in schools. The

aforementioned policy document noted that ―in view of the apparent ignorance of many young

people about career prospects and in view of personality maladjustment among school children,

career officers and counselors will be appointed in post primary institutions (Federal Republic of

Nigeria, 1981, p43).

Studies on students‘ attitudes towards school counselors (Eyo, et al., 2010) revealed that

students‘ attitude towards guidance and counseling services were significantly positive; that

gender and school location significantly influenced students‘ attitude towards guidance services.

The results further revealed that there are significant differences between attitude of male and

female students in rural and urban schools towards guidance and counseling services. Based on

these findings, the researchers recommended that secondary education board should open well

equipped counseling units in both urban and rural schools and qualified counselors should be

posted to practice and create awareness of guidance and counseling services. Unfortunately,

studies have shown (Oye et al., 2012; Alutu, 2007) that Funds for provision of basic guidance

services are lacking. Most of the vital counseling services needed for quality education are the

least regularly performed in schools e.g. use of psychological tests and keeping of cumulative

record folders.

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Studies of parents‘ awareness on the importance of guidance counselor (Nwaokolo, 2006),

observed that most parents are only concerned with the principal of the schools any time they

bring problems about their children; they prefer to go to the principal than to the guidance

counselors. In the new national policy of education (6-3-3-4) the demand for guidance and

counseling is apparently made clear, and from the research carried out by individuals above the

principals, teachers and parents have wrong awareness of the importance of guidance and

counseling programme. In contrast to students ‗attitudes found by Eyo et al., 2010, students had

a generally negative attitude towards guidance and counseling in the Kenyan study by

Nyamwange et al., 2012 as only 46% of the study population deemed guidance and counseling

generally necessary in the schools. These findings concur with Kombo‘s (1998) that high school

students have a somewhat negative attitude towards guidance and counseling. Their study also

established that head teachers also had a negative attitude towards guidance and counseling. It

was observed that only 24% thought it had a role to play in improving students‘ academic

performance. This negative attitude of both students and head teachers towards counseling does

not contribute towards the utilization of guidance and counseling services by the students.

In another rating by Chireshe (2011), both school counselors and students did not rate highly

academic achievement in comparison to other benefits of school guidance and counseling. More

female students and school counselors rated the School Guidance Counseling (SGC) services

more favourably because of gender awareness orientation of the SGC services. More female

students than male students rated the services more positively because female students are

perceived as more socially competent or better adjusted to school than males (Mpofu et al.

2004). More male students than female students could have rated the SGC services negatively

because they are normally socialized to be strong and cope with their own problems hence they

often do not approach school counselors (Van Der Riet and Knoetze, 2004).School counselors

and students from rural boarding secondary schools viewed the SGC services substantially more

positively because the services in these schools are taken seriously. Most of the rural boarding

secondary schools in Zimbabwe are church-related and inculcating morality is one of their key

concerns, hence the seriousness in implementing the SGC services in these schools. Students

from forms 4 and 6 viewed the services negatively because of the focus on examinable subjects

given to those forms. At such levels, school counselors who are normally fulltime subject

teachers may not have time to focus on SGC services but examinable subjects. Olayinka (1999)

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and Egbule (2006) noted that educational guidance and counseling helps students make the most

appropriate use of their educational opportunities. This accounts for the better performance of

students in schools with counselors than the schools without.

2.6 Educational help topics of interest to secondary school students

In guidance and counseling profession there are many services that the professional counselor

renders to the school and the host community but in this paper, the three major services would be

discussed. The services are; educational, vocational and personal social services. The educational

service in guidance and counseling is a service which takes care of all issues associated with

education as they relate to the physical environment of the school, the structural makeup of the

school, activities within the school, students in take, students‘ progress, and adaptability within

the school. To this end Olayinka (1999) says that academic counseling is assisting students make

the most appropriate use of their educational opportunities. Also Egbule (2006) defines

educational guidance 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, educational guidance and counseling for

the adolescents is sin-qua-non if they must achieve maximally.

Academic guidance and counseling is mainly on the curriculum-related needs of the learner.

Some of these needs are:

Courses to enroll

How to carry out assignments and projects,

How to prepare for examinations,

Effective study habits

How to remedy weaknesses in particular courses are some of these needs.

These form the core of the business the learner routinely engages in academic institution.

A survey, conducted through the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Fast

Response Survey System (FRSS), in the United States by the National Center for educational

statistics provides a description of public high school guidance programs, activities, and staff in

2002.

26

As in 2002, the activity in which students participated most often in 1984 was individual

counseling sessions (79 percent), and the activity in which they participated least often was job

shadowing (5 percent). Between 1984 and 2002, the proportion of students who participated in a

guidance activity increased for 5 of the 15 activities: occupational information units in subject-

matter courses, exploratory work experience programs, job-site tours, job shadowing, and the use

of computerized career information sources. No significant differences were detected between

these years in the proportion of students who participated in the remaining guidance activities.

The figure below is taken from the NCES website:

27

Source: National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), United States.

Figure 2.1: High participation of counseling services in the United States

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

28

This section deals with the research design, study population, sampling technique, methods and

instruments for data collection, procedure for data collection and data analysis.

STUDY DESIGN AND SCOPE

This is a cross-sectional study designed to assess the educational counseling needs of JSS 3

students attending schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area (IBNLG).

STUDY AREA

The study was conducted in five (5) public schools randomly selected and one private school in

Ibadan north local government of Ibadan, Oyo state. The sampling from which the selection was

made was obtained from the office of the Local Inspector of Education (L.I.E).Ibadan North

Local Government Secretariat is situated at Agodi-Gate Ibadan, opposite the Oyo State

Government House, Ibadan.

Table 3.1- List of public junior secondary schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area

NAME OF SCHOOLS

ISLAMIC JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, BASORUN 1



SAINT LIOUS JUNIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MOKOLA. 1

SAINT LIOUS JUNIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MOKOLA. 11

SAINT PATRICK‘S JUNIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL, BASORUN. 1

SAINT PATRICK‘S JUNIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL, BASORUN. 11

SAINT GABRIEL‘S JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, MOKOLA. 1



29

MOUNT OLIVET JUNIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL.



ANGLICAN JUNIOR COMMERCIAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL 1



ABADINA SENIOR COLLEGE, UI, IBADAN 1



METHODIST JUNIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL, BODIJA. 1

METHODIST JUNIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL, BODIJA. 11

OBA AKINBIYI 1 JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1


OBA AKINBIYI 2 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1


POLY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1



IJOKODO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1

IJOKODO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 11

IMMANUEL JUNIOR COLLEGE 1



30

UNITED JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL 1

UNITED JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL 11

BASORUN/OJOO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

HUMANI ALAGA JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1



IKOLABA JUNIOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL 1



IKOLABA JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1



CHESIRE JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL 1

CHESIRE JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL 11

BISHOP ONABANJO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1

BISHOP ONABANJO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 11

OBA AKINYELE JUNIOR MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL 1

OBA AKINYELE JUNIOR MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL 11

NAVLARI UN – DEEN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

COMMUNITY HIGH AGBOWO BODIJA JUNIOR 1

COMMUNITY HIGH AGBOWO BODIJA JUNIOR 11

IBADAN NORTH GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL, INALENDE.

EBENEZER AFRICAN CHURCH GRAMMAR SCHOOL

31

* Source- Local Inspectorate of education, Ibadan North Local government

STUDY POPULATION

The study population consisted of junior secondary school three (JSS3) students in the selected

junior secondary schools in IBNLG.

INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

The criterion for this study was that the study participants must be currently enrolled in JSS 3 of

the selected schools. Males and females were included in the study. The inclusion criterion

implied that other students not currently enrolled in JSS3 were excluded.

SAMPLE SIZE

The appropriate sample size was determined using Lwanga and Lemeshow (1991) sample size

formula. The formula is as follows:

n = Zα 2 (1-p)

(p) d2

Where,

Zα is standard normal deviation at 5% (Standard value of 1.96)

p is the assumed percentage of secondary school enrollment.

The gross enrollment ratio (GER) for secondary school education in Nigeria as given by

education statistics, World Bank (2013) is 44% as at 2010. However, a more specific percentage

of 35% for only junior secondary school enrollment was given by Aghenta (2001).This figure

was used to calculate sample size. Therefore, p= 35% i.e. 0.35

d is relative precision at 25% or 0.25

n = 1.96 2 (1-0.35)

0.35 × (0.25)2

32

= 113.5, approximately 114.

An attrition or incomplete response rate of 30% of 114 (34) was added to increase the sample

size to 148.

Knowing the minimum calculated sample size, an arbitrary total of 300 questionnaires were

prepared and administered to the study population.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

A multi-stage sampling technique involving three stages was used in selecting respondents for

the study.

Stage 1

In the first stage, five (5) schools were randomly selected from the sampling frame to participate

in the study and one private school (Blessed Group of schools) was purposively added to the list,

making a total of six schools. The selected schools are listed in the table below:

Table 3.2: List of selected schools in Ibadan North Local Government

S/n

Name of school

1 Anglican Commercial Grammar School Junior II,

Yemetu, Ibadan

2 Methodist Grammar School, Bodija Ibadan

3 Ikolaba High School, Ikolaba, Ibadan

4 Blessed Group of schools, Yemetu, Ibadan

5 Saint Louis Grammar School 1, Mokola, Ibadan

33

6 Community high school, Ijokodo, Ibadan

Stage 2

Proportionate sampling technique was used to distribute the number of participants into equal

proportions in the schools.

The calculation is shown below;

300/6 = 50

Therefore, fifty (50) questionnaires were administered in each of the selected schools.

Stage 3

In the third stage, upon getting to the schools, fifty students in JSS3 were randomly selected with

the help of the school teacher assigned by the principal.

Methods and instruments for data collection

Data collection was carried out using a pretested semi- structured questionnaire.

The collection of quantitative data was done by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. The

design of the questionnaire was done after literature review. The questionnaire was organized

into four sections labeled A- D (see appendix II)

Section A was used to collect information about the socio-demographic characteristics of the

respondents. Section B was a three-point, five item scale used to assess the respondents

disposition towards tests and examinations. The respondents‘ disposition toward classwork and

homework was assessed in section C which had opened ended questions and another five item

scale. Section D collected information about who the respondents preferred to meet for help with

school work and educational topics where they needed counseling.

Validity and Reliability

Validity

34

The content validity of the instrument was ensured by reviewing several literature and using

relevant variables and questions adapted from similar studies. Reviews with my research

supervisor also enhanced the validity of my instrument.

Reliability

In order to determine the reliability of the instrument, a pre-test was conducted among students

of Ibadan Municipal Grammar (I.M.G) school of Ibadan North East Local Government Area,

Ibadan. I.M.G shares similar characteristics with the study population. It is a government owned

school and has currently enrolled JSS 3 students. Ibadan North East Local Government has it‘s

secretariat at Iwo road, Ibadan.

The questionnaire was pre-tested among 30 students currently enrolled in JSS 3 attending I.M.G,

Agodi, i.e., 10% of the study population. The pretested questionnaires were cleaned, coded and

entered into the computer. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined using Cronbach‘s

Alpha model technique of SPSS (version 16). The reliability co-efficient was 0.52 implying that

the instrument was reliable

Data collection process

The quantitative data were collected using the semi-structured questionnaire (see appendix II).

The questionnaire was interviewer -administered to ensure that the participants clearly

understood the questions, and to allow them clarify any confusion. A total of 300 questionnaires

were administered, but 299 valid questionnaires were retrieved due to attrition. This yielded a

response rate of 99.7 percent.

The questionnaires were administered during lesson periods in school hours permitted by the

school principal to conduct the survey. The data collection was conducted within three days; two

schools were surveyed per day. The questionnaire was collected immediately the respondents

were through, except for a school where the school counselor administered the questionnaires

and returned them the following day. All the respondents were given tokens to appreciate their

participation in the survey.

35

Data management and Analysis

The questionnaires were collated and edited by the researcher. The questionnaires were checked

for completeness and a serial number was given to each for easy identification and recall. The

responses in each questionnaire were hand-coded facilitated by the use of a coding guide

developed by the researcher after a careful review of the responses in all the

questionnaires. After the entire questionnaire had been hand-coded, a template was then

designed on the SPSS (version 16) for entering of the coded data. Each questionnaire response

was entered into the computer using the SPSS software- version 16. The quantitative data were

analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and logistic regression. The results are

presented using tables, pie charts and bar graphs in chapter 4.

Ethical considerations

Research in education in non-ethical, therefore, ethical approval was not sought from any Ethics

Review Committee.

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS

36

4.1 Respondents’ Socio-demographic characteristics

The findings of this study are presented in this chapter. They are organized into the following

sections: Respondents‘ socio-demographic characteristics, respondents‘ responses to confidence

scale, difficult subjects, responses to activity scale, meeting the school counselor for help and

help topics for the school counselor.

Questionnaires were administered to 299 students in JSS3 attending schools in Ibadan North

Local Government. Majority of the respondents (67.9%) were female and 32.1% were male. This

was so because one of the randomly selected schools (Saint Louis Grammar school II) was an all

girls‘ school. The mean age was 13.3± 1.3 years, ranging from 11-18 years. Almost all the

respondents‘ (84.3%) belonged to nuclear families, most of them (86.6%) were Yoruba, 76.9%

reported that they lived far from school, 56.9% of the respondents‘ said they did domestic work

after school. Only very few (5.6%) reported doing school work after school. Details of

respondents‘ type of work are shown in figure 4.1.

Participants were almost equally distributed across the six schools; Anglican Commercial

Grammar School Junior (16.7%), Blessed group of schools (16.4%), Ikolaba High School

(16.7%), Saint Louis Grammar School (16.7%), Methodist Grammar School (16.7%),

Community High School (16.7%).

Table 4.1: Respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics (N = 299)

37

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE*

Study area

Anglican Commercial Grammar School 50 16.7

Ikolaba High School 50 16.7

Blessed group of schools 49 16.4

Saint Louis Grammar School 50 16.7

Methodist Grammar School 50 16.7

Community High School 50 16.7

Sex of respondents

Male 96 32.1

Female 203 67.9

Age of respondents

11 – 14 years 237 82.6

15 – 18 years 50 17.4

Ethnic group of respondents

Yoruba 259 87.2

Igbo 25 8.4

Others 13 4.4

Residence

Far from school 230 77.4

Close to school 67 22.4

Help parents after school

Yes 291 97.7

No 7 2.3

*Valid percent

38

Figure 4.1 detailing respondents type of work after school

39

4.2. Responses to confidence scale

The larger proportion (84.9%) said they were always confident in their ability to prepare for a

test, 75.5% were also confident to learn by themselves. However, 53.8% reported that they were

sometimes afraid to take a test (Details in table 4.2).

The responses on the scale were graded on a scale of 1-10. Scores of 0-5 were graded as ‗not

confident‘ while scores of 6-10 were graded as ‗confident‘. Almost half of the respondents

(45.9%) scored ‗not confident‘ on the scale. The confidence grade was tested for relationships

with selected demographics (details in table 4.3). There was a significant relationship between

secondary school and confidence grade. A logistic regression set at 95% confidence interval

showed that there was a significant relationship between Anglican commercial grammar school

(ACGS) and community high school (CHS, also reference category). Students of ACGS were

approximately eight (8) times more likely than those in CHS to be ‗confident‘. The regression

was not significant for the other schools details in table 4.4).

40

Table 4.2: Responses to confidence scale (tests and examinations)

‗I am confident about my ability to

prepare for a test‘

(N=299)

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)*

Sometimes 39 13.0

Never 6 2.0

Always 254 84.9

‘Although I have prepared for a

test, I feel afraid just before taking

a test’

(N=299)

Sometimes 161 53.8

Never 111 37.1

Always 27 9.0

‘I feel confident about my ability to

take charge of my own education

and learning’

(N=298)

Sometimes 50 16.8

Never 23 7.7

Always 225 75.5

*Valid percent was used

41

Table 4.3: Confidence grade by selected demographics

N=299

Variables Confidence grade

P value Not confident (%) Confident (%) Total

Secondary School

Anglican Commercial GS*

Ikolaba High School

Blessed groups of schools

Saint Louis Grammar

school

Methodist Grammar school

Community High School

7(14.0)

28(57.1)

27(57.4)

25(51.0)

21(42.0)

27(55.1)

43 (86.0)

21 (42.9)

20(42.6)

24(49.0)

29(58.0)

22(44.9)

50

49

47

49

50

49

X2

= 28.00

P<0.05

Sex of respondents

Male

Female

40(43.0)

95(47.3)

53(57.0)

106(52.7)

93

201

X2

= 0.463

P>0.05

*Anglican Commercial Grammar School 2

42

Table 4.4: Likelihood of confidence grade (tests and exams)

**Reference category

Variables

(N=299)

Odds ratio (95%

CI)

p-value

Secondary school

Anglican Commercial

Ikolaba High School

Blessed group of schools

7.54 (2.84-20.03)

0.92(0.41-2.05)

0.91(0.41-2.04)

p = 0.00

p >0.05

p >0.05

Saint Louis 1.18(0.53-2.61) p >0.05

Methodist Grammar School 1.70(0.77-3.75) p >0.05

Community High School** 0.82

43


There were varied responses as to what subject(s) they found difficult. Topping the list was

French (29.6%) and Mathematics (21.8%), with the most popular reason for difficulty being ‗I

don‘t understand it‘ (38.7%).Details are shown in figure 4.2.

The responses were further grouped into Mathematics, French and others and tested for

association with selected demographic variables. There was a strong association between

secondary school and responses to difficult subjects (details in table 4.5) with French being the

most reported difficult subject (68.0%) in ACGS (11.4% of total) and Mathematics being the

most reported difficult subject (40%) in CHS (10% of total).

44

Figure 4.2: The most reported difficult subjects of the respondents

45

Figure 4.3: Respondents‘ reported reasons for difficulty

46

Table 4.5: Difficult subjects by some selected demographic characteristics

N=299

Variables Difficult subjects

P value Math (%) French (%) Others*(%) Total

Secondary School

Anglican Commercial GS** 2

Ikolaba High School


Saint Louis Grammar school



4(8.0)

7(14.0)

19(38.8)

4(8.0)

10(20.0)

20(40.0)

34 (68.0)

18 (36.0)

4(8.2)

3(6.0)

28(56.0)

0(0.0)

12(24.0)

25(50)

26(53.1)

43(86.0)

12(24.0)

30(60.0)

50

50

49

50

50

50

X2

= 12.90

P<0.05

Sex of respondents

Male

Female

25(26.0)

39(19.2)

32(33.3)

55(27.1)

39(40.6)

109(53.7)

96

197

X2

= 4.54

p>0.05

Age of respondents

11-14

15-18

53(22.4)

9(18.0)

61(25.7)

24(48.0)

123(51.9)

17(34.0)

237

50

X2=9.98

p>0.05

*Others: Basic science, basic technology, Cultural and creative arts, Civic education, Yoruba,

different combinations of these subjects

**Anglican Commercial Grammar School 2

47

4.4 Responses to scale of activity based on classwork and home work

Regarding their classwork and homework, many (77.4%) said they always submitted promptly,

most (72.9%) asked for help with their assignments when they needed it, and almost all (88.5%)

said they participated in classwork (details in table 4.6). Again, the responses were scored and

graded on a scale of 1-10. Scores of 0-5 were graded as ‗not active‘ while scores of 6-10 were

graded as ‗active‘. There was a significant association between secondary school and class

activity grade (details in table 4.7). Logistic regression revealed a significant relationship

between St. Louis and CHS (reference category) with students in St. Louis being approximately

four (4) times less likely to be active in classwork (details in table 4.8).

48

Table 4.6: Responses to scale on classwork and homework

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE*

‘Do you submit your assignments on time?’

(N=296)

Sometimes 64 21.6

Never 3 1.0

Always 229 77.4

‘When I need it, I ask for help on my assignments’

(N=295)

Sometimes 215 72.9

Never 18 6.1

Always 62 21.0

‘I participate in classwork’

(N=296)

Sometimes 32 10.8

Never 2 0.7

Always 262 88.5

‘I answer questions in class’

(N=294)

Sometimes 191 65.0

Never 1 0.3

Always 102 34.7

‘I understand my teacher’s language’

(N=296)

Sometimes 80 27.0

Never 2 0.7

Always 214 72.3

*Valid percent

49

Table 4.7: Class activity grade by selected demographics

N=299

Variables Class activity grade

P value Not active (%) Active (%) Total

Secondary School

Anglican Commercial GS*

Ikolaba High School


Saint Louis Grammar

school



6(12.0)

15(31.2)

5(11.1)

29(58.0)

18(36.0)

12(24.0)

44(88.0)

33(68.8)

40(88.9)

21(42.0)

32(64.0)

38(76.0)

50

48

45

50

50

50

X2

= 36.35

P<0.05

Sex of respondents

Male

Female

21(22.3)

64(32.2)

73(77.7)

135(67.8)

94

199

X2

= 2.99

P>0.05


50

Table 4.8: Likelihood of activity grade in classwork


Variables

(N=299)

Odds ratio (95%

CI)

p-value

Secondary school

Anglican Commercial

Ikolaba High School

Blessed group of schools

2.32(0.80-6.77)

0.70(0.29-1.69)

2.53(0.81-7.85)

p >0.05

p >0.05

p >0.05

Saint Louis 0.23(0.10-0.53) p =0.01

Methodist Grammar School 0.56(0.24-1.33) p >0.05


51

4.5 Meeting a counselor for help with school work

Most (82%) of the respondents affirmed that their school had a guidance counselor. When asked

who they met when they had school problems, about half (42.6%) of them reported that they met

family or friends, another 42.6% said they met their teacher while only few of the respondents

(8.1%) met the counselor when they needed help with school work (details in figure 4.4).When

asked specifically if they met their school counselor for help, most of them (61.9%) said no. The

minority (38.1%) said yes.

Selected demographic variables were tested for association with ‗meeting a counselor for help‘.

Significant associations were found with secondary school and sex of respondents (see table 4.9).

Males were approximately three (3) times less likely than females to meet a counselor for help.

All schools showed significant association with meeting a counselor for help. CHS was used as

the reference category; all other schools were more likely to meet a counselor for help. Ikolaba

High School was the most likely school than CHS with an odds ratio of 44 (details in table 4.10).

52

N=284

Figure 4.4 Responses to who respondents met when they had problems with school work

53

N=295

Figure 4.5: Proportion of respondents‘ that said they had a school counselor

54

N=291

Figure 4.6: Proportion of respondents that met their school counselor for help

55

Table 4.9: Meeting counselor for help by some selected demographic characteristics

Variables Meeting counselor for help

P value Yes (%) No (%) Total

Age (in years)

11-14

15-18

79 (34.3)

23 (46.0)

151 (65.7)

27 (54.0)

230

50

X2

=

2.40

P>0.05

Secondary School

Anglican Commercial GS* 2

Ikolaba High School


Saint Louis Grammar school


21(42.0)

4 (8.3)

17(37.0)

6(12.2)

23(47.9)

29 (58.0)

44 (91.7)

29 (63.0)

43(87.8)

25(52.1)

50

48

46

49

48

X2

=

71.42

P<0.05

Community High School 40(80.0) 10(20.0) 50

Sex of respondents

Male

Female

52(55.3)

59(29.9)

42(44.7)

138 (70.1)

94

197

X2

=

17.36

P<0.05


56

Table 4.10: Likelihood of meeting a counselor for help

Variables (N=299) Odds ratio (95% CI) p-value

Secondary School

Anglican Commercial 5.52 (2.26-13.48) P = 0.00

Ikolaba High School 44.0(12.78-151.45) P = 0.00

Blessed group of schools 6.82(2.71-17.15) P = 0.00

Saint Louis 28.67(9.54-86.11) P = 0.00

Methodist Grammar School 4.35(1.78-10.64) P = 0.01


Sex

Male 0.35(0.21-0.57) P <0.00 Female** 2.339


57

4.6 Help topics

Among the listed help topics supplied in the questionnaire, many of the respondents indicated

they needed help with improving scores (56.5% and study skills (68.4%).Details are shown in

figure 4.7.

58

N=299

Figure4.7: Respondents indication of topics where they needed guidance and counseling

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Improving scoresTaking notes Taking tests Study skillsAsking counselor for helpTime management

Yes

No

59

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Socio-demographic characteristics and related information

Most of the respondents (86.6%) were Yoruba. This is expected because the study area, Ibadan

North Local Government, Ibadan, in Oyo state is native to the Yoruba people. The State which is

homogeneous has a population of about 4.5million and predominantly occupied by Yoruba

people. Within the State however, there are sub-ethnic groups with distinct dialect peculiarities.

The people of Oyo State may be divided into five broad groups which are: Ibadans, Ibarapas,

Oyos, Oke-Oguns and Ogbomosos (―The Official Website of the Oyo State Government‖ 2013).

Majority of the respondents (67.9%) were female and 32.1% were male. According to United

Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics, the

value for School enrollment, secondary, female (% gross) in Nigeria was 41.21 as of 2010 and

The value for School enrollment, secondary, male (% gross) in Nigeria was 46.78 as of

2010.This implies a higher enrolment rate of males in secondary schools. However, the larger

proportion of females in this study could be explained by the fact that one of the selected schools

was an all girls‘ school; this increased the percentage of females by 16.7%. The mean age was

13.3± 1.3 years, ranging from 11-18 years. This is in line with the average age of middle school

or junior high (Encarta, 2008). Almost all the respondents‘ (84.3%) belonged to nuclear

families, many (76.9%) reported that they lived far from school, 56.9% of the respondents‘ said

they did domestic work after school. This is very typical of the Nigerian culture. Only very few

(5.6%) reported doing school work after school, this will have implications on academic

performance.

5.2 Responses to confidence scale on tests and examinations

The larger proportion (84.9%) said they were always confident in their ability to prepare for a

test, 75.5% were also confident to learn by themselves. However, 53.8% reported that they were

sometimes afraid to take a test. Almost half of the respondents (45.9%) scored ‗not confident‘ on

60

the scale. High confidence level of the students is a predisposition to good performance in tests

and examinations, however, school counselors need to address the fear of tests in the students as

this can lead to poor performance and examination malpractice (SCS, 2012; Adeboye, 1998).

The study did not find a significant association for sex and confidence level (this may be due to a

higher percentage of female respondents), but it found a significant association between school

and confidence grade. This was interesting especially because the schools all had similar

physical characteristics. The difference may lie in the quality of the teaching methods or

teaching-learning environment provided by the teachers. The binary logistic regression analysis

was significant for only one of the schools with the reference category. The school was eight (8)

times more likely than the reference category to have a higher confidence grade.


The most reported difficult subjects were French (29.6%) and Mathematics (21.8%). It was not

surprising that mathematics would be popularly reported because there is still poor performance

in the subject (NECO, 2003). However, it was surprising that French would top the list. French

language, initially offered as an elective is now being offered in the certificate examinations. If it

is going to become compulsory, it is important for school counselors to liaise with the French

and mathematics teachers to reduce the difficulty to students.

Again, there was a strong association between secondary school and responses to difficult

subjects with French being the most reported difficult subject (68.0%) in one school (11.4% of

total) and Mathematics being the most reported difficult subject (40%) in another school (10% of

total).This show‘s that the different schools surveyed have inherent strengths and weaknesses

unique to them. Further investigation is needed to find out why and leverage on the strengths, so

they can be spread across board.

5.4 Responses to scale of activity based on classwork and homework

Only few (29%) scored low on the activity scale. The majority (71%) were active in classwork.

Once more, there was a significant association between secondary school and class activity grade

Logistic regression revealed a significant relationship between one of the schools and the

reference category, with students in that school being four (4) times less likely to be active in

classwork than the reference category. It is important for the school counselor to encourage

61

students participation in classwork as this predicts performance (Javaria, Nazia, and Sadaf

(2008); Bordbar (2010).

5.5 Meeting a counselor for help with school work

When asked specifically if they met their school counselor for help, most of them (61.9%) said

no. The minority (38.1%) said yes. When asked who they met when they had school problems,

about half (42.6%) of them reported that they met family or friends, another 42.6% said they met

their teacher while only few of the respondents (8.1%) reported that they met the counselor when

they needed help with school work. Attitudes towards counselors might be responsible for the

low utilization of the counselors‘ services. This finding supports studies by Nyamwange (2012)

and Kombo (1998). Significant associations were found with secondary school and sex of

respondents. Males were approximately three (3) times less likely than females to meet a

counselor for help. This agrees with Van Der Riet (2004), who said that social gender construct

makes males less likely to seek for help with their problems. All schools showed significant

association with meeting a counselor for help. Students in all other schools were more likely to

meet the school counselor than the reference category school.

5.6 Help topics of interest to the respondents

The questionnaire listed the following topics:

improving my scores

Taking notes

Taking tests

Study skills (preparing for tests, assignments and examinations)

How to ask my school counselor for help

Time management (between school, extracurricular, leisure, family, friends)

Among the listed help topics supplied in the questionnaire, many of the respondents indicated

they needed help with improving scores (56.5%) and study skills (68.4%).The identified topics

are evidence that there has not been adequate educational services available to the students.

These needs can adequately be met by a qualified school counselor.

62

Implication for educational counseling in Ibadan north local government

There is still low utilization of educational services, as found by Nyamwange (2012) in contrast

to the positive attitude to school counseling in Cross River state (Eyo,et al.,2010). There is need

for school counselors to plan interventions to increase the uptake of counseling services.

Students are still sometimes afraid to take tests. This could be a potential threat to peak

performance of the students in tests and examinations.

The study found that Schools have significant associations with confidence level, participation

level and likelihood to meet a counselor for help with school problems. All schools are indirectly

and directly conditioned by the teaching approaches employed by the teachers. School

counselors should take advantage of the schools as good environments for interventions.

Some topics have been identified by students in the surveyed schools. More training is needed

for the current school counselors. There is also need for more school authorities to pay more

attention to the school counseling units in schools.

63

Conclusion

The study surveyed junior secondary three (JSS3) students in Ibadan north local government area

to find out their educational counseling needs. The questionnaires were equally distributed across

six (6) randomly selected schools. Most of the students had a good confidence grade in test and

examinations, however, most of them still reported being sometimes afraid to take a test.

Significant associations were found for secondary school and confidence grade; activity grade

and meeting a counselor for help.

The most reported difficult subject was French language, followed by Mathematics. Majority of

the respondents also had a good class activity grade.

Even though majority of the respondents were aware that they had a school counselor, very few

of them met the counselor when they had problems with school work.

‗Improving scores‘ and ‗study skills‘ were the topics most of the respondents identified for help.

The study found that there is need for counselors in Ibadan north local government area to plan

interventions to both increase students‘ utilization of school counseling services and address the

difficulties the students are encountering.

Recommendations

1.) There is need for collaborative effort by school counselors and the local inspectorate of

education, Ibadan north local government to plan and implement interventions to increase

students uptake of counseling services

2.) There is need for experience sharing among the school counselors in Ibadan North local

government.

3.) More commitment and support from all stakeholders involved in education in Ibadan

north local government. This should be in the form of basic counseling amenities and

more counselors trained and posted to schools.

4.) In-service training for school counselors is highly recommended.

64

Suggestions for further study

1) A qualitative study to determine why only less than half of the study population met their

school counselor for help with school work

2) An In- depth study to ascertain what factors are responsible for increased likelihood of

confidence, class activity and meeting the school counselor for help.

65

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APPENDIX I

STUDENT EDUCATIONAL NEEDS SURVEY

JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL THREE (JSS3) STUDENTS

A) Demographic questions (please tick √ which applies to you)

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1 Please tick your

gender

Male

Female

2 How old are you? …………………………….. years

3 Please circle your

language

Yoruba

Hausa

Igbo

Other………..

4 Type of family

Nuclear Extended Polygamous Others………

5 Where do you live?

Far from

school

Close to

school

6 Do you help your

parents to work after

School?

Yes No

7 What type of work do you do?

B) Tests and examinations

Directions: Please tick √ your answers to the questions according to the scale provided.

Never Sometimes Always

8 I am confident about my ability

to prepare for a test

9 Although I have prepared for a

test, I feel afraid just before

taking a test

10 I am involved in too many

activities to prepare for tests

11 I feel confident about my ability

to take charge of my own

education and learning

12 I depend on my friend to help

me during my tests and

examinations

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C. Classwork and homework

13. What subjects do you find very difficult to learn?

………………………………………………..

14. What makes it difficult?

…………………………………………………………………………………………


15 Do you submit your

assignments on time?

16 When I need it, I ask for help

on my assignments

17 I participate in classwork

18 I answer questions in class

19 I understand my teacher‘s

language

D) Expectations for the school guidance counselor

20. Who do you meet when you have problems with school work? …………………

21. Do you have a school guidance counselor? Yes ( ) No ( )

22. Do you meet the school guidance counselor for help? Yes ( ) No ( )

23. Tick the topics of most interest to you.

I need help with:

improving my scores

Taking notes

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Taking tests

Study skills (preparing for tests, assignments and examinations)

rricular, leisure, family, friends)

No help needed in the above areas

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING

APPENDIX II: Scoring guide for scales

Confidence/Participation

scale


1 Scale Item 1 0 2

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2 Scale Item 1 0 2

3 Scale Item 1 0 2

4 Scale Item 1 0 2

5 Scale Item 1 0 2

Total 5 0 10

The highest score was 2 and the lowest 0. The Item totaled 10 points.

Scores of 0-5= Poor, scores of 6-10= Good

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APPENDIX III: Letter of Introduction

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