THE IMPACT OF COUNSELING SERVICES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY: Academic performance of Nigerian secondary school students has been a source of concern because it is decreasing in value day in and day out. This is the result of many factors that have been militating against it, and all of these abstract factors could be uprooted or avoided in order to attain academic excellence through the proper placement of regular and well-planned counseling services in our various secondary schools. This would allow for the achievement of academic excellence (Achebe, 2022).

Counseling, which functions as the third driving force in education alongside assessment and evaluation, is an essential component of the educational system. The physical, emotional, social, occupational, and intellectual struggles that teenage adolescents face are the focus of counseling programs tailored for secondary school students. This is to supplement the education that pupils get in the classroom and also to improve the students' academic performance and overall academic accomplishment. Counseling plays an essential part in the prevention of educational, personal, social, mental emotional, and other problems of a similar kind among students in secondary education (Bamgbaiye 2021).

The Ministry of Education and principals of schools are aware of the great dependence put on counseling services for the majority of aspects of the new 9-3-4 system in order for it to genuinely succeed (Carew 2021). These services include counseling, referral, assessment, and follow-up, as well as consultation and research services. As a vital component of any type and any level of education, the absence of nonutilization of these systems, 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. This is due to the fact that these systems are a vital component of any type and any level of education (Achebe, 2022).

One of the educational services that are provided is counseling. According to the National Policy of Education (NPE) (2004), the purpose of educational services is to "make the educational experience more meaningful for children." This is one of the policy's goals, along with "facilitate the implementation of the educational policy and the attainment of policy goals." On the basis of these aims, the counseling activities that take place in schools are advantageous because the counselors who deal with students in secondary school provide them with comprehensive guidance to assist them in achieving success in their educational endeavors (Achebe, 2022).

According to Okobrah and Okorodudu (2006), counseling encompasses not only the activities of relevant services but also the processes of assisting individuals, both inside and outside of the school setting, to realize their full potentials in terms of their emotional, moral, social, academic, and vocational growth. The topic that will be discussed in this article is how students in secondary schools may maximize their academic potential by making effective use of the guidance counseling programs that are available to them (Bamgbaiye 2021).

According to Akpon (2010), counseling is "an educational service that seeks to provide the school child opportunity to obtain holistic education development that prepares him for functional life." [C]onsulting is "an educational service that seeks to provide the school child opportunity to obtain holistic education development that prepares him for According to Ipaye (2000), the purpose of counseling in the classroom is to provide students with opportunities to reflect on their identities, come to terms with who they are, and develop the skills necessary to function successfully in their communities. According to Esen (2008), the primary goal of counseling is to aid the recipient in uncovering his or her own latent capabilities and, ultimately, in developing greater levels of independence. In a nutshell, he says that counseling is "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" (He summarizes the definition of counseling as "a service that is professionally given by a counselor or therapists to a learner of any age, The point is to help him understand himself, his situation, and his environment; to find out his interests, potentials, and opportunities in life; and to learn how to most effectively utilize his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses, so that he can live a life that is as productive as possible to the fullest extent possible (Bamgbaiye 2021).

As a consequence of these definitions provided by these academics, counseling is a human-oriented program that is built on assisting an individual in defining and redefining his objectives and desires in life activities in order to achieve higher levels of productivity (Carew 2021).

There are many different types of assistance that may be provided by a professional counselor to both the institution they work at and the community in which it is located.

This includes schooling for certain careers.

The educational services in counseling are a type of service that takes care of all concerns related to education, including those that relate to the physical environment of the school, the structural make up of the school, and the activities that take place within the school. According to Olayinka (2009), academic counseling is defined as the process of supporting students in making the best possible use of the educational possibilities available to them. According to Egbule (2006), educational counseling is defined as the provision of help to learners and students in order to facilitate their successful functioning in the educational setting. He goes on to state that it helps them understand themselves and how their potentials may be developed, and with these definitions, education counseling for teenagers is an absolute necessity if they want to realize their full potential (Carew 2021).

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 impact of counseling services on academic performance of senior secondary school students 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;

·         SalawuAbiola Comprehensive High School, Osiele, Abeokuta

·         N.U.D Grammar School Obantoko, Abeokuta

·         Alabata Comprehensive High School, Abeokuta

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