Therapeutic Effects of Group Counselling on the Study Habit Problems of Secondary School Students
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study were to determine:
- effect of group counselling on the study habit of senior secondary school students towards schooling in Federal Government College, Maiduguri.
- gender difference in the study habit of senior secondary school students towards schooling in Federal Government College, Maiduguri.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
introduction
This part reviewed the related literatures
COUNSELING
Rogers (1942:231) says counseling is a process where counselors help clients to come to terms with their feelings and thoughts. In this way they gain insight into their problems in such a way that they view problems in a new or different light, which helps them to make rational, constructive decisions to change behavior and find solutions to their problems. Rogers (1942:234) also suggested that one view of human beings is that they are by nature irrational, un-socialized and destructive of themselves and others. He goes on to say that counseling reverses this and views the client as basically rational, socialized, forward moving and realistic. Burn (1992:17) takes counseling as a conversation where two groups of people take turns in exchanging views but with the counselor as more of a listener while the counselee does most of the talking. Fear and Wool (1996:89) say counseling is help given to a client to gain insight into his own thoughts, feelings and behavior in such a way that he can make rational constructive decisions to solve his problems. The British Association for Counseling (BAC) (1993) says that the overall aim of counseling is to provide an opportunity for the client to work towards living in a more satisfying and a resourceful way. The association goes on to say that counseling may be concerned with developmental issues, addressing and resolving specific problems, making decisions, coping with crises, developing personal insight and knowledge, working through feelings of inner conflict or improving relationships with others. In this case the counselor’s role is to facilitate the client’s work in ways, which respect the client’s values, personal resources and capacity for self-determination. Gibson and Mitchell (1993:164) assert that counseling is a one-to-one relationship that focuses on a person’s growth, adjustment, problem solving and decision making needs. This process is initiated by establishing a state of psychological contact or relationship between the counselor and the counselee and progresses to the extent that certain conditions essential to the success of the counseling process prevail. Many counseling practitioners La Forge (1990:457), Lee (1991:6), Lucking and Mitchum (1990:270) and Nelson (1992:218) believe that such conditions include counselor genuineness, or congruence, respect for client and an emphatic understanding of the client’s internal form of reference. These authorities go on to point out that effective counseling requires counselors with the highest level of training and professional skills as well as the necessary qualities. Counseling programs will suffer in effectiveness and credibility unless counselors exhibit understanding, warmth, humanness and positive attitudes towards humankind. Considering the above definitions and expressed views, it would stand to reason that the philosophy of counseling is based on individual respect, worthiness and the right to choices and direction. McLeod (1996:142) points out that the less defensive human beings are, the more positive and constructive they become. Since the various definitions of counseling differ little in actual meaning, one might assume that all counselors function similarly in like situations, interpret client information in the same manner, and agree on desired outcomes in specific situations.
However, these counselors may differ as much as the approaches they employ.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The design for the study was experimental design adopted to investigate the effect of group counselling on the attitude of senior secondary school students’ towards schooling in Federal Government College, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
Population and sampling of the study
The target population for the study comprised all the senior secondary school students in their first year (SS1) in Federal Government College, Maiduguri, which was 356 students’. However, 30 students were selected from the population through random sampling technique as the sample for the study. The sample for the study comprised of 17 boys and 13 girls. Fifteen (15) students were assigned to experimental group and the other 15 students to control group through randomization using odd and even numbers. This population was chosen because it was observed by the researchers during counselling practicum, that negative attitude towards schooling were mostly exhibited by (SS1) students.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF DATA AND ANALYSIS
Ho1: group counselling has no significant effect on the study habit of senior secondary school students towards schooling in Federal Government College, Maiduguri.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that group counselling promotes favourable study habit of students towards schooling in Federal Government College Maiduguri. Group counselling provided by school counsellors’ significantly decreases participants’ aggressive and hostile behaviours in addition to helping in changing the students negative attitude towards schooling. It was also concluded that gender was not a determinant factor when it comes to students’ attitude towards schooling, other factors like biogenic and sociocultural were concluded to be responsible.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that:
- Guidance and Counselling Unit of the Federal Government College Maiduguri should re-orient the students through information service on benefits of positive attitude towards schooling.
- Since group counselling was effective positively in improving the study habit of students towards schooling in Federal Government College Maiduguri, therefore, group counselling is recommended for both boys and girls with negative attitude towards schooling.
References
- Abdullahi, U., Atsua, T. G., Amuda, B. G. & Ago, H. A. (2013). Study habit counselling and academic performance of senior secondary school students in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Journal of Research in National Development, 11(2), 36-42.
- Akey, T. M. (2006). School context, student attitudes and behavior, and academic achievement: An exploratory analysis. New York: MDRC. Retrieved December 23rd, 2015, from http://www.mdrc.org/publications/419/full.pdf.
- Baker, S. B and Gerler, E. R. (2001). Counseling in schools. In D.C. Locke, J.E. Myers, and E.L. Herr (Eds.), The Handbook of Counseling, Thousand Oaks, C A: Sage Publications.
- Corey, M. S. and Corey, G. (1992). Groups: Process and practice. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
- Federal Government of Nigeria (2013). National Policy on Education (6th ed.). Lagos: Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) Press.
- Igwe, E. U. (2013). Effects of individual and group counselling on secondary school students’ truant behaviour in Abia State. An International Multidisciplinary Journal, Ethiopia, 7(2), 277-293.
- Lewy, A. (1986). School Attitudes: General. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
- Linnehan, F. (2001). Examining racial and family educational background differences in high school student beliefs and attitudes toward academic performance. Social Psychology of Education, 5, 31–48.
