Evaluation of Factors Influencing Guidance and Counselling Programmes in Secondary Schools in Sokoto Metropolis

This study aims at evaluating the factors influencing guidance and counselling programmes and possible strategies to address them in some selected secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis, Sokoto state, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was used to obtain descriptive and self-reported data and/or information from the participants in this study. The sample size was 400 participants comprising a total of 200 students, 150 teachers, 30 school counsellors, and 20 school administrators. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result showed that lack of professional counsellors, lack of formal training for counsellors, lack of support from school administrators/government, lack of materials/facilities, lack of parental support, and lack or inadequate public awareness were some of the factors influencing guidance and counselling programmes in secondary schools. The result also indicated that strategies such as employing professional counsellors, creating public awareness, assigning only counselling services to counsellors, allocation of sufficient time to counselling services, and provision of adequate support by school administrators/government among others will significantly curb the problems facing guidance and counselling programmes in secondary schools. Many factors significantly influenced the guidance and counselling programmes in secondary schools. For effective guidance and counselling, strategies should be applied to curb the major factors that influenced the guidance and counselling programmes.