Influence of Guidance and Counselling Programmes on Emotional Regulation Among Students in Public Secondary Schools in Westlands Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya.

Emotional regulation is critical to students’ development, influencing how they cope with stress, manage emotions and succeed in academic and social environments. However, there is limited empirical data on the influence of guidance and counselling programmes on emotional regulation among students in public secondary schools in Westlands Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. The objective of the study was to examine the influence of guidance and counselling programmes on emotional regulation among students in public secondary schools in Westlands Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. A descriptive survey design was adopted targeting 10,072 respondents (9,647 students, 411 class teachers, and 14 H.O. Ds Guidance and Counselling) from 14 public secondary schools in Westlands Sub-County, Kenya. Using Proportionate stratified random sampling and purposive sampling, a sample of 385 participants was selected to ensure representation across schools. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis. Piloting was conducted to test the instrument’s reliability obtaining 0.835 and 0.815 reliability coefficients with students’ and teachers’ questionnaire respectively using Cronbach’s alpha. Dependability of the qualitative tools was established through interviews that yielded consistent insights. Credibility was enhanced by cross-checking the interview data with questionnaire results to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness. Content and construct validity was ascertained through expert evaluation of the instruments. The findings revealed that guidance and counselling programmes moderately supported students’ emotional regulation, though statistical tests showed no significant difference between teacher and student perceptions and qualitative data revealed gaps in implementation and staffing. The study concludes that Guidance and counselling programmes in the schools have a generally positive but limited and inconsistent influence on students’ ability to manage their emotions effectively. The study recommends that Schools should strengthen guidance and counselling programmes by ensuring consistent delivery, adequate staffing, proper training and structured follow-up to enhance their effectiveness in fostering emotional regulation.