The school counseling program is meant to assist students to deal with psycho-social and behavioral challenges, which normally affect their academic performance. In order to achieve this goal, the Kenyan government has previously committed resources towards establishing counseling programs in schools. The aim of this study was to establish how effective these counseling programs are in assisting secondary school learners in Kiambu County to achieve academically. Primary data was derived from 80 high school adolescents, 8 counselors, and 8 academic Dean of Students who were purposively sampled from 8 schools that were randomly selected. The study was qualitatively done, and self-determination theory was used to guide the study. Data were analyzed for the identification of counseling program characteristics and student improvement indices. These were presented in tables, charts, frequencies, and percentages based on the responses from the respondents. Further, a correlation between the two variables of the study was examined. Findings depicted that 65.7% of the students sampled said that counseling services offered at school satisfied their needs, 74.3% reported an improvement in their academic performance as a result of those counseling services and 87% felt more positive about school life after receiving counseling services. The study concluded that comprehensive counseling programs improved academic performance among high school students. The study intended to inform education planners, principals, and administrators on the role counseling would play in enhancing academic achievement among secondary school students.
EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA
