scholarly journals EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (35) ◽  
pp. 58-64
Author(s):  
Lucy Gachenia ◽  
Margaret Mwenje

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.

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (38) ◽  
pp. 24-34
Author(s):  
Lucy Gachenia ◽  
Margaret Mwenje

School counseling is intended to help students overcome problems, which usually mitigate their academic performance in schools. Helping students adjust emotionally, physically, mentally, and socially enhances good academic performance. In achieving this goal of counseling especially in schools, the government has previously committed resources towards establishing counseling programs in schools. However, the reality on the ground is that there are few established counseling programs as well as few counselors to implement the said programs and this has posed a challenge to the counsellors in their effort to offer counseling to assist students to enhance their academic achievement. The aim of the study was to establish the challenges counselors face in affecting school counseling programs for academic achievement of secondary school students in Kiambu County. The objective of the study was to find out if counsellors faced challenges while offering to counsel for academic achievement. To achieve this objective the study used primary data collected from a sample of 80 secondary school-age going students from 8 schools, 8 counselors, and 8 academic deans of students from the sampled schools. The study was qualitatively done and self-determination theory was used to guide the study. Findings indicated that counselors encountered personal and professional challenges in the course of their counseling duties. For personal challenges, all counsellors (100%) reported having a difficult time balancing between teaching and counseling, all counselors (100%) noted they had insufficient time for counseling since little time was set aside in the school programs for counseling, (63%) said they had no specific rooms dedicated for counseling students, (63%) felt that the big number of students seeking counseling was a challenge while 100% stated dual relationship as a tough challenge. In regard to professional challenges, (100%) of the counsellors stated that none was compensated for extra counseling duties, (75%) had insufficient skills in academic counseling, (50%) had little support from subject teachers and from parents, 100% indicated little support from school administrators, 100% cited increased workload, 100%, lack of formal recognition from Teachers Service Commission that employs teachers and 50% felt that counselors inclusivity in school discipline committee posed a challenge. The study concluded that school counseling programs are commendable because they increase students’ academic achievement. However the study has established that school counselors should be equipped with appropriate counseling skills, their workload should be reduced and that school administration should encourage greater cooperation between teacher counselors and other members of staff as well as with parents and guardians, in order to make the counselors effort more productive. Further studies should be conducted to investigate how the school administration can be actively involved in supporting counseling programs in schools.


Author(s):  
Rajib Chakraborty

The present study tried to examine the relationship between academic achievement and emotional intelligence, blocking the influence of academic motivation on the relationship in secondary school students. Sample for the study includes 49 students (25 girls and 24 boys) from VIIIth and IXth classes of a secondary school in Sriram Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The data for measuring Emotional intelligence is collected by using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire – Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF), prepared by Petrides, K. V. & Furnham, A. (2006) for adolescents. The data for measuring academic motivation is collected using Academic Motivation Scale, High School Version (AMS-HS 28) for high school students prepared by Vallerand and et.al (1992). Academic achievement of the students is measured by collecting the students' grade point average in a summative assessment. For data analysis, Pearson's Product Moment and Partial Correlations are used. The significance of the test is calculated by using t-test formula for partial correlation for the level of significance α at 0.05. The findings of the study reveal that the influences of academic motivation on the relationship between academic achievement and emotional intelligence in secondary school students, cannot be ignored.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1012-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hairul A. Hashim ◽  
Golok Freddy ◽  
Ali Rosmatunisah

Background:The current study was undertaken to examine the associations between self-determination, exercise habit, anxiety, depression, stress, and academic achievement among adolescents aged 13 and 14 years in eastern Malaysia.Methods:The sample consisted of 750 secondary school students (mean age = 13.4 years, SD = 0.49). Participants completed self-report measures of exercise behavioral regulation, negative affect, and exercise habit strength. Midyear exam results were used as an indicator of academic performance. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.Results:The results of structural equation modeling revealed a close model fit for the hypothesized model, which indicates that higher levels of self-determination were positively associated with habituated exercise behavior. In turn, exercise habit strength fostered academic achievement and buffered the debilitative effect of stress, depression, and anxiety on student academic performance. The analysis of model invariance revealed a nonsignificant difference between male and female subjects.Conclusion:The findings support the notion that habituated exercise fosters academic performance. In addition, we found that habituated exercise buffers the combined effects of stress, anxiety and depression on academic performance. The finding also supports the roles of self-determination in promoting exercise habituation.


Author(s):  
Naim Uzuni ◽  
Kurtuluş Atli ◽  
Cem Saraç ◽  
Necdet Sağlam ◽  
Semran Sağlam

<p>The purpose of the current study is to determine the relationship between secondary and high school students’ ecocentric, anthropocentric and antiphatic attitudes towards the environment and their academic achievement. The study was conducted with the participation of totally 854 students attending secondary and high schools in the city of Aksaray in the spring term of 2013-2014 school year. In the collection of the data, “Ecocentric, Anthropocentric and Antipathic Environmental Attitude Scale” developed by Thompson and Barton (1994) and adapted to Turkish by Erten (2007) was used. In the analysis of the data, one-way variance analysis and Pearson Correlation analysis were conducted. At the end of the study, a significant difference was found in the ecocentric attitude mean scores of the secondary school students in favor of the students having higher academic achievement (F=3.161; p&lt;.05) and a significant difference was found in the antipathic attitude scores of the students in favor of those having lower academic achievement (F=14.700; p&lt;.001). No significant difference based on the students’ academic achievement was found in the students’ anthropocentric attitude scores (F=.755; p&gt;.05). The high school students’ ecocentric, anthropocentric and anthipatic attitude scores were found to be not significantly varying depending on their academic achievement (F=.749, .287 and 2.113; p&gt;.05, respectively). On the other hand, a low and positive correlation was found between the secondary school students’ academic achievements in Science and Social Studies courses and their ecocentric attitude scores (r=.139, .144; p&lt;.01, respectively) and a negative correlation was found with their achievements and antipathic attitude scores (r=-.242, -.284; p&lt;.001, respectively). No significant correlation was found between their achievements in these courses and anthropocentric attitude scores. A low and positive correlation was found between the high school students’ ecocentric attitude scores and their academic achievement in Geography course (r=.126; p&lt;.05). A low and negative correlation was found between the students’ antipathic attitude scores and their achievements in Biology course (r=-.237; p&lt;.01), in Chemistry course (r=-.145; p&lt;.05) and in Geography course (r=-.128; p&lt;.05). No significant correlation was found between the students’ anthropocentric attitude scores and their achievements in these courses. No significant correlation was found between the students’ anthropocentric and antipathic environmental attitudes and their academic achievements in Physics and Health Knowledge courses. In light of the findings of the study, some suggestions were made.</p><p>Keywords: ecocentric, anthropocentric and antipathetic attitude, environmental attitude, secondary school, high school, academic achievement</p>


SAGE Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824401774511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Polirstok

This article examines the academic performance of secondary school students from the perspectives of grit and mindset through a detailed review of the literature. What makes a learner resilient? Persistent? Willing to take on academic challenges? The research on grit and mindset provides an understanding of why many secondary students struggle academically. Whereas Duckworth discusses persistence and resilience, Dweck compares fixed versus growth mindsets, the willingness to take on academic challenges and belief in oneself as a learner. Teaching strategies and materials that can help students increase persistence and build a growth mindset are presented as keys to successfully affecting academic performance.


Author(s):  
Hussain Ahmad Al-Harthi

The study aimed to find the relationship between counseling services and self-confidence among high school students in Taif Governorate. To achieve the goal of the research, the researcher used the descriptive approach. A random sample of secondary school students in Taif Governorate was selected, amounting to 750 students, and it represents about 5% of the total study population, which numbered about 15000 students. The study tools were the scale of indicative services prepared by the researcher. And a measure of self-confidence prepared by Al-Qawasmeh and Al-Farah (1996). The study found that there is a positive correlation between counseling services provided to secondary school students in Taif Governorate and self-confidence, and the correlation coefficient has reached (0.77). In light of the results of the study, the researcher recommended a number of recommendations, Preparing counseling programs by the Department of Student Guidance and Guidance in the Department of Education and applying them in schools to develop self-confidence., Providing the necessary training courses for student counselors to provide counseling services more effectively., Designing special counseling programs by specialists in the Department of Student Guidance and Guidance in the Department of Education and Universities for students who suffer from low self-confidence- Spreading cultural awareness in the family about the nature of adolescence as a development stage, while clarifying its characteristics and manifestations.


Author(s):  
Kurtuluş Atlı ◽  
Naim Uzun ◽  
Cem Saraç ◽  
Necdet Sağlam ◽  
Semran Sağlam

The purpose of the current study is to determine the relationship between secondary and high school students’ ecocentric, anthropocentric and antiphatic attitudes towards the environment and their academic achievement. The study was conducted with the participation of totally 854 students attending secondary and high schools in the city of Aksaray in the spring term of 2013-2014 school year. In the collection of the data, “Ecocentric, Anthropocentric and Antipathic Environmental Attitude Scale” developed by Thompson and Barton (1994) and adapted to Turkish by Erten (2007) was used. In the analysis of the data, one-way variance analysis and Pearson Correlation analysis were conducted. At the end of the study, a significant difference was found in the ecocentric attitude mean scores of the secondary school students in favor of the students having higher academic achievement (F=3.161; p<.05) and a significant difference was found in the antipathic attitude scores of the students in favor of those having lower academic achievement (F=14.700; p<.001). No significant difference based on the students’ academic achievement was found in the students’ anthropocentric attitude scores (F=.755; p>.05). The high school students’ ecocentric, anthropocentric and anthipatic attitude scores were found to be not significantly varying depending on their academic achievement (F=.749, .287 and 2.113; p>.05, respectively). On the other hand, a low and positive correlation was found between the secondary school students’ academic achievements in Science and Social Studies courses and their ecocentric attitude scores (r=.139, .144; p<.01, respectively) and a negative correlation was found with their achievements and antipathic attitude scores (r=-.242, -.284; p<.001, respectively). No significant correlation was found between their achievements in these courses and anthropocentric attitude scores. A low and positive correlation was found between the high school students’ ecocentric attitude scores and their academic achievement in Geography course (r=.126; p<.05). A low and negative correlation was found between the students’ antipathic attitude scores and their achievements in Biology course (r=-.237; p<.01), in Chemistry course (r=-.145; p<.05) and in Geography course (r=-.128; p<.05). No significant correlation was found between the students’ anthropocentric attitude scores and their achievements in these courses. No significant correlation was found between the students’ anthropocentric and antipathic environmental attitudes and their academic achievements in Physics and Health Knowledge courses. In light of the findings of the study, some suggestions were made.Keywords: ecocentric, anthropocentric and antipathetic attitude, environmental attitude, secondary school, high school, academic achievement


Author(s):  
Rajib Chakraborty ◽  
Rafiya Sultana

The present study is an attempt to examine the role of prefrontal cortex in the relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement in combination, with emotional intelligence in secondary school students. Sample for the study includes 49 students (25 girls and 24 boys) from VIIIth and IXth classes of a secondary school in Sriram Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The data for measuring Emotional intelligence is collected by using the <italic>Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire – Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF)</italic>, prepared by Petrides, K. V. & Furnham, A. (2006) for adolescents. The data for measuring academic motivation is collected using <italic>Academic Motivation Scale, High School Version (AMS-HS 28)</italic> for high school students prepared by Vallerand and et.al (1992). Academic achievement of the students is measured by collecting the students’ grade point average in a summative assessment. For data analysis, Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation coefficient and Multiple Regression are used. The significance of the test is calculated using critical value table for Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation and F-test for the level of significance α at 0.01. The findings of the study reveal that the linear combination of variables academic motivation and academic achievement positively and moderately predict the variable emotional intelligence in secondary school students.


Author(s):  
Elena Escolano-Pérez ◽  
Marta Bestué

There is a growing interest in determining which variables contribute to students’ academic performance, since this performance is associated with their wellbeing and with the progress of the nation. This study analyzed whether different variables (executive functions and physical activity levels, gender and academic year) of 177 Spanish Compulsory Secondary School students contributed to their academic performance. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2 (BRIEF-2), Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) and an ad hoc questionnaire were used to determine the students’ executive functioning, physical activity level, gender and academic year, respectively. Students’ grades were considered to be indicators of their academic achievement. Seven multiple linear regression models were constructed using the R computing language to examine the association between academic achievement (considered in each of the 5 subjects: Language, Mathematics, Geography and History, English and Physical Education; the mean of the instrumental subjects—Language and Mathematics—and the mean of all the subjects) and the independent variables. The results indicated that executive functions, physical activity and gender contributed to academic performance, but academic year did not. This suggests that students with good executive functions, who perform physical activity and are female, would have better academic achievement. This information should be considered when designing interventions to improve student academic achievement.


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