Influence of teacher-pupil ratio and learner characteristics on provision of guidance and counseling services in public primary schools in Kenya: a case study of Eldoret municipality

Abstract

Guidance and counselling has been commonly conducted by any persons in communities as well as schools over along period. The number of counsellors and counselees and place of counselling interviews not having been considered much. Psychologists have noted that aspects of guidance and counselling were concerned with feelings, attitudes and emotional dispositions of an individual about himself and situation facing him. The Kenyan government started financing primary education in 2003 which led to an increase in pupil enrolment not corresponding to the number of teachers. Therefore, this study set out to investigate the influence of teacher-pupil ratio and learner characteristics on provision of guidance and counselling services in public primary schools. This study was guided by Trait/ factor theory (Edmund, 1965). The study used ex-post facto research design. This research was carried out in Eldoret Municipality. Primary data was collected from a sample of 300 participants who included 12 head teachers, 48 teachers selected through purposive sampling and 240 pupils through stratified random sampling. Data was collected by the use of questionnaires, interview schedules and observation. Data was analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, Chi-square and One Way Analysis of Variance. The analysis revealed that; teacher-pupil ratio influenced the provision of guidance and counselling services, teachers used group counselling method irrespective of the nature of the problem a learner had; and learner characteristics (gender and age) influenced the provision guidance and counselling services. Based on these findings, the study recommends that: number of teachers should be increased in Public Primary Schools; individual counselling method should be used when handling gender related issues. Further research should investigate why group counselling method is not preferred and why boys respond negatively to guidance and counselling services. The findings of this study are expected to provide information to the education sector in designing proper policies for guidance and counselling services