Guidance Services and Student Academic Performance in Government Aided Secondary Schools in Mbale City, Uganda

Abstract

The study was focused on Guidance services and students' academic performance in government aided schools in Mbale City. The study had three objectives; to find out the effect of career guidance on students’ academic performance, to establish the effect of psycho-social guidance on students’ academic performance and to find out whether adaptation guidance has an effect on students’ academic performance. A case study research design was used in the study. A sample of 100 respondents was selected, from the study population of 135 using Sloven’s formula and simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. Qualitative data was analyzed using descriptive and discursive content analysis. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 2.0 was used in quantitative data analysis. Regression analysis was used to determine the effect of guidance on students’ performance. The study found out that career guidance and psychological guidance services positively affect students’ academic performance while adaption guidance plays a big role on students' comfortability in a new environment and guarantees students fair stay in a school. It was concluded that guidance services help students cope in a new school environment. The study recommends that secondary schools in Mbale City should hire and post enough qualified teachers in guidance to help the big numbers of students. In addition, schools should improve the level of continuous training offered to those who provide guidance and counselling in schools. The schools should take advantage of the positive attitude of the students to enhance psychological counselling.