Impact of Guidance and Counselling Services on Students? Social and Emotional Adjustment in Public Urban and Rural Secondary Schools in Nakuru and Uasin Gishu Counties, Kenya

The study sought to establish impact of guidance and counselling services on students social and emotional adjustment in the selected public urban and rural secondary schools in Nakuru and Uasin Gishu Counties, Kenya. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey research design since the researcher wished to gather information on the basis of the current status. The research population was form 4 students in 24 secondary schools from Urban Setting: Eldoret, Naivasha and Nakuru, and Rural Setting: Soi, Kuresoi and Molo. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 336 students, 45 school counsellors and 45 school administrators as respondents. Quantitative data was collected by administering questionnaires to students and school guidance counsellors while Qualitative data was collected through conducting an interview schedule to school administrators. Questionnaires were pilot tested using Cronbachs coefficient alpha to determine the internal consistency of the items and were found to have reliability coefficient of 0.8. Descriptive statistical techniques involved frequencies and percentages were employed to analyze the collected data. The Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. helped in data analysis. The findings of the study indicated that guidance and counselling services in secondary schools had high levels impact on students social and emotional adjustments. Rural schools indicated high level of impact of guidance and counselling services where female students expressed higher level of social and emotional adjustment It was concluded that guidance and counselling services helps in enhancing positive social and emotional adjustments amongst secondary school students. Stakeholders in education sector and other youth institutions could find these findings useful in addressing secondary schools students social and emotional needs.