Advancement Through Research
This study investigated counsellors’ gender and location as correlates of counsellees’ attraction to guidance and counselling in secondary schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The design adopted was a correlational survey. The population of the study consisted of 1500 senior secondary 1 & 11 students from all approved secondary schools that have school guidance counsellors in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The sample of the study was 373 SS1 and SS2 students drawn using purposive and multistage sampling techniques. The instrument used for collecting data for the study was a questionnaire on counsellors' gender and location questionnaire (CGLQ). The instrument was validated by three experts, two in the field of Guidance Counselling and one in Measurement and Evaluation. A trial test of the instrument was conducted and the reliability of the instrument was computed using Cronbach Alpha method. Direct delivery and retrieval method was used in administering the questionnaire. The research question and hypothesis were analyzed using Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient and simple linear regression respectively. The finding of the study revealed that: There was no significant relationship between counsellors' gender to counsellees' attraction to school guidance and counselling. Also, there exists no positive relationship between counsellors' attraction to counsellees' based on location. Based on the findings, some implications were drawn which include the fact that there is the need for school counsellors to have a specified period in the school timetable in order to educate students on the importance and roles of school guidance counsellors in their lives. That is, counsellors should extend their services to classrooms than sitting in their offices. Moreso, they should endeavour to enlighten counsellees on the need of visiting counsellors' office, in identifying with the guidance counsellor in one on one counselling relationship which would help in resolving peculiar issues in an individual's life for adjustment and future positive attainment.
Gender, Location, Counsellors, Counsellees, Guidance and counselling
