Guidance-related needs of adolescents in Kenya
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2010
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Abstract
Certain high-risk behaviours, common among adolescents today, point to the importance of implementing a comprehensive guidance and counselling program (CGCP) at the high-school level. Such programs are aimed at meeting the "whole-person" needs of all adolescents, as well as reducing risk conditions. A logical place to begin is with a comprehensive assessment of adolescents' needs. Including students in the process enables them to state their needs and stop adults from assuming that they know what students need. Moreover, such an assessment provides a database of needs from which to build a (CGCP). In this study, I investigated the nature of adolescent needs in Kenyan high schools by comparing the perspectives of students and adults (head teachers, counsellors, and teachers), and examining how students' perceptions of needs differ across gender and form (grade) levels. In addition, the infrastructure support necessary for meeting student needs was explored. Participants in the study included 917 male and female students, from Forms 1 to 4 (equivalent of Grade 9 to Grade 12 in Canada), as well as 30 adults, from 10 secondary schools selected from five districts of the Western Province of Kenya. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and content analysis. I discovered differences between student and adult groups. Adolescents' highest-priority needs were in the following clusters: instructional needs, environmental needs and counselling service needs. They also reported priority needs in these subscales: health promotion, mental and emotional health, interpersonal relationships, physical well-being, and academic skills. In contrast, adults reported highest-priority needs in these clusters: counselling service needs, instructional needs, and environment needs. Adults also reported top priority needs in the following subscales: sexuality, mental and emotional health, health promotion, personal counselling, and academic skills. Additionally, significant differences were found between gender and form (grade). A multivariate analysis of variance indicated a significant effect for both form (grade) F(45, 2626) = 2.49, p < .OJ and gender F(l5 ,884) = 3.91, p < .01, but no significant form by gender interaction F(45, 2626) = 1.02, p=44. Content analysis revealed that several barriers prevent students from receiving appropriate services. These include a lack of financial and human resources, as well as limited training available for counsellors. The results of this study support the efficacy of utilizing needs assessment results as precursor to developing and implementing a CGCP. Additionally, the results of this study have implications for the development of responsive comprehensive guidance and counselling programs in secondary/high schools, and for future research.
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Bibliography: p. 150-171
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Citation
Lavusa, N. I. (2010). Guidance-related needs of adolescents in Kenya (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/3495