ASSESSMENT OF COUNSELLORS' PERSONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES FACING GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN YOLA EDUCATION ZONE OF ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

This study assessed counsellors’ personal and administrative challenges facing guidance and counselling programme in Yola Education Zone of Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions and two research hypotheses. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study comprised of 177 respondents in 204 senior secondary schools; of which census sampling technique was used to select all the population as sample for the study. A self-developed questionnaire was validated and trial tested using Cronbach Alpha reliability to show an internal co-efficient of 0.886, which meant that the instrument was reliable. The data gathered were analyzed using descriptive statistic of frequencies, mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while t-test and ANOVA were used to test the null hypotheses. The finding of the study revealed that there is a significant difference in the mean response scores among senior secondary school counsellors on the counsellors’ personal challenges facing guidance and counselling services in Yola Education Zone of Adamawa State, with t = -3.13, when p = 0.00. Also, that there is a significant difference in the mean response scores among senior secondary school counsellors on the administrative challenges facing guidance and counselling services in Yola Education Zone of Adamawa State, with F (2, 170) = 52.02, p = 0.00. Thus, the study concludes that counsellors’ personal challenges and administrative challenges both affect the provision of guidance and counselling services in senior secondary schools within the Yola Education Zone. The study therefore recommends amongst others that school management should provide regular opportunities for professional development and training for school counsellors, in order to address skill gaps, and enhance counsellor’s effectiveness and prevent burnout.