Students' Common Problem and Attitudes towards Guidance and Counselling Services: Basis for Guidance Services Annual Development Plan

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

This study entitled "Student's Common Problem and Attitudes towards Guidance and Counselling Services: Basis for Guidance Services Annual Development Plan was conducted to determine the common problems and attitudes of Grade 10 students towards Guidance and Counselling Services as a basis for Guidance and Counselling Annual Development Plan.

METHODS

This descriptive research utilized the survey method to gather the needed data from the respondents who were selected through stratified random sampling. The questionnaire used was adopted and modified from the literature related to the attitudes of the students towards seeking guidance and counselling.

RESULTS

The results revealed that most of the respondents showed negative attitude towards Guidance and Counselling Services. It is an indicator that students nowadays are fond on experimenting. They tend to solve their problem on their own. It greatly proves that they do not want to seek help from a guidance counselor instead they seek advices from their peers or group of friends and for them seeking help from a guidance counselor will be their last resort. On the other hand, bullying was the most common problem the students had encountered and had detrimental effect on students which had the tendency to have unstable emotion, unsatisfactory school performance, poor relationship with their family members, teachers, and peers and more likely to have the negative attitudes. Further, lack of skills and strategies to deal with problems may develop anger and anxiety and suffer low self-esteem and depression. Bullying is a legitimate issue that requires attention and intervention and if not addressed properly, it can have a residual effect later in life.

DISCUSSIONS

The way the respondents perceived guidance and counselling services was alarming since most of them perceived it negatively. It was apparent that Guidance and Counselling services in school should be fortified. An intervention program is suggested like strengthening the Department of Education and school policy on bullying. A school wide implementation of Anti-Bullying Act is required which school personnel, school administrators, parents, students as well as the community are all involved in the said implementation. A seminar-workshop onparenting, peer counselling and different types of counselling is insinuated. Values formations on all grade levels are also conducted. It is a big challenge to change slowly the negative perceptions of the students towards guidance and counselling. It isvaluable to put on realization all the programs and activities that is useful in developing positive perception and holistic development of the students.