Counseling effectiveness of guidance designates in public secondary schools

Abstract

Man is the most complex creation made. Everything about man cannot be explained entirely by science but one thing is clear for everyone, man is a social being. Man is born among people and live with them. Acquiring certain curiosity about his surroundings of how things are and how it came to be which drives him to relate and interact with others. Due to this interaction, man will come to a realization that he has needs and must find ways to gratify or satisfy such needs. During this time, he is faced with certain kinds of situations within and out of his control. Those within his control nourishes his experience of day to day living but those out of control causes confusion, conflict and at times, he struggles within. McLeod (2009) noted in his book, "that in this world, there are many different types of experiences that are difficult for people to cope with. Most of the time, we get on with life, but sometimes we are stopped in our tracks by an event or situation that we do not, at that moment, have at that moment, have the resources to sort out" (p.l.). Others manage by solving the problem immediately, channeling their emotions to a more positive and productive outcome. Unfortunately, not all possess a strong will and personality to handle conflict and confusion. The young members of our society are more prone and vulnerable to such situations and if not handled well may evolved into depression or worse, suicide. The main aim of this study was to identify the level of effectiveness of counseling by guidance designates in public secondary schools in the city of Baguio. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the guidance designates in public secondary schools in the city of Baguio according to: a. age; b. sex; c. area of specialization; d. years of experience as guidance designate? 2. What are the most common and recurring maladaptive behaviors in public secondary schools? 3. What is the level of counseling effectiveness of the guidance designates as perceived by students in the evaluation of services and the impression of the guidance designate? In this research, the quantitative approach was utilized. The descriptive-survey method was conducted in order to identify the characteristics of the respondents who participated in the study. The quantitative-descriptive approach is ideal for study purpose of describing, recording, analyzing, and interpreting the phenomena which reflects the observation of this study. This study was undertaken in the city of Baguio specifically in 14 public secondary schools from purposive sampling. Data wee collected through administering the Guidance Designate Counseling Effectiveness Survey for students, the Demographic Questionnaire Form for guidance designates and the Counseling Effectiveness Survey for students and Registered Guidance Counselors. Based on the data gathered, the following are the findings of the study. 1. In 14 public secondary schools in the city of Baguio, there are five (5) males and nine (9) female designates. Two (2) are within 20-29 years of age, nine are within 30-39, Two are within 40-49 and one is within the 50-59 age bracket. Thirteen (13) designates major in Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao and one major i math in terms of there area of specialization. Eleven (11) designates have at least a year to fifteen (15) years of experience and the remaining three have been given the designation for more than sixteen (16) years. 2. The following maladaptive behaviors wee ranked and reported by the different guidance designates based on their records and logbooks. Absenteeism, tardiness, improper wearing of uniform and improper haircut, bringing and drinking of liquor within the school premises, and bullying (cyber bullying and physical bullying). 3. Guidance designates are very effective in rendering their counseling service in a courteous and helpful manner positively affecting different areas of the student's life from achievement to social and familial relationships. Sanctions given were appropriate based on the Child Protection Policy as mandated by the Department of Education. The guidance designate is deemed an essential personnel of the school by the student. Based on the findings of the study, the following are conclusions: 1. The typical profile of a guidance designate in a public secondary school is a female within 30-39 years of age with at least a year to 15 years of experience as a guidance designate and majors in Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao. 2. Guidance designates experience the same maladtive behaviors in their respective schools. 3. Guidance designates can also render counseling services very effectively like the Registered Guidance Counselors. Based on the findings and the conclusions of this research, the following are recommended: 1. In appointing teachers to be guidance designates in schools where there are no Registered Guidance Counselors; age, sex, years of experience and area of specialization should not only be the sole basis in the selection process. 2. School heads or principals in the secondary public schools may request trough channels to the Department of Education the hiring of Registered Guidance Counselors per school because it is difficult for guidance designates to handle more than 500 students of diverse backgrounds and concerns. 3. A functional guidance program for guidance designates should be in place in every school. Others: 1. During trainings, seminars and workshops on guidance, the Department of Education, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, police, drug enforcers and other related agencies should work hand and hand so as to come up with practical and feasible precautionary measures and solutions to deal with maladaptive behaviors developing among secondary public school students. 2. Guidance designates should enroll units in Masters in Guidance Counseling to gain more knowledge and skills to accomplish their roles as designates. 3. The Department of Education should conduct trainings to Guidance Designates more often not only on am annual basis because the needs of our learners change often due to the rapid advancement of technology. 4. Future researchers, who would like to conduct further studies about guidance designates, have to widen the scope and increase the population of the respondents by including those in the elementary level. 5. The program for guidance designates should be geared towards understanding the job description, roles and function and services offered, which has to be reviewed in order for future designates and researchers to confirm findings.