The Role Of School-Based Guidance And Counselling Services In Shaping Secondary School Students’ Discipline In Bukoba District

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the role of School-Based Guidance and Counselling Services in

Shaping Students’ Discipline in Secondary Schools in Bukoba District. It had three

objectives: to identify challenges of school-based mechanisms in place towards

shaping students’ discipline, to explore stakeholders’ perception on the efficacy of

school-based guidance and counselling services towards shaping students’

discipline, and to examine the scope of secondary school-based guidance and

counselling services in enhancing students’ discipline. The study employed a

qualitative research approach using phenomenology research design. It was carried

out in Bukoba District involving three selected secondary schools. Data were

collected from 42 informants to include heads of schools, discipline

masters/mistresses, teacher-counsellors, non-teaching staff, students, and parents

through interview, focus group discussion, and documentary analysis. Data were

thematically analysed and presented verbatim.

Findings revealed that; the studied secondary schools were dominantly using

punishments and suspension as mechanisms towards shaping students’ discipline.

However, these mechanisms had different challenges such as inflicting pains to

students physically, psychologically, and socially. They were less effective to serve

the intended purpose. Hence indiscipline acts among secondary school students were

persistent and on increase in schools. Again, stakeholders acknowledged that, the use

of guidance and counselling services as effective means of shaping students'

discipline in schools. However, the service is constrained by too much workload to

teacher-counsellors, poor involvement of other stakeholders, and lack of awareness

among some key stakeholders such as students, parents, and non-teaching staff.

Moreover, implementation of school-based guidance and counselling services was

found to be dominated by a common approach of teacher-counsellor talking to

students which is a narrow scope. It was recommended that, school-based guidance

and counselling services need to be broad to encompass films and videos, the

invitation of guest speakers, peer counselling, debates and dialogue, reading

materials, and checklist of standard discipline to enable students have selfassessment

regarding their discipline versus the standard discipline.