Relationship between guidance and counselling services offered and learners’ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Kabwe, Zambia.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between guidance and counselling services offered and learners‟ academic performance in selected secondary schools in Kabwe, Zambia. The study was under taken because learners‟ academic performance in secondary schools in Kabwe, Zambia had not been very good, despite guidance and counselling being offered to them.
A survey design supported by use of quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to collect data for the study. The sample size for the study was 120; this comprised 100 learners, 10 Head teachers and 10 guidance teachers. Simple random sampling was used to select learners, while purposive sampling was used to select Guidance teachers and Head teachers. Primary data were collected by the use of questionnaires and interview schedules; secondary data were collected through extensive review of literature related to the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data while quantitative data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).
The study revealed that there was a relationship between guidance and counselling services offered and learners‟ academic performance, though the relationship in the study schools was weak because the services offered were found to be statistically insignificant to have a positive effect on the learners‟ academic performance. This was because Guidance teachers experienced challenges which affected the service delivery of guidance and counselling services. These ranged from: inadequate time to conduct guidance and counselling; heavy teaching loads; learners‟ negative attitudes towards guidance and counselling; shortage of guidance and counselling materials; inadequate and inappropriate counselling services and finally lack of adequate professional training among guidance teachers. Based on these findings, the study recommended that the Ministry of Education should come up with a clear policy that will exempt guidance teachers from having any teaching loads. The study also recommends that a deliberate policy should be put in place by schools to orient learners on the benefits of guidance and counselling services. The study further recommends that the ministry should procure enough guidance and counselling materials to distribute to all the schools in the country.