The Practice, Need, and Attitude Regarding Counseling Services in Higher Educational Institutions: The Case of Mizan Tepi University
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Date
2018-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to assess the practices, needs, and attitudes about guidance and counselling services at higher educational institutions, particularly, the case of Mizan- Tepi University (MTU) Guidance and Counselling Centre examining the implication for restructuring guidance and counselling services in the university. To accomplish the purpose of the present study, four groups of data sources were taken. These populations were 400 students, 5 MTU administrators, 1 counsellor, and various documents. Data were collected via questionnaire, focus group discussion, and document review. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis were utilized to analyse the observed data and particularly, percentage, frequency, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were employed. The finding of this study show that the students’ knowledge and awareness about the existing guidance and counselling centre MTU was relatively low. The present study has clearly revealed that students experience various challenges during their stay in the University, including but not limited to educational/academic, mental health, career related, personal, social/interpersonal, environmental, and love/heterosexual relationships/heterosexual related problems. Unfortunately, the study has also found out that, despite the existing multifaceted problems facing the student community, the Guidance and Counselling Centre of MTU is poorly equipped with the essential professional human power, material resource, as well as technical inputs to provide effective and efficient services to the university community. In relation to the readiness of the University to restructure and upgrade the capacity of the Guidance and Counselling Centre, the study has found out that, despite the individual appreciation of the need to build the capacity of the Guidance and Counselling Centre, the organizational readiness of the Mizan- Tepi University to take tangible steps toward restructuring and equip the centre with the necessary working space, functional inputs, human power, material inputs, financial resources, and technical inputs as per the standards set by the International Association of Counselling Services (IACS) is negligible. Finally, on the basis of these findings, the researcher has made conclusions and provided recommendation deemed to make significant contribution to the improvement of the Guidance and Counselling Centre Mizan- Tepi University.
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The Practice, Need, and Attitude, Regarding Counselling Services