Counsellors\' Attributes as Correlate of Counsellees\' Attraction to Guidance and Counselling in Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to investigate counsellors’ competency as correlate of counsellees’ attraction to guidance and counselling in secondary schools in Ebonyi State. One research question and a null hypothesis guided the study. The study adopted correlational survey design. The population of the study consisted of 1500 senior secondary 1 & 11 students from all approved secondary schools that have school guidance counsellors in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The sample of the study was 373 SS1 and SS2 students drawn using purposive and multistage sampling techniques. The instrument used for data collection was counsellors’ competency questionnaire (CCQ). The instrument was validated by two experts in the field of Guidance and Counselling and one in Measurement and Evaluation. A trial test of the instrument was conducted and the reliability of the instrument was computed using Cronbach Alpha method. Direct delivery and retrieval method was used in administering the questionnaire. The research question and hypothesis were analyzed using Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient and simple linear regression respectively. The findings of the study revealed among others that: there exist no positive relationship between counsellors’ competency and counsellees’ attraction to school guidance and counselling services. Based on the findings, some implications were drawn which include the fact that there to enlighten students on the need of visiting counsellors’ office, in identifying with the guidance counsellor in one on one counselling relationship which would help in resolving peculiar issues in an individual’s life for adjustment and future positive attainment. Recommendations were made which include that: counsellors should extend their services to classrooms than sitting in their offices for counsellees to come without proper information about the need of visiting their offices for mutual relationship.