Analysis of Guidance and Counseling Program at Thika High School for the Blind, Kenya
Wamocho, F. I.
Irungu, Mary Wangari.
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The purpose of this study was to analyze the guidance and counseling program at Thika High School for the Blind, the only residential secondary school for students with visual impairments in Kenya. The study examined the content of the existing guidance and counseling program and whether the teacher counselors were adequately trained to handle the youth with visual impairments. The study adopted the fifth stage of Erikson's psychoanalytic theory (1975), "identity versus role confusion" under which adolescents fall. The theory states that at adolescent stage, the youth with visual impairments experience a major crisis due to rejection, negative attitudes, and social stigma from family, peers and society. The study was descriptive and included observations and a survey design. A sample of 22 subjects which comprised of 16 students who were conveniently sampled plus 4 teachers, 1 deputy principal and 1 head of guidance and counseling department who were purposively sampled. Data were collected through questionnaires supplemented by an interview schedule for the deputy principal, unstructured interview schedule for students, and observation checklists for human resources and physical facilities. The study found that there is need to strengthen guidance and counseling services in Thika High School for the Blind through school-based in-service courses, workshops and seminars for teacher counselor. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)