School Counselling Services and Academic Performance of English Language Students in Public Secondary Schools in Akwa Ibom State

Abstract

The study was conducted with a view to investigating the relationship between school counselling services and the academic performance of English language students in public secondary schools, Akwa Ibom State. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between academic, vocational and social counselling services and the academic performance of English language students in public secondary schools, Akwa Ibom State. Three objectives were developed for the study. This was augmented by three research questions and hypotheses. A descriptive survey of a correlational nature was used for the study. This approach required the use of a survey instrument tagged 'School Counselling and Academic Performance Questionnaire' (SCAPQ) to obtain information from respondents. A total of 18 schools were randomly selected from across the three senatorial districts of the state. From the total population of 19,227 SS2 students during the 2024/2025 academic session, 961 students, representing 5% of the total population, were randomly selected as the sample size of the study. From the sample size of 961, 927 effectively completed the research instrument. The 927 eventually became the sample size of the study. The information obtained from the 927 was analysed using mean and standard deviation to address the research questions, while correlation analysis was used to test hypotheses at a 95% confidence level. From the findings, it was established that academic, vocational and social counselling services have a positive and significant relationship with English language students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. It was concluded that the relationship between school counselling services and English language students’ academic performance is positive and significant at a 5% level of significance. It is therefore recommended that every form of counselling service should be incorporated into the secondary schools’ subjects’ curriculum. In addition to incorporating counselling services into the curriculum, the government should encourage training and employment of guidance and counselling teachers in every public secondary school in the state. It should also be made compulsory for each private school to have at least one school counsellor.