Counsellor Trainees’ Assessment of their Competencies in Counselling Skills in Tertiary Institutions in Delta and Anambra States

U  Ijomah; E Enakpoya

doi:10.53103/cjess.v3i4.150

Authors

U Ijomah Delta State University, Nigeria
E Enakpoya Delta State University, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53103/cjess.v3i4.150

Keywords:

Counsellor Trainees, Assessment, Competencies, Counselling Skills, Tertiary Institutions

Abstract

The study investigated how trainee counsellors who will graduate to become school counsellor assess their competencies in the skill that are needed for school counselling. Five research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population comprised all final year undergraduate and postgraduate students of Guidance and Counselling in Delta and Anambra State in the 2021/2022 Academic Session, with a total of 266 undergraduate students and 100 postgraduate students. The sample size comprised 133 undergraduate students and 50 postgraduate students, representing 50% of the entire population. The students were drawn randomly from the population to represent undergraduate and postgraduate students in the two selected universities in Delta and Anambra States. A multistage sampling method was used to select the sample. The instrument that was used in the study is a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed by the researcher. The instrument was validated by 3 experts from Guidance and Counselling Department (including the research supervisor). The reliability of the instrument was established by administering the questionnaire to 50 students in Edo State. The data obtained was analysed using Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient and a coefficient of 0.98 was obtained. The statistical mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while independent samples t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that the students are competent in questioning and empathy skills but are not competent in listening, reframing and paraphrasing skills; that the students are competent in questioning and empathic skills; that the students are incompetent in listening, rephrasing and paraphrasing skills; that both male and female students are competent in questioning and empathy skills but are not competent in listening, reframing and paraphrasing skills; and that undergraduate students are competent in questioning and empathy skills but are not competent in listening, reframing and paraphrasing skills, while and postgraduate students are competent in all the skills. Amongst others, the study recommended that there should be more extensive monitoring of trainees' development during their training to verify and refine the observed changes in them.

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