Guidance and counselling services in secondary schools in eastern Gojjam Administrative Zone: a mixed design evaluation of priority needs, service barriers and facilitators

Abstract Background: Problem areas that need urgent guidance and counselling intervention were not prioritized and barriers to fulfil these priority needs were not investigated in secondary schools of Ethiopia. Objective: This study aims to investigate students’ priority guidance and counselling needs and barriers and opportunities of meeting such guidance and counselling needs. Methods: A mixed methods design was used. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was used to investigate: (1) priority areas of guidance and counselling needs of the students and, (2) associates of these priority areas of counselling needs using linear regression. We conducted in-depth interview and FGD with school counsellors and school principals to investigate: (1) barriers and opportunities of providing guidance and counselling services. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. Results: Student participants were most worried about their education and vocation than their emotional, behavioural and social problems. Increment in depressive symptoms (β=0.266, p<001) and anxiety (β=0.154, p<001) scores were positively associated with increased score in guidance and counselling needs. Themes were identified as challenges related to meet prioritized student guidance and counselling needs were: (1) administrative challenges (2) counsellor competencies and motivation (3) resource constraints (4) beliefs (staff perceptions, cultural beliefs). Conclusion : Priority areas of guidance and counselling have been identified and barriers to meet such needs have been explored.