Assessment of the guidance needs of University Practice Senior High School students in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana

Abstract

The study investigated the principal guidance needs of University Practice Senior High School (UPSHS) students in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Two research questions and four hypotheses were raised to guide the study and a descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used. The target population for the study was made up of all students in forms 2, 3 and 4 students in the UPSHS in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Proportional stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 300 students from UPSHS for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and chi-square were used to analyse the data pertaining to the research questions while inferential statistics (one-way ANOVA and t-test) were used to analysed data regarding the hypotheses. The results showed that study habit, educational information, career information, employment and self-understanding were the greatest needs of adolescent students. A significant difference existed between male and female students with respect to essay writing skills on the study habit scale. Again, a significant difference existed among students with respect to employment, educational information, drug information, and financial information needs. A key recommendation from the study was that the Ghana Education Service should take steps to ensure that guidance programmes of senior high schools in Ghana are responsive to the real needs of our students.