Koottiyaniyil, Therese. (1994). The Effect of Student Centered Counselling on the Low - Achievers in Secondary Schools . Unpublished. Ph.D., Education. Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.
The objectives of this study were: (1) To identify the problems of low-achievers regarding their study
habits, academic motivation, self-concept and health. (2) To examine the
factors contributing to problems regarding study habits and study skill. (3) To
understand the family background of low-achievers. (4) To find out whether
counseling is effective in dealing with the low-achievers with regard to study
habits, and academic achievement. (5) To compare the effects of individual and
group counseling. (6) To investigate
whether or not the effect of counseling depends either on the frequency of
counseling or on the I.Q. of the counselors. (7) To find out whether there is
positive correlation between the academic achievement and the different
variables under study. (8) To identify
the family problems those are interfering with the scholastic achievement of
the low-achievers, to classify these problems and to analyze them in terms of
seriousness. (9) To formulate suggestions and recommendations to parents,
teachers and school authorities that can be useful in dealing with academic
low-achievers.
The sample of
the study consisted of 191 low academic achievers from 11 schools of the Kottayam
district of Kerala state. Of them 108 were boys and 83 were girls from
Malayalam medium schools. The low
achievers in the study were those fell in bottom 25% (1st quartile)
of the class in academic achievement which was measured by the grade point average
of the first and second terminal examinations.
The study was
experimental in which a pretest - posttest approach was used. The low achievers
were divided into four groups: low achievers who had undergone four individual
counseling session (group A), low-achievers who had undergone two individual
counseling session (group B), low-achievers who had undergone four group
counseling sessions (group C) and low achievers who received no special
treatment (group D -control group).
The findings of the study were: (1) Counseling, both individual and group was effective in
improving the study habits and study skills, Academic motivation, self-concept
and academic achievement of low-achievers. (2) There was no statistically
significant difference between the effect of counseling of group A and C (four
individual counseling and four group counseling respectively) on study habits
and study skills, academic motivation and academic achievement. (3) There was
no statistically significant correlation between the subjects I.Q and the effects
of counseling on all four variables under study. (4) The study revealed a
statistically significant correlation between the effects of counseling on
study habits and study Skills and motivation of groups B & C; study habits
and study Skills and academic achievement of groups A & C;;study habits and
study Skills and self concepts of groups A,B and C; and Motivation;
self-concept of groups B & C; and Self-concept and academic achievement of
groups A & C. (5) No statistically significant correlation existed between
the effects of counseling on motivation and academic achievement of any of the
counseled groups. (6) A positive correlation without statistical significance
existed between the effects of counseling on academic motivation and academic
achievement of all the counseled groups. (7) A study of the family background
of the subjects reveals that quite a number of low-achievers had unfavorable
family environment which negatively influenced their academic achievement,
study habits motivation and self-concept.
Keyword(s): Student Centered Counselling