Global Journal of Management and Business Research, A: Administration and Management, Volume 22 Issue 4

Table 5: Academic qualifications of principals N = 80 Principals Academic qualifications F Percentage M.Ed 2 3.8 B.Ed 30 28.8 BA/PGDE 10 15.0 B.SCI/PGDE 12 12.5 Diploma 23 37.5 S1 3 2.5 Total 80 100.0 Source: Self Information provided in table 5 revealed that all principals used by the study were qualified teachers. Their academic qualifications ranged from S1 to Master’s Degree in Education. Majority of principals, who were thirty (30) in number, representing 38% of the total population, had a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree. This category was followed closely by principals who had a Diploma certificate as their highest academic qualification. There were twenty three (23) principals representing 29% of the total population under this category. Besides this, 12, 10, 3 and 2 principals representing 15%, 13%, 04% and 03% respectively had a Bachelor of Science (B.SCI) degree, a Post – Graduate Diploma in Education (/PGDE), Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA), Secondary Teacher 1 (S1) and Master of Education (M-Ed) degree as their highest academic qualifications. The analysis of data collected indicated that, fifty four (54) principals who represented 67.5% of the total population had a university degree. Besides, the study also showed that principals in the county were no- longer pursuing master’s degrees perhaps because of their demanding administrative tasks. The study established that their academic qualifications did not in any way affect their attitudes towards guidance and counselling services. According to data collected, the study revealed that twenty (20) principals (25%) of the total number used for the study had a teaching experience of between five (5) to ten (10) years. Fifteen (15) principals (19%) of the total number had teaching experience of between eleven (11) to fifteen (15) years while thirty (30) principals representing 38% of the total number had teaching experiences of between sixteen (16) to twenty (20) years. Only fifteen (15) principals out of eighty (80) had a teaching experience of between twenty one (21) to thirty (30) years which represented 19% of the total number as illustrated in Table 6 below. Table 6: Teaching experience of principals N = 80 Principals Experience in years F Percentage < 5 – 10 20 25.0 11-15 15 18.8 16-20 30 37.5 21-30 15 18.8 Total 80 100.0 Source: Self The study therefore revealed that sixty (60) principals who represent 75% of the total number of principals involved in the study had a teaching experience of over eleven (11) years. Only very few had a teaching experience of between five (5) to ten (10) years. It therefore suffices to say that secondary schools in Nyamira County were headed by principals who had a wealth of teaching experience hence were capable of ensuring maintenance of discipline in their schools. The study findings showed majority of them held provision of guidance and counselling services favourably in their schools. Principals can acquire new and positive attitudes towards guidance and counselling through direct exposure which in this case can be deliberate training in guidance and counselling, despite the fact that many attitudes are acquired during childhood as a result of home influences. Attitudes are not only learnt but can be changed, modified and developed throughout one’s life as observed by Mitchevel (2016) and this can be done in a variety of ways which include: through direct experience with the attitude object; through force or legislation and through a person receiving new information either through mass media or Principals’ Attitudes on Guidance and Counselling Services and Maintenance of Discipline in Secondary Schools of Nyamira County, Kenya 22 Global Journal of Management and Business Research Volume XXII Issue IV Version I Year 2022 ( ) A © 2022 Global Journals