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

from other people that can produce changes in the cognitive component of the individual’s attitude. Changes in the cognitive component influence changes in the affective and behavioural components. Table 7 below shows principals’ responses to their training in guidance and counselling. Table 7: Training of principals in guidance and counselling N = 80 Principals Responses Total Frequency and percentage SA A U D SD % 1. I need to be trained so as to acquire appropriate skills. F 34 % 42.5 31 38.8 - - 10 12.5 5 6.3 80 100.0 2. Success in providing guidance and counselling does not necessarily depend on a trained counsellor. F 6 % 7.5 2 2.5 - - 37 46.3 35 43.8 80 100.0 3. Trained principals have positive attitudes towards it. F 52 % 65.0 20 25.0 - - 8 10.0 - - 80 100.0 4. Guidance and counselling service are not successful in my school because I am not trained F 36 % 45.0 30 37.5 - - 12 15.0 2 2.5 80 100.0 Source: Self According to table 7 above, fifty two (52) respondents representing 81.3% of the total number of principals involved in the study indicated that training in guidance and counselling skills contributed to positive attitude towards it. This conforms with Triandis (2006) who noted that attitudes are learnt through direct exposure to the attitude object. Therefore the success of guidance and counselling was dependent upon a trained counsellor. In essence this points out that training is a necessary ingredient to successful guidance and counselling services. Only fifteen (15) respondents which translates to 18.8% of the respondents used for this study felt training was not important. This was an indication that majority had a positive attitude towards guidance and counselling in schools. In response to statement number 2 and 3 in the table above, seventy two (72) respondents which translates to 90.1% of the entire population indicated that training is important so as to attain needed guidance and counselling skills. A very small percentage (10.0%) expressed favourable attitude to the negative statement. Besides, seventy two (72) respondents representing 90% of the population used in the study indicated that trained principals have positive attitudes towards guidance and counselling. Here, principals therefore regard training as very important in order for one to have positive attitude. Only 10% of the principals did not regard training as important. In response to the fourth (4th) statement under this sub-heading, sixty six (66) respondents representing 82.5% of the population used in the study expressed favourable attitude to the statement. That is to say, provision of guidance and counselling services was not successful in schools because principals themselves were not trained in it which means that, albeit students were aware of it and principals and teachers were providing it to the students, they did not regard themselves as professionals in the discipline hence they were limited in the way they were providing it. Only fourteen (14) principals representing only 17.5% of the population expressed their unfavourable response. It is therefore important to note here that, the findings of this study have clearly shown that there is desire for principals’ training in guidance and counselling skills so that they are able to provide the service adequately and effectively in their schools. According to Baroki (2019) and Murkor (2020) one of the principles of guidance and counselling is that, it should be carried out by professionally trained personnel. These findings concur with the view expressed by Wahome (2017) and Tumuti (2019) that principals and teacher-counsellors have no training for the job except probably for the course they took during their undergraduate or diploma training. The researcher, further attempted to establish whether principals attended seminars or workshops organized by the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the Ministry of Education. Figure 1 below presents the results obtained: Principals’ Attitudes on Guidance and Counselling Services and Maintenance of Discipline in Secondary Schools of Nyamira County, Kenya 23 Global Journal of Management and Business Research Volume XXII Issue IV Version I Year 2022 ( ) A © 2022 Global Journals Statement