Availability and Perceived Influence of Guidance and Counselling Services on Peace and Conflict Resolution Strategies among Secondary School Students in Wukari Education Zone, Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

Conflict is inevitable in schools, and unmanaged conflict undermines teaching, learning, and peaceful coexistence. This study examined the availability and perceived influence of guidance and counselling services on peace and conflict resolution strategies among senior secondary school students in Wukari Education Zone, Taraba State, Nigeria. Four objectives, four research questions, and one null hypothesis, tested at the 0.05 level of significance, guided the study. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The population comprised 30 school counsellors and 1,388 senior secondary school students in 30 public secondary schools. Twelve schools were selected through multistage stratified sampling, 12 counsellors and 249 students using Taro Yamane formula. Data were collected with two researcher-developed questionnaires, the Influence of Guidance and Counselling Services on Peace and Conflict Resolution Questionnaire for Counsellors (IGCSPCRQC) and for Students (IGCSPCRQS), which four experts validated and which yielded a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.857. Data were analyzed with percentages, means, and independent-samples t-tests. Placement services were the only services rated unavailable (M= 2.08), while referral (M = 3.10), orientation (M = 2.79), follow-up (M = 2.58), and appraisal services (M=2.50, borderline) were available to varying degrees. Students rated the influence of the services on peace-related outcomes as high (cluster M = 2.95), and all five conflict resolution strategies were reported in use (cluster M = 2.94). Urban schools scored significantly higher than rural schools on mediation, collaboration, compromising, accommodation, and avoidance (all p < .01). The findings implied that rural schools need more equitable counselling provision and strategy-specific training. Government, school managers, and counsellors should ensure full provision of counselling services, especially placement and follow-up, and extend conflict management training to rural schools.