Counselling as a critical tool in managing ill-discipline behaviour in colleges of education in Ghana

Abstract

Ill-discipline behaviour has become a canker that threatens the moral fibre of institutions. The purpose of this study was to explore how discipline measures and practices were viewed by teacher trainees and college managers alike. Furthermore, to determine what comprehensive counselling approaches were in place to manage ill-discipline behaviour acts in colleges of education in Ghana. A qualitative discourse analysis study design was employed in the study. In all, 25 participants were purposively selected from five colleges of education for the study using a semi-structured interview guide. Data collected was transcribed, coded, categorized and qualitatively analysed under themes that emerged from the analysis using the thematic approach. The study revealed that several illdiscipline behaviour acts exist in colleges of education, with perversion being the most prevailing ill-discipline behaviour act. The study also revealed that tertiarization of colleges is the major cause of ill-discipline behaviour among students in the colleges of education and poor academic performance being the major negative effect of ill-discipline behaviour in the colleges of education. The study recommended that the college council and management should put adequate measures in place to strengthen Guidance and Counselling units in the colleges of education. The study also recommended that college counsellors should be equipped to use appropriate counselling approaches and techniques to counsel students to desist from indulging in ill-discipline behaviour acts.