The study investigated the Guidance Counsellors' roles in maintenance of family stability of secondary school teachers in Lokoja Education Zone of Kogi State. The study adopted a descriptive survey design in which five research questions were posed and three null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 probability level. The population of the study was 238 teachers, made up of 111 male teachers and 127 female teachers. The entire population of 238 was used as sample. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire titled, 'Roles of Counsellors in maintaining Stability in the Family' (RCMSF) was developed by the researcher. The instrument was face validated by three experts from Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The items were trial-tested on a sample of 20 teachers. The data obtained were computed using Cronbach Alpha statistics which gave an overall Alpha co-efficient value of 0.83. The research questions were analysed using Mean and Standard Deviation while t-test was used to analyse the null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. The major findings of the study indicated that teachers perceived Guidance Counsellors perform roles in maintenance of family stability of secondary school teachers in

the areas of finance, communication and sexual relationship of teachers; that the extent of family stability of male and female secondary school teachers was to a high extent, the extent Guidance Counsellors influence maintenance of family financial and communication stability of teachers was to a high extent while in sexual relationship of teachers, some agreed that it was to a high extent while others said it was to a low extent. Based on these findings, some counseling implications were highlighted and recommendations made. Among which are that counsellors need to intensify efforts in counselling teachers through educating them on financial management and organizing seminars on regular basis aimed at educating teachers on their responsibilities for family stability.

Title Page i

Approval ii

Certification iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgement v

Table of contents vi

List of Tables ix

Abstract x

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 7

Purpose of the Study 8

Significance of the Study 9

Scope of the Study 10

Research Questions 11

Hypotheses 11

Conceptual Framework 13

Concept of Family 13

Concept of Family Stability 15

Concept of Guidance Counsellor 16

Concept of Family Counsellor 17

Guidance Counsellors' Roles 18

Concept of Gender 25

Theoretical Framework 25

Role Theory Model of Mangus 25

The Structural Theory of Minuchin 27

The Social Learning Theory of Bandura 29

Review of Empirical Studies 30

Empirical Studies Done Within Nigeria 30

Empirical Studies Done Outside Nigeria 34

Summary of Literature Review 36

Design of the Study 37

Area of the Study 37

Population of the Study 38

Sample and Sampling Technique 38

Instrument of Data Collection 38

Validation of the Instrument 39

Reliability of the Instrument 39

Method of Data Collection 40

Method of Data Analysis 40

Summary of Major Findings 50

Discussion of Findings 52

Conclusion 55

Educational Implications 56

Recommendations 57

Limitations of the Study 58

Suggestions for Further Research 59

Summary 59

Table 1: Gender analysis of teachers' perception of Guidance Counsellors' roles in

maintenance of family stability

Table 3: Gender analysis on extent of influence of counsellors' roles in maintenance of

family financial stability of teachers

Table 4: Mean rating of male and female teachers on extent of Guidance Counsellors'

roles influence on family communication stability of teachers

Table 5: Mean rating of male and female teachers on extent of Guidance Counsellors'

roles that influence family stability in sexual relationship of teachers

Table 6: Summary of t-test analysis for Hypothesis One

Table 7: Summary of t-test analysis for Hypothesis Two

The basic social unit of every group is the family The family is a universal institution

bounded together by social and biological ties Family is the logical outcome of marriage

consisting of a man, his wife, wives, child or, children It is characterized by common

residence, economic cooperation, cum-maintenance, reproduction, and a unit for primary

socialization It is also characterized by a sense of family identification and loyalty, social

placement and control, mutual assistance among members of the family unit (Aldons, 2005)

According to Anih (2008), it is a community which is regarded as the earliest and most social

institution in the context of which the character of the children are moulded The author also

opined that the family has its being in the context of a wider grouping of kindred, wide

neigbourhood and in a wider and more complicated society

The most important primary group of society which gradually introduces the child to

the complicated secondary groups of society is the family (Unachukwu & Igbogbor, 1990)

The family is a system organized around the support, regulations, nurturance, and

socialization of its members It is a small system made up of individuals who are related to

each other sharing strong reciprocal affections and loyaltiesIt also comprises of house-hold

that persists over years (Anih, 2008) Members enter the family through birth, adoption,

marriage or by ways of foster placement and nobody chooses which family to be born into

(Umeano, 1999)

Haralambos and Holborn (2008) defined family as a social group characterized by

common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction It includes adults of both sexes,

at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more

children, owned or adopted of the sexually cohabiting adults The family is described as the primary institution that socializes the young and provides surveillance over their behaviour

(Agulanna, 1999) This author also sees the family as playing the function of building the

psychosocial, moral and spiritual foundation of the overall development of the child in the

society

The family plays an important role in producing healthy personality When family

fails to protect her children, it could lead to serious problem in future Ezewu (2001) posited

that, it is the family that exerts the real, prime and lasting influence on the child's character

because, if there is deprivation in the family be it materials, lack of maintenance, mental, or

spiritual, there will be some form of deprivation in the personality of the child Couples are

therefore urged to protect and maintain the institution of family to avoid marital dysfunction

Haralambos and Holborn (2008) confirmed that the family lives together, pools its resources

and works together and produces offspring, and with at least two adult members (husband

and wife) who conduct sexual relationship according to the norms of the society

The family in the context of this present study therefore is a social group

characterized by common residence, economic cooperation, reproduction and provides

protection and maintenance for its members The institution of the family has been

partnership for survival with the preservation and improvement of the human species as its

primary purpose According to Okoh (2004), it is a mutual institution which guarantees the

procreation, care and education of the young; the stability of the family and permanence of

society upon which the survival of the race depends

In order for family institution to achieve its desired objectives, it deserves as a matter of necessity, high degree of stability, maintenance, reciprocity, harmony, cohesion, unconditional love and permanence Perhaps, it was in recognition of these virtues in relation

to the behaviour of couples toward marriage that Agulanna (1999) affirmed that family stability is remedy for a happy home It is on the stability of family and the permanence of society that the survival of the race depends

Family stability is the relationship in which couples and other members of the family

live together in marriage, enjoying the closest possible, loving and fulfilling relationship

without any intention of breakup(Adesanya, 2002) A peaceful relationship is achieved when

married couples understand their individual roles and work towards them Family stability

according to Sussman (2002), is the relationship in which couples and other members of the

family live together in marriage without any form of conflict, violence, mistrust, constant

bickering, neglect, marital distress, among others Adesanya (2002), identified certain factors

that ensure family stability such as economic wellbeing, responsiveness, among others Anih

(2008) noted that sexual satisfaction among couples, appropriate communication and finance

are the major factors of family stability

Family stability as a working definition in this present study therefore is the

relationship in which secondary schoolteachers and other members of the family live together

in marriage without any form of conflict It is a relationship in which secondary school

teachers and other members of the family live together in marriage, enjoying the closest

possible loving and fulfilling relationship without any intention of breaking up So for family

to be stable, harmony, cohesion, unconditional love are therefore necessary The

family in recent times however has been characterized by many problems These include

quarrels between husband and wife and sometimes such quarrels extend to the children

(Onwusoanya, 2006) In the distant past, the degree of stability in marriage was high and

commendable, but in recent past, marital stability has steeply slumped This slump could be

attributed to transformation and urbanization in the society through different complex

processes Most couples in Nigeria do not receive premarital guidance that made for family

stability in the past Differences in religious belief and practices within the families, sexual relationship outside the family, disagreements over economic, educational and career goals,

barrenness and allowance for the purchase of the basic house items constitute threat to family

stability The future of this nation will be in jeopardy if family instability is allowed to

continue Wives complain of physical battering, financial irresponsibilities by their husbands,

lack of material attention, dislike and indifference in sex among others

Family instability constitutes a major threat to national development Children could

constitute a nuisance to the society if they are not properly brought up in a stable

environment Teachers are meant to be role models, if they are experiencing instability in

their families, it will affect the whole nation

In many families in the society as noted by (Sussman, 2001), conflict, violence,

mistrust, constant neglect, marital distress, among others are the order of the day In such

families, instability usually occurs which in most cases could lead to separation,divorce and

other variety of problems that are characteristic of troubled marriages The misunderstanding

or conflictual situation usually creates confusion and eventually leads to family instability

Family instability according to Krupinsky, Marshall and Yule (2004) include inadequacy in

communication, sexual incompatibility, infidelity, loneliness, interference by in-laws among

others However, Yakubu (1998) observed that in many marriages, there are lots of stresses,

bitterness, rancor, bickering and failures thereby leading to family instability This calls for

guidance counsellors' roles in maintenance of family stability

It is the family counsellor that understands the nature of the institution through his

professional expertise The family counsellors' qualities of rapport, listening, sincerity and

unconditional acceptance, enable him/her to counsel the troubled family (Aziude and Iwundu,

2005) The qualities above help the counsellor to carry out his function effectively It is the

duty of family counsellors to provide services that can lead to the development of members

of the family as well as offer assistance to enhance their stability, protection, growth and preservation within the family structure The family counsellors introduce guidance and

counselling services to family members to bring about family stability

Guidance and counseling programme has provided complex scientific and

technological developments, the gate-way out of the existing numerous problems, ignorance,

and many other psychological difficulties among individuals and groups in the educational

institutions and society Guidance and counselling can be defined as a number of processes

used in assisting an individual to be effectively satisfied and useful in the society in which he

lives, (Ikechukwu-Ilomuanya,2003) The professional who offers the service is called a

counsellor Although couples and members of the family must work together to create

stability in their homes, the roles of guidance counselors in maintaining family stability is an

extremely important one in today's society It is against this background that the researcher

picked interest to examine what can be done by guidance counselors to bring about family

stability of secondary school teachers in Lokoja Education Zone of Kogi State

The family counsellor is expected to understand the way the family functions A

family counsellor is an individual who treats married couples or family members in order to

help them overcome mental or emotional problems that may result within the home

(Gladding 2007) The family counsellor does diagnose any disorders and provides effective

treatment measures with which to help the family members resolve their issues The role of

family counsellor is very necessary in today's society There are many individuals who have

issues that need to be resolved yet are unable to do so on their own in an effective manner

Such individuals need the service of family counsellor The role ofcounsellorsaccording to

Jody, (2006) includes; meeting with family members who are experiencing problems,

diagnosing their emotional problems and effectively treating them over a period of time

The family counsellors also establish contact with their clients The family counsellor

in addition collects information from clients in order to properly diagnose and treat their disorders (Jody, 2006) This entails speaking with the clients and family members to

determine what issues need to be addressed in the therapy sessions This type of

correspondence can take the form of impersonal meetings, telephone conversations and mail

correspondence Record keeping is another important role of the family counsellor The

family counsellor must keep accurate and complete records for each client These records

include personal information of clients, documentations from sessions and referrals Family

counsellors also prescribe treatment for the client Once an individual has been diagnosed

with a certain disorder, the family counsellor determines the best way to proceed in the way

of treatment (Jody 2006)

However, guidance counsellorsin order to maintain stability among secondary

schoolteachers require family counselling The goals of family counsellors are very many

Primarily, family counselling is determined to help resolve family problems through the

therapeutic procedures for all members of the family (Okorodudu, 2010) The aim is to

promote general effective adjustment process to life engagements Family counselling also

helps family members become aware of the fact that if a family member has problems, such

problems may well be the effect of one or more other members' perception, expectations,

inadequate communication, lack of sexual relationship and lack of finance The specific goal

of family counselling is usually to assist the affected members of a given family unit to give

up their maladjusted ways of dealing with each other and to replace these ways with some

more constructive and more desirable ways of relating with each other (Okorodudu, 2010)

In this research work therefore, family counselling is defined as a technique which is

employed to maintain stability in family Whether guidance counsellors' roles lead to family

stability is subject of verification in this study

Gender also plays an important role in counselling Male counselling has been found to be

more skillful than their female counterparts in counselling, Nwafor, (2000) Gender is the condition of being masculine or feminine through one's behaviour (Sinclair, 1996) This

means there are behaviours meant for males and there are the ones meant for females For

instance, in the traditional Igbo society, males are expected to be strong and assertive while

females are expected to be soft and sensitive (Guinand & Lemessa, 2000) Obasi (2004)

referred to gender as many social and cultural constructed characteristics, qualities,

behaviours and roles which different societies ascribe to males and females

As noted by Cole (2006) teachers in Kogi State look at counsellors as those who bring

down the discipline of the school by condoning all the bad behaviours the students put up

This shows that both male and female teachers have negative perceptions with regards to

guidance counsellors' roles But this is not to say that all teachers in the state have negative

response in regard to counsellors' roles

In the implementation of the National Policy on Education (NPE, 2004), guidance

counsellors play significant roles and considering the negative labelling about them, the

researcher therefore wondered about what happens in maintenance of family stability among

male and female secondary school teachers in secondary school setting given such a poor

impression from the opinion of the teachersIt implies that either the counsellors in schools

are not equipped enough to perform their roles effectively or the communities whom they

serve are not yet ready to understand It is based on this background that the researcher

intends to determine the guidance counsellors' roles in maintenance of family stability among

secondary school teachers in Lokoja Education Zone of Kogi State

Family instability is one of the most disturbing social problems of contemporary

times Available literature and observation tend to the fact that instability seems to be on the

increase in Nigeria and especially among secondary school teachers Couples are often seen

to complain of physical abuse like wife battering, financial irresponsibility, lack of material attention, dislike and indifference in sex, among others One is tempted to ask if secondary

school teachers in Kogi State also experience family instability If they do, could this

instability be due to lack of Guidance Counsellors' roles in maintenance of family stability?

The researcher seemed worried that if guidance counsellors' roles in maintaining

family stability are lacking, it will affect national development and development of Kogi

State in particular Thus, if counsellors' roles in maintenance of family stability are not

employed, the future of this nation will be in jeopardyIt is against this background that the

present study investigated the guidance counsellors' roles in maintenance of family stability

in Lokoja Education Zone of Kogi State

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to determineGuidance Counsellors' roles in

maintenance of family stability ofsecondary school teachers in Lokoja Education Zone of

Kogi State

Specifically, the studyinvestigated:-

1 Guidance Counsellors' roles in maintenance of family stability ofmale and female

secondary school teachers in Lokoja education zone

2 The extent of family stability of male and female secondary school teachers in Lokoja

education zone

3 The extent to which Guidance Counsellors' roles influence maintenance of family

financial stability of secondary school teachers

4 The ways Guidance Counsellors' roles influence familystability of teachers in the area

ofcommunication

5 The ways Guidance Counsellors' roles influence familystability of teachers in terms

of sexual relationship

The result of this study will have both theoretical and practical

significanceTheoretically, the findings of the study will provide data that may be useful for

clear understanding of role theory, structural theory and social learning theory It is expected

that the findings will help to explicate the functions of the theoretical postulations of role

theory The role theory is based on central ideas that essential factor in any situation of

marital crisis is the phenomenon of role conflicts, which is said to arise where there are

incompatible role expectations among the couple in the marriage This role theory is related

to the present study in the sense that role theory deals with human behaviours and if teachers

are counselled well in their expected roles, they will achieve better results in their families

The structural theory is of great relevance to this study in the sense that this theory

describes the best approach to facilitate family counselling This study is relevant as it will

make teachers to understand the roles of guidance counsellors in maintaining family stability

The social learning theory is of great relevance to this study in the sense that this

theory describes the best approach to facilitate work and productivity in an organization, the

understanding of the workers and the working environment

Practically, the findings of this study will be beneficial to secondary school teachers,

guidance counsellors and the youths A study of this nature can serve as a guide, a source of

insight and understanding to secondary school teachers and youths who will certainly face the

crucial future task of not only mate performance and selection but also the challenges of

adjustment to marital life By unraveling the roles of guidance counsellors in maintenance of

family stability, the study will help to prepare their minds on the intricacy and reality of

marriage so that by taking precautional measures, they will not fall victims of the ugly

incidence of marital instability The study is therefore significant as these married teachers and young people will be better positioned to strike a balance between their expectations and desires and their marital aspirations

The study will also be gainful to Guidance Counsellors Revelations on the roles of

Guidance Counsellors in maintenance of family stability made in this study will make

married teachers realize counsellors' roles in the maintenance of stability in the family

The findings of this study when published will be of much significance to

traineecounsellors because they will be exposed through documented evidence to Guidance

Counsellors' roles and the maintenance of family stability thereby adding to their existing

wealth of knowledge The findings of this study when documented and published will be of

immense benefit to the society at large

The youths are the future leaders, when they learn adaptive ways of reacting to

experiences in their environment through guidance counsellors' roles and maintenance of

family stability, the society will become sanitized and free from most marital instability and

thereby improving the economic, social and moral tone of the society which will result in an

increase in the number of happier and more productive citizens

Finally, the findings of this study when documented and published will add to the

existing body of knowledge in the area of Guidance and Counsellors' roles in maintenance of

family stability The findings will be disseminated through workshops, learned journals,

conferences and interest posting

The study focused on the roles of Guidance Counsellorsin maintenance of family

stability using secondary school teachers in Lokoja Education Zone of Kogi State The study

also focused on the Guidance Counsellors' roles and maintenance of family stability in

financial spending of secondary school teachers, communication and sexual relationship of

married teachers

The area coverred in this study was Lokoja Education Zone in Kogi State

The following five research questions guided the study

1 What are Guidance Counsellors' roles in maintenance of family stability of male and

female secondary school teachers in Lokoja education zone?

2 What is the extent of family stability ofmale and female secondary school teachers in

Lokoja education zone?

3 To what extent do Guidance Counsellors' roles influence maintenance of family

financial stability of secondary school teachers in Lokoja education zone?

4 What are the ways Guidance Counsellors' roles influence stability of teachers in the

area of communication?

5 What are the waysGuidance Counsellors' roles influence family stability of teachers

in terms of sexual relationship?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at P<005 level of significance

Ho1: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of male and female teachers

on the guidance counsellors' roles in maintenance of family financial stabilityof

secondary school teachers

Ho2: Guidance counsellors' roles do not have significant influence on family stability of

teachers in the area ofcommunication

Ho3: There is no significant difference between the mean scores of male and female teachers

on Guidance Counsellors' influence of teachers' family stability in terms of sexual

relationship

Table 8: Summary of t-test for Hypothesis Three