Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling Programmes in the Primary Schools of Hong Kong: Teachers' Perceptions and Involvement

Abstract

This article describes teachers' and Life Education Coordinators' perceptions of, and involvement in, the guidance and counselling activities in primary schools in Hong Kong. Respondents who completed a survey questionnaire comprised 367 class teachers and 66 Life Education Coordinators from 82 primary schools. The results indicated that guidance and counselling activities (including guidance curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and system support) were being implemented in their schools to some reasonable extent. Some differences between teachers and Life Education Coordinators in terms of their involvement and perceptions are discussed. The survey identified a major weakness in the present guidance system in that many teachers who are involved in, and responsible for, implementing a guidance curriculum do not have any training in guidance work. Implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• comprehensive guidance and counselling programmes
• Hong Kong
• teachers' perceptions

Acknowledgements

The preparation of the paper was partly funded by the Hong Kong Research Grant Council (HKU 7295/03H). We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments on the original manuscript, and to Dr Eadaoin K. P. Hui, Mr Thomas Leung, Mr Jason Kam and Mr Peter Westwood for their input to the project. The study would not be possible without the generous support of the school guidance personnel, teachers and principals of the participating schools. Some aspects of the paper were presented at the 2006 International Conference in Counselling, organised by the Hong Kong Professional Counsellors Association and the Faculty of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, 26 May 2006.

Notes

Cronbach's α for whole instrument=0.906.