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Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

“Guidance is a way to shed light to a troubled person. It is a mean to extend

assistance to help him find peace” (Z.C. Santos et al. p.3, 2014). With this definition,

guidance connotes a commitment held by a guiding person to assist the person in need,

discover the right path on his life; helping in choosing the best options among the

choices available and making efforts to achieve success. It is not only confined in a

closed-door office with a label indicated on it.

A teacher instructing his students to learn new knowledge or skills, a parent

modeling his children good values, a policeman implementing traffic rules, a nurse

instructing the patient on taking his medicines or even a security guard simply pointing a

direction to locate the school building where someone would like to go, do guidance

implicitly. A person with a goal of influencing another individual how to do things

appropriately in a discreet or obvious manner is consider as guidance. Guidance is

found anywhere and everywhere whenever someone seeks help or needs assistance

from other individual.

According to Shertzer and Stone (as cited by Dabas, 2018), guidance is the

process of helping individuals to understand themselves and their world. It is the system

of programs designed to help the students have satisfactory adjustment with their

personal and school life. As such, the Guidance and Counseling program is considered
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integral part of educational system. These programs are primarily designed to help

students develop holistically by enabling him to maximize his potentials to the fullest.

However, for an individual to realize his potential, to distinguish a solution to his problem

and make an intelligent decision for his future, the guidance professionals need to

educate/teach him first.

According to Dewey “teaching is a guided self-guidance or guided self-

development.” It implies that a person with expertise like a teacher, guides and

facilitates the learner to direct himself better and monitor his personal development

along the learning process. Moreover, Popham (as cited by Egenti, 2016) sees teaching

as explaining, demonstrating, guiding and counselling by the teacher in order to effect a

change in the learner. Through teaching, education is feasible for an individual who

willed himself not to be blind with the knowledge of the world and of his potential waiting

to be discover. In general, it is the positive change of attitudes or behaviors of the

individual that concerns education, guidance and teaching.

The Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers in the Philippines, under Article VIII

Section 9, states that the teacher always assures that the conditions/situations are

adequate for the maximum development of the learners and that they fully commit

themselves to extend assistance in the prevention or solution of the learner’s problem

and difficulties. This suggest that it is not only the delivery of successful instruction the

teacher is ought to fulfill but as well as addressing barriers on to student’s success in

education. This is reflected in the role performed by the teacher as the Adviser of a

block or a section most specifically observed in primary and secondary level in which
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they were assigned to monitor their advisory’s status in academics and even with their

personal issues and concerns in life.

Accordingly, a teacher who is the focal person of any educational institution is

challenge to witness the evolution of their roles from simple to a more complex one with

the mark of 21st century. Inclusive with the label of being the architecture of the next

generation is the task of honing the students to become successful professionals in the

future through helping them develop skills not only in academics but as well as those

which are useful to their personal beings.

According to Craig (as cited by Dimkpa, 2015), along with the considerations for

knowledge and skills beneficial for the 21st century learners are ethical values that

needs to be demonstrated by the teacher such as respect, care, integrity and trust.

On the other hand, the aim of helping individual reach his potential to the fullest

is also the main theme of the definition given by Republic Act 9258 or an Act

Professionalizing the Practice of Guidance and Counseling in the Philippines for the

terms Guidance and Counseling. The act also highlighted the description and

qualifications of a Guidance Counselor in which it stated that it is a licensed individual

with specialization in Guidance and Counseling profession.

However, it should be noted that long before the licensure exam, an individual

aspiring to become a Registered Guidance Counselor needs to pursue a Graduate

Studies and finished a Master’s Degree with a major in Guidance and Counseling.

Unlike the other professions that allows the person to take licensure examination right
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after finishing a four-year course in college, professionals practicing in Guidance and

Counseling needs to extend his/her studies for another two (2) years or more. Thus,

only 3,220 RGC’s nationwide as of July 2017 is existing to cater the needs of Guidance

and Counseling Services in the Philippines (Valdez, 2018). A shortage of 43, 739

Registered Guidance Counselor in the Education Sector Alone. Under the DepEd

Staffing Standard, a school is required to hire one (1) counselor for every five hundred

(500) students, a ratio that is impossible to meet (Valdez, 2018).

The following situations prompts the need for Guidance Counselor and

Personnel especially in educational institution; the full-blown implementation of K12

program in the country which highlights the need for Career and Vocational Guidance,

increasing number of Child in conflict with the Law, Suicide, Bullying Cases and

Teenage Pregnancy. The main problem is not only about the stated issues of the youth

but the scarce number of registered Guidance Counselor in the country.

In connection to this, this study entitled Teacher as a Guidance Counselor Model

aims to help teachers fulfill guidance role by assessing a list of attributes/traits of a

Guidance Counselor, which they could also possess. Orientation of the services

provided by the Guidance and Counseling office, which a teacher could legally render,

is also included on the output of this research.

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Background of the Study

Figure 1: Central Taytay National High School

The research locale is Central Taytay National High School (CTNHS). It is

situated at Monte Vista, Poblacion Taytay Palawan. A 1.4 hectare area of learning

institution in Central Taytay serves as the second home for Junior High School students

of La Estrella Del Norte/Taytay Municipality.

The said school is the biggest and one of the fast-developing high school among

the fourteen secondary schools in the municipality. Last 2018, CTNHS marked the

fifteen years of operation, there are remarkable changes from physical infrastructure

and population of the student.

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Central Taytay National High School started its operation on July 11, 2003, with

four sections in first year now called Grade 7 with a total of two hundred twenty (220)

students, four (4) teachers headed by Miss Luthgarda S. Juanich. On year 2006, upon

closure of on the well-known semi-private High School in Poblacion, the Northern

Palawan Institute, tremendous increase in the population of CTNHS was recorded. The

teachers as well as the students have many sacrifices during this transition.

Due to lack of classrooms and teachers, the students then needed to have

shifting in their classes, the first shift is from 6:00-12:00 noon while the second group of

students have to start their classes on 12:00 noon until 7:00 in the evening. From two

hundred twenty (220) students on 2003, the student’s population of Central Taytay

National High School at present, have reach into one thousand nine hundred sixty two

(1962), nine hundred forty six (946) male and one thousand sixteen (1016) female. The

teacher’s population also increase from four (4) to fifty (50) teachers in 2018. Before the

end of the service of the first principal; Ms. Juanich on 2013, a plantilla position for a

Guidance Counselor was given to CTNHS thus having Mrs. Kimberly Trinidad as the

first Guidance Counselor of Centralians. Before her, the school principal addressed the

issues and concerns of the students. Among the frequent issues faced by the school

counselor are school adjustment like absenteeism and truancy. The major problems are

early pregnancy, bullying and even the case of students who committed suicides and

abortions. As recommended by American School Counselor Association and American

Counseling Association the ideal ratio of guidance counselor to number of students is

1:250, a number that is impossible to achieve in reality with the status of educational

institution in the Philippines at present. Likewise, the same dilemma is experience by

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Central Taytay National High School now that their Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Kimberly

Trinidad have transferred into another school. Moreover, the qualifications for the said

position have level up as compared to previous years where no license is required. In

compliance with R.A 9258, the Department of Education now implements employment

rule that the applicant for the said plantilla should be a registered Guidance Counselor,

thus increasing the difficulty in filling up the said position; hindering the students to avail

guidance services in a daily basis. To address the said problem instead of waiting for a

Registered Guidance Counselor for more years, most of the school including CTNHS

assigned a staff that serves as the Guidance Designate for the students even though

expertise and specialization are compromise.

Theoretical Framework

Teachers’ job is not only in instructions, it carry a multifaceted roles on its

profession. It gets hard for the obligations such assuring that his/her students are on the

right track of finishing his/her studies, reaching his potential to the fullest and become

successful in the future. In a cliché words attach to job “teacher” is becoming “second

parent” to the students. There are time where a child choses to believe more with their

teachers rather than to their parents. Approximately twenty years of a person’s life was

spent in school; two years in pre-school, six years in primary school, six years in high

school, four to five years in tertiary education. Twenty years of communication and

relationship to the teachers, twenty years of duty for the teachers to straighten up the

career path of his/her students.

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Gibson and Mitchell (2013) stated that schools without teachers ceases to

become a school. The teacher is the most important professional in the school setting.

Each teacher in the school has the obligation to contribute to a perfect realization of the

harmony among cognitive, affective, behaviourist, attitudinal and social sides of

students, Georgiana (2015). The teacher is the first person that a student has contact

and direct relations. The student’s issues, whether it is a school matter or personal one

are first heard, and address by what they commonly call their “second parent”.

Moreover, Georgiana (2015) suggested that there are three levels of counseling

activity in the school, the first level highlighted the importance of advises and supports

given by the teachers to their students especially in issues such as disciplines and good

behavior. Teaching profession suggest that every teacher should give support, aid, and

counseling and establish a direct and continuous communication with their students.

School is, sometimes, the only place outside home, where students have the

possibility to obtain social and orientation support, which makes the teacher an

essential resource for them (Kline and Silver, 2004). The teacher serves as the main

resource for students, the teacher has the main responsibility in first level counseling

and orientation given the fact that he/she spends a long time in the presence of

students, observes them in many contexts. He can supervise and evaluate his student

better; rest assured that they have the necessary orientation on the process of

counseling, even if not at the level of a specialist in the field

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The teacher enters in direct and immediate contact with the student’s needs and

according to the severity of these, he decides whom the competent person is in order to

solve, amend or correct the situation. If the student’s situation needs consulting a

specialist, the teacher guides the student to the school guidance counselor.

Classroom teachers to effectively act as a classroom counselor should have

these following counseling skills.

Empathy. Is the ability to communicate understanding of another person’s

experience from that person’s perspective (Postings and Kopp, 2017). Additionally,

Foster (1996) and Guy (1987) (as cited by Gladding, 2013) stated that empathy is the

ability to put oneself in another’s place, even if that person is totally different from you.

Active Listening . It is the ability to follow what clients is saying and knowing

how to respond to it (Gladdings, 2015). It is also the ability to find listening stimulating

(Foster and Guy as cited by Gladding, 2013).

Goodwill. It is the desire to work on behalf of clients in a constructive way

(Cornier, Nurius and Osborn cited by Gladding, 2013). The ability to set aside personal

needs to listen and take care of other’s need first (Foster and Guy cited by Gladding,

2013).
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Trustworthiness. It means honoring the trust placed in the practitioner (also

referred to as fidelity (Postings and Kopp, 2017). It is the ability to safeguard clients’

communications and encourage clients’ self-disclosure with assurance of confidentiality

(Hackney & Cormier, 2001).

Social Relaxation. Is a lack of anxiety or apprehension in everyday social

interactions; a feeling of comfort, low apprehension and ability to handle another’s

negative reaction or criticism without undue stress (Rubin and Martin, 2016).

Integrity and Sincerity. It a personal commitment to consistency between

what is professed and what is done. It is a commitment to being moral in dealings with

others, personal straightforwardness, honesty and coherence (Postings and Kopp,

2017).

Self-Assurance and Control. Knowledge of self, including attitudes, values,

and feeling and the ability recognize how and what factors affect oneself ( Hansen as

cited by Gladdings, 2013).

Enthusiasm and Humor. The capability of seeing the bittersweet quality of life

events and the humor in them. Foster and Guy (cited by Gladding, 2013). It is the

ability to be active in sessions and sustain that activity even when one sees a number of

clients in a row (Cornier, Nurius and Osborn cited by Gladding, 2013).

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Research Paradigm

 Review of Theories  Teacher as a Guidance

 GCPA Scale
and Related Literature Counselor Model
 Personal Attributes
for Test Item  Capability Training/Program
of an effective
construction for Teachers
Guidance Counselor
 Validation of Test
possessed by
Items for the GCPA
Teachers
Scale
 Teacher’s Profile
 Survey on teachers
a. gender;
using GCPA Scale
b. years in service;
 Tabulation of data
c. educational
gathered
qualification; and,
 Analysis,
d. educational
Interpretation, and
level
Presentation of Data
 Developing Training
programs for
Teachers base on the
result.
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The diagram above shows the research paradigm of this study. The input

comprises the use of Guidance Counselor’s Personal Attribute (GCPA) Scale.This will

be employ to answer the following research problem; the personal attributes of an

effective Guidance Counselor possessed by a teacher, significant difference between

the Personal Attributes of Teachers based on their gender , year of service and

educational level and qualifications.

For the process part, the following steps are to be made; first is the Review of

Theories and Related Literature for Test Item construction, next is Validation of Test

Items for the GCPA Scale. Fourth, is the conduct of survey on teachers using GCPA

Scale. Fifth, Tabulation of data gathered, next is the Analysis, Interpretation, and

Presentation of Data. Lastly, Developing Training programs for Teachers base on the

result. The output of this research will be conceptualization of “Teacher as a Guidance

Counselor Model” and development of capability Training for Teachers to fulfil

counseling roles.

Statement of the Problem

This study entitled teacher as a guidance counselor model aims to determine the

skills of a teacher as a guidance counselor to their respective students.

Specifically, this study aspires to answer the following question:

1. What is the level of counseling skills of the teacher when group according

to:
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a. gender;

b. years in service;

c. educational qualification; and,

d. educational level?

2. Is there a significant difference on the counseling skills of the teacher when

group according to:

a. gender;

b. years in service;

c. educational qualification; and,

d. educational level?

3. Based on the findings of this study, what in-service program can be

developed to upgrade the counseling skills of the teachers?

Hypothesis

H0: There is no significant difference between the result of GCPA Scale of

Teachers in terms of gender and years of service.

a. gender;

b. years in service;

c. educational qualification; and,

d. educational level?
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Significance of the Study

The result of this study will allow the reader to be oriented with the importance of

a role a teacher performs as a Guidance Counselor. Specifically, this study will

directly/indirectly benefit the following:

The School Administrator-This will help the school administrator to have a

comprehensive idea about attributes of the Guidance Counselor that could be develop

by the teachers he/she supervise. The study will help the school administrator in

monitoring and supervision strategies he/she may employ to determine the efficiency on

performing Guidance duties of Advisers per block or sections.

The Teacher- This study will help the teacher to a have firm basis on fulfilling

his/her role as a counterpart of a Registered Guidance Counselor. It will orient the

teachers of the following attributes or personal qualities they could develop in order to

perform guidance role. The output of this study will capacitate the teachers to develop

and strengthened attributes of a Guidance Counselor, which will allow them to fulfill the

said role effectively. The study will also orient them of the services they could provide in

guidance in legal and ethical manner.

The Guidance Counselor/Personnel- This study will help the guidance

personnel in decreasing the number of tasks all assigned to him/her in helping students
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adjust well in school. The Guidance Counselor in collaboration with the teacher can

address the issues of the students efficiently and immediately. With the output of this

study, more numbers of students could access basic guidance services even with the

presence of only one licensed guidance counselor.

The Students- The students will have immediate access to Guidance without

going to the Guidance Office and competing with the numerous numbers of students

because their advisers or teachers could be their guidance counselor.

The Researcher- This study will help the researcher; a present Guidance

Designate of the school where she works determine what are the Personal Attributes

she has and may develop to fulfill the role assigned to her. The study will help her be

oriented on the systematic way of rendering services in Guidance office without

compromising the legality of the said profession. The study will help the researcher

impart important knowledge for teachers in doing the role with assurance that they

possess following qualities that an effective Guidance Counselor should have.

The future researcher- This study will help the future researchers in conducting

further and intensive studies in area of Guidance and Counseling. The research will

inspire the future researchers to give emphasis on the importance of evaluating the

factors that affects the success of rendering services from Guidance Office.
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Scope and Delimitation

The study entitled “Teacher as a Guidance Counselor Model” will focus on

determining the Personal Attributes of an Effective Guidance, which a teacher

possessed or may develop. It is also concern on determining the role/services a teacher

performs as a Guidance Counselor. This study will be conducted at Central Taytay

National High School starting on February until March 2019. The respondents are

teachers of the said school. It will not be including the newly assigned Guidance

Designate as her participation will be on the validation of the instrument to be used in

this study.

Definition of Terms

Classroom teacher- This is conceptually define as the inclusion of professional

personnel education teachers, and other teachers who work with students as a whole

class in classroom. It operationally pertains to all teachers who has advisory class or a

teacher who serves as an adviser to assigned section or block.

Counseling- This term is conceptually define as a professional guidance of the

individual by utilizing psychological methods. Is operationally define as the process of

doing a one-on one in-depth interview with the students.

Guidance Counselor- The term is conceptually define as a natural person who

has been issued a valid Certificate of Registration and valid Professional Identification
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Card by the Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and Counseling. Is

operationally define as a person who was assigned to perform helping duties found in

Guidance and Counseling Office.

Guidance Model- From American School Counselor Association (ASCA) this is

an outline of a comprehensive school counseling program. In this study this is define as

the output/ end result of thorough analysis of data gathered. Is operationally define as

the program outline for Teachers to fulfill their role as a Guidance Counselor

School Counselor. conceptually define as an individual found in educational

settings providing academic, career services. It is operationally define as a person

equivalent to Guidance Designate. Usually a non-teaching staff in school to which

issues and concerns of students are referred to him/her.