THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COUNSELLORS PERSONALITY AND STUDENT PERCEPTION OF THE COUNSELORS AS A HELPER (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
That people differ from each is obvious how and why they differ is less clear and it is an important of the study of personality.
Personality psychology addresses the questions of individual differences and unique patterns of individuals. The professional counselor is an expert in his field and also has cultivated skills in helping people understand their situations for which they assume responsibility Ubangha(1996) stated that the counselors personality is relevant to his effectiveness and that a key element in any counseling relationship is the person of the counselors the counselors personality consist of the total pattern of characteristics ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that constitute his method of relating to environment.
The counselors status may encourage or discourage a student for example some student would not want a father figure as a counselors. Some prefer young unmarried counselors, so they can interact as friends some are also of the belief that the older a counselor the wiser he is students have gender preferences the girls will rather go to the male counselor while the boys will go to the male counselor. The counselor is seen by students as a disciplinarian and one who assists in publishing students who misbehave. The national policy on education stressed the need forwhich counselors in Nigeria schools, however these new professional in the school system are still confronted with the issue of what role they should play in the system as counselors. Ipaye(1986) defined a role as a part or function assumed by someone, a set of specific responsibilities which should be assumed by the counselor in the school setting.
Perception of the counselor have been explored by Oyegbami (1978) in this study with students of Comprehensive High School Aiyetorothe discovered that students held wrong perception of their counselors role. The students do not perceive the counselors as a helper but rather believed that the counselor is one who punish those who misbehave.
Even though the students saw the counselors as an assistant in their vocational and educational plans, they were not quite sure that role the counselor ought to play in their educational experiences.
