Effects of School Heads’ Guidance and Counselling Strategy for Students’ Character Formation in Public Secondary Schools in Arusha Region, Tanzania

The study focused on the effects of school heads' administrative strategies on students' character formation in public secondary schools in the Arusha region, Tanzania. The study was guided by one research question and one hypothesis, and it employed a convergent design using a mixed methods approach to examine the problem. The research employed probability and non-probability sampling methods to select 177 teachers, 249 parents, 360 students, and 18 school heads from 18 chosen secondary schools. Data were gathered using questionnaires administered to teachers, parents, and students and interviews conducted with the heads of schools. The instruments were validated, and the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient for Likert scale items. For qualitative data, reliability was confirmed through peer review and triangulation. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including mean scores, frequencies, and percentages, and then presented in tables. A hypothesis was tested using simple linear regression at a significance level 0.05. Qualitative data were analysed using contextual analysis and transcription. This study found that schools had a well-defined guidance and counselling programme in place but needed more professional counsellors, and it needed further improvement through external sources. Furthermore, the findings revealed no significant correlation between the guidance and counselling strategies of public secondary school heads and the levels of character development among students in the Arusha Region. This study concluded that while school heads’ guidance and counselling strategy positively affected students' character formation and goal-setting, this was achieved in collaboration with parents and professionals despite challenges and differing viewpoints among stakeholders. The recommendation study encourages teachers to participate actively in counselling seminars and strengthen collaboration with NGOs.