Unit 7

Information Services

a. Need for Information Services

b. Uses of Information
c. Types of Information

Unit 8

Vocational Planning

a. Placement Services
b. Follow-up Services

Unit 9

Counselling Services

a. Meaning and description of a Typical Counselling Process.

b. Individual Counselling
c. Group Counselling
d. Merit and Demerit of Individual and Group Counselling

Unit 10

Behavioural Theory

a. Operant Conditioning
b. Systematic Desensitisation
c. Modelling
Unit 7

Information Services

a. Need for Information Services

b. Uses of Information
c. Types of Information

INFORMATION SERVICES

According to Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, “information”

is defined as informing or being informed, something told, news of knowledge given. While
“service” refers to a system or arrangement that supplies public needs. Therefore, information
service could be seen as knowledge-giving system that supplies public needs. A productive
guidance programme should provide students with basic knowledge and opportunities to
learn more about themselves and the environment. A good information service helps
individuals to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. This is the intentional and
purposive delivery of information to students; the primary purpose of which is to enable
students to use said information to reasonably guide their choices and actions inside and
outside of the school.

According to Egbochuku, (2008), information services is defined as the collection and

dissemination of valid and usable information relating to the educational, vocational and
personal-social needs of the individual. It is the assistance given to a student to understand,
accept and utilize his/her abilities, aptitude, interests and attitudinal pattern, in relation to his
aspirations or ambitions. Lenenbur, (2010) posited that information service is designed to
offer accurate and current information in order that the student may make an intelligent
choice of an educational programme, occupation or a social activity. According to Alutu,
(2017), information services are assistance given to each student in adjusting to his/her
surroundings, developing the ability to set realistic goals for his/herself and improving total
educational programme. This service makes available to learners certain kinds of information
not ordinarily provided through the instructional program or during the regular period of
instruction. The assistance offered to a student through informational service could be
educational, vocational, social, recreational, emotional or moral in nature.
Need for Information Services

Information service can be described as the hub of guidance services. Without valid
and accurate information, guidance function will not achieve its main purpose of assisting the
individual through self-understanding and adjustment. We need information to make crucial
life decisions that are determinants of our total life existence. Amongst these, we also need
information service for the following reasons:

1. To make wise and informed decisions about our educational pursuits, careers and
other life expectancies.
2. To promote attitudes and habits that will assist us in making choices and adjustment
for personal satisfaction.
3. To provide us with an understanding of the world of work.
4. Be aware of current development in our society in order to make appropriate
decisions.
5. Understand and evaluate one’s abilities and match them with job requirements.
6. Learn about job-hunting, how to get information about jobs, fill forms and attend
interviews.
7. Become fully aware of educational and occupational opportunities within the
community.
8. Develop personal values and the influence of important people (in his/her life) on
choice of occupation.
9. Have a greater understanding of our personal/social life.

Types of Information

The data collected for use in the informational service are usually categorized into
three major aspects. These includes: Educational, Vocational and personal/social information.
Educational and occupational decisions are related and interdependent. Educational decisions
and outcomes influence vocational decisions.

1. Educational Information: these are valid and usable data concerning all forms of
present, and probably, future educational or training opportunities and requirements , as
well as curricular and co-curricular offerings, requirements for entrances and problems of
students’ life. Sources of educational information are: College brochure, prospectus,
handbooks, college bulletins or newsletters, notice boards, advertisements through the
 media (daily newspaper, magazines, radios and televisions), computer processed
information (emails and internets) and our cell phones.
2. Vocational / Occupational Information: These are the facts about job for use in
vocational guidance or a description of man’s work and its related conditions and
information about the world of work. It provides information on the pertinent areas of
occupational requirements, opportunities and training needs. However, Nwokule, (1986),
outlined the kinds of occupational and vocational information offered in the guidance
program. These includes:
a. The nature and extent of curricular and co-curricular offerings.
b. College catalogue
c. Information on job requirements
d. Benefits and implications of certain occupation.
e. Statistical data on employment prospects.
f. Facts about promotion, transfers and advancement opportunities.
g. Guide on how to gain entrance into a field of work.
h. Facts about labour union regulations, professional organisations, standards and
regulations.

Some techniques used in facilitating students’ career developments are: work visits, work
experience, careers conventions (career week), audio-visual aids. Sources of vocational
information are: industrial (oil companies, steel processing companies, construction
companies e.t.c), community and local (governmental and non-governmental organisations),
national (national achieves, national libraries, museums, international research institutes, e.g
NIFOR, e.t.c.)

3. Personal / Social Information: These are information that facilitates self-understanding,

understanding of other people and gaining self-direction. It provides for student the
opportunities to acquire adequate knowledge, positive attitudes and interpersonal skills to
understand themselves and relate to others. Some examples of this information include:
sex roles, leadership styles, recreation and leisure opportunities, personality traits,
healthful living, reproductive health, financial planning, family planning environmental
cleanliness, and respect for elders. Sources includes: local, books, booklets, pamphlets,
videotapes, disks, and many commercial publishing companies e.t.c.

Uses of Information
The uses of information services are quite enormous. Information services are used for the
following;

1. Assurance: It is to assure students of the appropriateness of their decisions.

2. Evaluation: Information services help to check the adequacy and accuracy of student
knowledge and understanding of a decision taken.
3. Exploration: Information services also help the student to explore and study all
alternative of possible choice or decision.
4. Re-Adjustment: It however paves way for students who have inappropriate goals to
re-adjust. The information data collected enables students re-orient themselves to
different levels of goals and objectives.
5. Synthesis: Data collection from information al services is used to relate to other
personal data such as text, which encourages the synthesis of a pattern of behavior.
6. Information: in this case of information, data collected/gathered from information
services are used to provide students with knowledge of choice of occupation,
changing conditions and the likes.
7. Verification: In this case, it is useful especially in verifying and classifying choices,
opportunities and decisions.
Unit 8

Vocational Planning

a. Placement Services
b. Follow-up Services

Since the emergence of Frank Parson’s vocational bureau Boston U.S.A. in 1908, several
techniques have been provided on vocational services to individual both within and outside
the school settings. In Nigeria Secondary school system for instance, the following
techniques are used in providing vocational guidance to students. This includes; Career
conference, field trips or excursions, working experience, parents’ conference, old students
association among others.
Vocational/Career Services are set of services specifically designed to assist students in
their career and planning choices. It creates awareness and appreciation of the different stages
of life and professional careers. It cultivates proper attitude towards work decision and choice
among students. Examples are: Job fair (Job Placement Services) settings, seminars or
seminar-workshops on writing an effective resume, application letter, cover letter, bio-data,
job posting, dissemination e.t.c. There are three phases for executing planning of the
guidance and counseling services. This includes:
1. The Planning Phase
2. The Leading Phase
3. The Execution Phase.
Planning Phase: This refers to deciding in advance what an individual wants to do and how
to achieve that goal. It is one of the crucial functions of a guidance counsellor. During the
planning phase of any school programme, the counsellor will first and foremost hold
meetings with the various stakeholders of the students for which the programme is to be
designed. Relevant information will be gathered from staff, students, parents, principals and
others. The steps to take while planning includes:
1. Consult with the school principal to make provision for guidance and counseling in
other to have the opportunity to reach the students in their individual classes and also
for students to meet the counselor in his/her office.
2. Identify those who will constitute the school guidance committee.
3. Organize and arrange class by class the distribution of personal cumulative record
folder to students.
 4. Prepare needs assessment forms to be given to student for the identification of needs.
5. Prepare a format to be distributed to teachers for referral of students
6. Provide time for individual and group counseling
7. Prepare schedules for career day and industrial visits.
8. Prepare schedule for home visits and consulting with parents over students’ problems
that are home based.
The Leading Phase: this involves the leadership in creating awareness of the activities of
school guidance programme and its benefits. In executing the plans, the counselor will
assume leadership and supervision of the methods of discharging assigned duties to
individuals and committee members, thereby ensuring the total co-ordination of the guidance
programme.
The Execution Stage: during this stage, all programmes are put in action. The counsellor
pulls together all information that has been gathered by established committees and decides
on the ones to use and the ones to be discarded.

Placement Services

Placement can be a personal-social, vocational/employment, and educational aspects

of the client. Placement is carried out with the clients considered opinion (client’s interest,
choice, and welfare are uppermost). Guidance and counselling provides an opportunity
through which clients can be placed in appropriate schools, training programmes, vocations,
classes, courses and jobs so that they can perform satisfactory. In other words guidance and
counseling has the tools that could be used to aide effective placement of students/workers
within and outside the school setting. For placement services to be effective and to aid
individual’s achievement and development, it has to be structured and based on accurate data.
Tolbert, (1974), identified three basic activities in placement service which are:

1. Listing the openings and making a referral to such opening.

2. Locating specific openings that suits specific students.
3. Proceeding to link the applicants with their prospective employers.

For placement services in guidance and counselling programmes in the school setting, the
counsellor’s responsibilities can carried out either through individual or group counseling,
these includes:
1. Helping the student to plan their educational, vocational and personal-social activities.
2. Assist students to make appropriate school choices and assist in the transition from junior
to senior schools.
3. Counsellors are expected to provide information about colleges, polytechnics and
universities education and admission requirements.
4. Assist students to plan more realistically and effectively in order to help them achieve
their goals.
5. Assist students in securing interventions in the homes where there are problems
6. Get treatment in specialized hospitals if they are sick.
7. Assist in the area of vocational/employment placement. The purpose of this function is to
assist the graduating students find a job or the school dropout find an appropriate school
or alternative. The counselor can achieve this through organized excursion for students to
visit work establishments.
8. In addition, counsellors are supposed to be in possession of work-study programmes.
9. They are also in position to provide potential employers information about individual
students, assist in job mobility, that is, the transition from one level of employment to
another.

Principles of Effective Placement

1. Must be done by trained personnel or counsellors.

2. It is for all students both within the school system and those that have left the school.
3. Decision making should be based on provided information.
4. The right of to make choice should be protected.

Organising a Placement Service

Learner (1949), identified three ways of organizing placement service. They are:

1. A central school placement service where all recognized records concerning the
clients are kept in one centralized place. Job interviews are also done in a central
place, either in the school or in a centrally located area.
2. A decentralized school placement service: Here the individuals have its own
placement service and personnel to handle placement within each school, rather than
all student from different schools going to a centralized place.
 3. A combination of centralized and decentralized placement services: This allows
flexibility. The decision of where placement takes place may probably depend on the
employers.

Follow-up Service

The follow up aspect is offered in order to determine the effectiveness of planning and
placement activities. In addition, this function is carried out in order to understand how the
individuals are coping and developing in their placement process. The aim of follow up
therefore, is to re-evaluate the strategies used in the placement process in other to maintain
and improve the correct one and correct/change faulty ones. The main objective of follow-up
service is to ascertain the level of adjustment and life experiences of the clients, their
contributions to self and the society. This will aid restructuring the deficiencies of a training
programme.