Effects of Reciprocal Peer Guidance on Adolescents’ Attitudes to Family Responsibilities

Abstract

This study sought to determine the effects of Reciprocal Peer Guidance (RPG) on students’ attitudes to family responsibilities. The study was based on two research questions and two null hypotheses. The research design was quasi-experimental. Stratified random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 154 SS 11 students from Secondary Schools in Onitsha Urban of Anambra State. A set of questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire was titled “Attitudes to family Responsibilities scale” (AFRS). The study, which lasted for nine weeks, utilized the RPG for the experimental group and CGC (Conventional Guidance and Counselling) for the control group. Data were analyzed using Mean scores to answer the research questions and analysis of Co-variance to test the null hypotheses. Findings indicated that Reciprocal Peer Guidance (RPG) was more effective for improving students’ attitudes to family responsibilities than conventional Guidance and counselling (CGC). It was also found that the effect of RPG on the students’ attitudes to family responsibilities did not significantly differ based on gender. The implications of these findings were that RPG could be effectively used in schools to improve attitudes to family responsibilities as it would enable peers to engage in social interactions as well as learn basic family skills from their peers. Based on these findings, it was recommended that to enhance positive students’ attitudes to family responsibilities, peer-based guidance strategies such as RPG should be adopted in addition to the conventional counselling currently being used in schools. The Counsellor-training programmes in institutions in Nigeria should include RPG in order to equip would-be guidance counsellors with the techniques involved in the strategy.