This document provides an overview of concepts in guidance. It discusses: 1. The meaning and definitions of guidance, including helping individuals discover their capacities and make educational and career decisions. 2. The types of guidance including educational guidance, vocational guidance, and personal guidance. 3. The functions of guidance as orientational, developmental, and adjustive to help students solve problems and develop self-awareness. 4. The principles of guidance including recognizing individual uniqueness, encouraging cooperation, and focusing on individual needs.

1. CONCEPTS IN GUIDANCE UNIT 1

2. [A] GUIDANCE: INTRODUCTION
GUIDANCE is as old as civilization.
Earlier and even today, Guidance- whether in Educational, Vocational
or Personal matters, is sought from elders of the family.
With the passage of time, revolutionary changes have taken place in
the fields of agriculture, business, medicine, etc.
If the elders or leaders of community do not possess adequate
knowledge of these changes, they may be inadept at providing useful
and meaningful guidance.

3. GUIDANCE: MEANING
Ordinary meaning of guidance is help, assistance, and suggestions for progress
and showing the way.
Guidance refers to a range of activities
that enables individuals of any age and at any point in their lives
to identify their capacities, competences and interests,
to make educational, training and occupational decisions
and to manage their individual life paths in learning, work and other settings in
which these capacities and competences are learned and/or used.
Examples of such activities include information and advice giving, counselling,
competence assessment, mentoring, advocacy, teaching decision-making and
career management skills.
Guidance facilitates people throughout their lives to manage their own
educational, training, occupational, personal, social, and life choices so that they
reach their full potential and contribute to the development of a better society.

4. GUIDANCE: DEFINITION
Shirley Hamrin (1947) defined guidance as : “Helping John to see
through himself in order that he may see himself through” , is a
simple and practical but challenging concept of guidance.
Ruth Strang (1937) explains that guidance is a process of helping
every individual through his own efforts to discover and develop his
potentialities for his personal happiness and social usefulness.
According to the Secondary Education Commission (1964-
66): “Guidance involves the difficult art of helping boys and girls to
plan their own future wisely in the full light of all the factors that can
be mastered about themselves and about the world in which they are
to live and work.”

5. ELEMENTS OF GUIDANCE
1.Guidance programme is organised; it has a structure, system and
personnel.
2.It is an integral part of the school system.
3.It consists of specialised serices of testing,
counselling, educational and vocational information, placement and follow-
up scheme.
4.Its major aim is the promotion of student development.
5.It helps children to develop and promote their ability to deal with their own
problems.
6.It provides for the identification and development of talents
and potentialities.
7.The intangible elements of guidance are recognised as a
point of view or as an attitude.

6. GUIDANCE: NATURE/
CHARACTERISTICS
1. Guidance is a process
2. Guidance is a continuous process
3. Guidance helps individuals
4. Guidance is a voluntary process
5. It is indicative in nature
6. Guidance helps an individual in discovering himself
7. Guidance is a generalized and a specialized service
8. Benefits not only individual but also society at large

7. By now, you have understood that guidance is a helping service. It is
by its very nature a self-oriented, problem solving and multifaceted
activity.
It presupposes two-fold understanding.
The first is the understanding of one’s own abilities, aptitudes,
interests, motives, behaviour-patterns, skills and achievements up-
to-date and social, cultural, economic background.
Secondly, it is the understanding of the real nature of one’s
environment and of the educational and vocational opportunities
offered by that environment, along with their differential
requirements of abilities and attainments. Guidance may be described
as a process of relating these two types of understanding so that they
become imbued with a new meaning in the life of the individual.

8. GUIDANCE: PRINCIPLES
Need for guidance, and the nature and aims of guidance are based on
certain principles and assumptions. The principles of guidance
generally accepted are the ones given by Crow and Crow (Educational
psychologists). They are:
1. Principle of all-round development of the individual. Guidance
must take into account the all-round development of the individual
when bringing about desirable adjustment in any particular area of
his personality.
2. The principle of human uniqueness. No two individuals are alike.
Individuals differ in their physical, mental, social and emotional
development. Guidance service must recognise these differences and
guide each individual according to their specific need.

9. PRINCIPLES (CONTD.)
3. Principle of holistic development. Guidance has to be imparted in
the context of total development of personality. The child grows as a
whole and even if one aspect of personality is in focus, the other
areas of development which are indirectly influencing the personality
have also to be kept in mind.
4. The principle of cooperation. No individual can be forced into
guidance. The consent and cooperation of the individual is a pre-
requisite for providing guidance.
5. The principle of continuity. Guidance should be regarded as a
continuous process of service to an individual in different stages of
his life.

10. PRINCIPLES (CONTD.)
6. The principle of extension. Guidance service should not be limited
to a few persons, who give observable evidence of its need, but it
should be extended to all persons of all ages, who can benefit from it
directly or indirectly.
7. The principle of elaboration. Curriculum materials and teaching
procedures should be elaborated according to the view point of
guidance.
8. The principle of adjustment. While it is true that guidance touches
every aspect of an individual’s life, it is chiefly concerned with an
individual’s physical or mental health, with his adjustment at home,
school, society and vocation.

11. PRINCIPLES (CONTD.)
9. Principle of individual needs. The individual and his needs are of
utmost significance. Recognition of individual freedom, worth,
respect and dignity is the hallmark of guidance. Freedom to make a
choice and take a decision needs to be respected and encouraged.
10. The principle of expert opinion. Specific and serious guidance
problems should be referred to persons who are trained to deal with
particular area of adjustment for their expert opinion.
11. The principle of evaluation. The guidance programme should be
evaluated in terms of its effectiveness and improvement. Evaluation is
essential for the formulation of new goals or re-drafting the existing
goals.

12. 12. The principle of responsibility. Parents and teachers have great
responsibility in the execution of the work of guidance. The responsibility
for guidance should be centred on a qualified and trained person, who is the
head the guidance centre.
13. The principle of periodic appraisal. Periodic appraisal should be made of
the existing guidance programme so that requisite changes, if any can be
carried out for its improvement.
Conclusion. Wise and experienced leadership in guidance is, extremely
important. It is often said that “As the principal is, so is the school.” This
statement holds equally for organized guidance programs. Intelligent
application of the basic principles to the operation of a school program of
guidance services has value not only for the young or older pupils for whose
benefit the program has been organized but also for their parents, the
members of the school staff, and the community at large.

13. GUIDANCE: FUNCTIONS
Guidance has three basic functions:
1. Orientational Function: Make student aware regarding choices to
solve a problem
2. Developmental Function: Prevent problem from reoccurring.
Self development and self- realization
3. Adjustive Function: Help student make appropriate adjustments.

14. [B] TYPES OF GUIDANCE
A teacher has to provide mainly three types of guidance:
1. EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE
2. VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
3. PERSONAL GUIDANCE

16. 1. EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE
Educational guidance is related to every aspect of education- school/
colleges, the curriculum, the methods of instruction, other curricular
activities, disciplines, etc.
Educational guidance is the guidance given to the individual
i. to understand his/her potentialities
ii. to have a clear cut idea of the different educational opportunities
and their requirements
iii. to make wise choices as regards to schools, colleges, the course:
curricular and extra curricular

17. NEED FOR EDUCATIONAL
GUIDANCE
AT ELEMENTARY STAGE:
- Assist the children in making a good beginning
- to plan intelligently
- to get the best out of education
- to prepare them for secondary schools

18. NEED FOR EDUCATIONAL
GUIDANCE
AT SECONDARY STAGE:
Assist pupils
- to understand themselves better
- to understand different aspects of the school
- to select appropriate courses
- to get information about different educational opportunities
- to develop good study habits
- to get acquainted with the vocational implications of various school
subjects

19. NEED FOR EDUCATIONAL
GUIDANCE
AT HIGHER SECONDARY STAGE:
Assist the pupils in:
- selection of courses/ vocations in line with their abilities and
interests
- understanding the objectives of higher education
- vocational understanding
- areas of change in academic courses

20. 2. VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
“What shall I do in life? What job am I best suited for?’’
These answers are best given by Vocational Guidance. It helps you
‘hear’ your calling. It is incomplete without Educational Guidance
backing it.

21. NEED FOR VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
AT THE ELEMENTARY STAGE:
- No formal guidance programmes are needed.
- Develop skills and qualities that promote love and respect for
manual work, training in use of hands, spirit of cooperative work,
sharing, appreciation for all work and good interpersonal
relationships.

22. NEED FOR VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL:
Assist students
- to appraise their abilities, interests and personalities and the
corresponding vocations and jobs.
- to know the world of work, the qualifications required and thus
select the corresponding subjects
- to develop employment readiness and develop decision making by
making them familiar with the employment situation in the country
and the complex realities
- to get employed by keeping in with various employment exchanges
and agencies

23. NEED FOR VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
AT THE HIGHER SECONDARY LEVEL:
Assist pupils
- to get information about different careers, training facilities,
apprenticeship, etc.
- to relate their studies to the vocation that are open to them
- to acquaint them with avenues for higher education and assistance
such as scholarship, stipends, grants and fellowship.

24. 3. PERSONAL GUIDANCE
Personal guidance is necessary at all stages in life.

25. DEFINITION

26. NEED FOR PERSONAL GUIDANCE
AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL:
Assist the student
- to deal with problems related to feelings of insecurity, discipline,
social acceptance, etc.
- develop self expression

27. NEED FOR PERSONAL GUIDANCE
AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL:
Personal guidance at this stage should focus on personal and social
adjustment as they have more intricate problems now.
Assist the pupil
- to handle the adolescent changes which affect their attitude and
behavior.
- to address problems that stem from adverse relations with family
and friends.
- to address problems related to learning of a new subject which
often leads to anxiety and depression

28. NEED FOR PERSONAL GUIDANCE
AT THE HIGHER SECONDARY LEVEL:
Scope for Personal guidance at this stage is wider.
Assist the student to view life in terms of reality.

29. [C] AGENCIES FOR GUIDANCE
Guidance refers to the process of assisting individuals to discover
their vocational, educational, and psychological potential. An agency
refers to an organization which provides a specific service. Therefore,
an agency of guidance refers to those agencies which impart
guidance to individuals. The main objective of such an agency is to
help an individual shape his destiny.
Agencies of guidance certainly help an individual to achieve an
optimal level of social usefulness. Furthermore, an individual finds
true peace and personal happiness through such agencies. Most
noteworthy, such agencies direct an individual towards the
opportunities available to him. Moreover, there are plenty of agencies
in an individual’s life. However, the most important agencies of
guidance are home and school.

30. HOME AS AN AGENCY OF
GUIDANCE
An individual’s home is certainly a very important agency of guidance. One’s
home is certainly the first source of guidance for every individual. Furthermore, a
child receives home guidance from the childhood phase. Therefore, the guidance
received from home creates a very strong psychological impact on a person. The
home serves an agency of guidance in the following ways:
1. Shapes personality- Homes certainly help in shaping the personality of an
individual. Kids start developing their sense of self as babies from home. One’s
parents and siblings play a big part in that. Furthermore, kids see themselves
through their parents’ eyes. Most noteworthy, kids absorb the voice, body
language, and every expression of their parents and siblings.
2. Ethical values- Homes impart values of ethics and morality in the kids.
Furthermore, kids learn right and wrong behaviour from their parents. This is
certainly a very crucial aspect of development in children. Therefore, homes play
a tremendous influence on an individual’s mentality for the rest of his life.
Whether an individual turns to be a saint or a criminal almost always depends
upon his home.

31. HOME AS AN AGENCY OF
GUIDANCE
3. Understanding of rules- Kids receive guidance from home
regarding the importance of obeying rules and regulations. The limits
set by parents help in creating a sense of understanding of rules in
individuals. Furthermore, parents probably impose punishments
when kids break the set limits. This provides valuable guidance to
individuals about the consequences of breaking rules and
regulations.

32. SCHOOL AS AN AGENCY OF
GUIDANCE
School is certainly a major agency of guidance. This is because guidance is a
very integral part of education. Furthermore, students definitely require the
assistance of teachers. Most noteworthy, no student can reach his maximum
potential without appropriate guidance from schools. Moreover, school
guidance help students in making feasible and suitable career plans. Also,
getting a reputable and good career in life depends upon guidance from the
school. The school provides guidance in:
-School help in the maximization of the potential of the students
-Assessing the pupil’s interests, capacities, abilities, needs, for doing any
work
-Making appropriate and efficient future plans for pupils
-Schools certainly assist in making the proper decision regarding an
educational career
-Making satisfactory adjustments at home, school and society with desirable
outcomes
-Helping students reach self-realization, self-development, self-direction,

33. SCHOOL AS AN AGENCY FOR
GUIDANCE
Every school must have a guidance committee. This committee is very
important in order to efficiently organize guidance services.
Furthermore, such a committee would ensure proper and systematic
management of guidance services of the school. The various
components of the school guidance committee are the Principal,
counsellor, staff representative or senior teacher, school medical
officer, experts, etc.
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