Individual Submission Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Poster #235 - A comparative study of students’ values and challenges in face-to-face and e-counselling in Ghanaian Universities

Fri, March 22, 12:45 to 2:00pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

Counselling, as a helping relationship, has traditionally been done through face-to-face encounters. The emergence of technology has pushed the boundaries of this practice with the introduction of electronic counselling (e-counselling). Expectedly, developed countries have been practicing e-counselling and research shows that it has been proved effective (Cohen & Kerr, 1999). However, some practitioners have raised arguments questioning its effectiveness in comparison to traditional face-to-face counselling (Kolog, 2014; Zeng Wang, et al, 2010). Other experts are also reluctant to its use because of lack of knowledge in ICT and the fact that they are used to the face-to-face counselling. Other findings also prove that there has not been any significant change in counselling with the emerging of e-counselling. This is because clients who underwent the face-to-face and others who used the electronic means did not show significant difference in change of outcomes (Murphy et al., 2009). With the increasing rate of technology use among university students in Ghana, students’ preference for e-counselling and/or face-to-face approach remains uncertain, creating a dearth of knowledge in this area. This study sought to fill this gap by comparing the values and challenges of face-to-face and e-counselling modalities in universities in Ghana. Stratified sampling was used to select 384 students from three universities, who answered a 62-item survey. Bivariate correlations, independent and paired sample t-test was used for the analysis. Results revealed a highly significant negative correlation between values of face-to-face counselling and challenges to e-counselling (r = -0.30; n=384; p < 0.01). Also, a negative correlation of face-to-face counselling and values to e-counselling (r = - 0.38; n = 384; p < 0.01). Again, there was a significant relationship between values to face-to-face counselling and satisfaction to face-to-face counselling (r = 0.51, n = 384; p < 0.01). similarly, values to e-counselling was significant with satisfaction to e-counselling (r = 0.72, n = 384, p < 0.01). These demonstrate that the more students’ value either face-to-face or e-counselling, the less will they have issues with either modes of counselling.
Also, the males’ values to both face-to-face and e-counselling were higher than the females though values to face-to-face counselling show a significant difference (see table 1). Again, married students value e-counselling more as compared to those who are not married (see table 1). Also, there was a significant difference in the means between values to face-to-face counselling and e-counselling (t = -10.45, df = 383, p = 0.00) (see table 2) and satisfaction to face-to-face and e-counselling proves that there was a significant difference between the two means (t = -9.36, df = 383, p = 0.00).
The findings suggest that face-to-face is still being valued by students but may be inclined to e-counselling. This implies that there should be a gradual introduction of e-counselling in our universities, especially when about 90% of the student’s population in Ghana use technological devices. This will be of great help to the students especially, persons with disability who have been discriminated against by the singular face-to-face mode of counselling.

Authors