Page 9 - DEDU502_GUIDANCE_AND_COUNSELING_ENGLISH

Unit 1: Guidance: Meaning, Nature and Scope

The term guidance represents the concept that is neither simple nor easily comprehensible due to Notes
the complexity of the human nature, the individual differences and personal-social problems
associated with changing environmental conditions and cultural traditions.
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.
According to Jones (1951) : “The focus of guidance is the individual not his problem, its purpose is to
provide the growth of the individual in self-direction providing opportunity for self-realisation and self-direction
is the key-note of guidance. “
Downing (1964) : points out towards a common problem in defining guidance that is one of keeping
the definition short and sufficiently broad to be informative. He has attempted it by giving definition
of guidance in operational terms in two parts :
(i) Guidance is an organised set of specialised services established as an integral part of the school
environment designed to promote the development of the students and assist them toward a
realisation of sound, wholesome adjustment and maximum accomplishments commensurate
with their personalities.
(ii) Guidance is a point of view that includes a positive attitude towards children and realisation
that it is the supplement, strengthen and make more meaningful all other phases of a youngster’s
education.
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.
Mathewson (1962) : defines guidance as the systematic professional process of helping the individual
through education and interpretative procedures to gain a better understanding of his own
characteristics and potentialities and to relate himself more satisfactorily to social requirements and
opportunities in accord with social and moral values.
Arthur, J. Jones (1963) : thinks that guidance is the help given by one person to another in making
choices and adjustments and in solving problems.
Traxler (1957) : considers guidance as a help which enables each individual to understand his
abilities and interests, to develop them as well as possible and to relate the life-goals, and finally to
reach a state of complete and mature self-guidance as a desirable member of the social order.
Recently. B.L. Shepherd stated that (1) the immediate objective in guidance is to help each pupil
meet and solve his problems as they arise; and (2) the ultimate objective of all guidance is self-
guidance.
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.“
If we analyse the above definitions of guidance, we will find the following elements in it :
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 sences of testing, counseling, 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.

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