Abstract:
This study aimed at investigating the relationship among students 'personality dimensions, sex, attitude
towards counseling services and utilization of school guidance and counseling services in Bahir Dar
special zone secondary schools. A total of 368 participants (184 males and 184 females) were included in
the investigation. Schools were selected purposively and proportional stratified sampling was applied to
get proportional number of participants from each schools, males and females. Total samples were
proportionally classified based student populations and sexes in each school under study using
proportional stratified sampling. Then after, from each school, one grade level was randomly taken using
lottery method. Furthermore, 2-4 sections were selected again by lottery method; thus multi stage cluster
sampling was applied. Questionnaire with 5 and 6 level Iikert scale were used to measure personality and
attitude towards counseling respectively, whereas, one dichotomously scored and one open ended item
were used to measure students' utilization of school counseling services. The cronbach alpha reliability
estimates were 0. 808 and 0. 722 for personality and attitude items respectively. Pearson product moment
'
correlation coefficient, multiple linear and binary logistic regressions were applied in searching answers
for research questions and all significance tests were made at a~ 0.05. The Pearson product correlation
revealed that there statistically significant relationship among students ' sex with personality dimensions
(except extraversionrand utilization, personality dimensions (except openness) with attitude, personality
dimensions (except agreeableness) with utilization and attitude with utilization of school counseling
services. However, interrelationship among sex and .auitude and extraversion, utilization with
agreeableness as well as attitude with openness were not statistically significant. The result of linear
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Abstract
I
regressions has illustrated that the effect of students-' personality dimensions on their attitude was
-statistically significant with (F4.
363=7.
538, p<O. 05) and (R2=0. 077). Results of the logistic regressions
pointed out that student's attitude and sex~were significant predictors of utilization of school guidance
and counseling services. Moreover, the logistic regressions conducted separately for males and females
revealed that sex moderates the relationships among personality, attitude and utilization of school
counseling services. Qualitative results also have indicated that many students lack awareness about the
purposes and functions of school guidance and counseling services. Thus, I recommended that, among
others, schools should work on developing positive attitude of students towards school guidance and
counseling services using co-curricular activities such as school mini-media and arranging free classes
at least on monthly bases whereby, counselors render group counseling through which favorable attitude