Abstract

This study focused on the association between teachers' academic guidance competence and students' satisfaction at the secondary school level in district Mardan, KP, Pakistan. Teachers and students at government secondary schools provided data, and a quantitative survey, more precisely a survey-type research design was used. Based on the stratum-wise distribution of schools, stratified random sampling was utilized, and Krejesic and Morgan's table to calculate the sample size. In district Mardan, both urban and rural teachers and students from government secondary schools made up the study's population. A self-created questionnaire with a five-option Likert scale was used to collect the data. Supervisor feedback was utilized to guarantee face validity, and a pilot study was carried out to confirm reliability. Students' academic satisfaction, teachers' guidance competence, and the relationship between the two variables were examined by independent sample t-tests using SPSS V-22. In light of the importance of teacher-student interactions in secondary education, the study finds that excellent academic mentoring correlates to better levels of student satisfaction.

Key Words

Guidance Competence, Students’ Satisfaction, Secondary Level, Science Discipline 

Introduction

Guidance is a fundamental component in the discipline administration of individuals in all societies According to Hendrikz (1986), it is the obligation of instructors to make convinced learners mature consistently along their own unique lines. The vital and indispensable segments of education are the learners (Ngumi, & Kipkemboi, Chege (2016).

Guidance is the form of succour or intervention which is conveyed by a proficient person to an individual to flourish his or her identity and attain an appropriate direction. An individual's development of their educational, vocational, and psychological skills is aided by guidance. Most notably, the advice assists a student in reaching their ideal state of happiness and tranquillity. The guidance concept is quite democratic in nature because the individual who properly guides has the ability to shape his destiny. Without guidance no one can put forward in their life as "A candle can walk 'with' us and show us the way; it cannot walk 'for' us". Academic guidance is a technique in which a student seeks and acquires guidance with the academic program. Academic guidance plays a pivotal role in educational sectors and makes them enlightened about the educational path and academic challenges in their learning objectives. In the field of guidance, students' satisfaction is the top priority and it is the basic aim of academic guidance. To achieve this aim every teacher makes its teaching methodology effective and convenient for students. The guidance between student satisfaction and teacher academic guidance is just like "Pen without ink", when there is no ink in the pen, not a single one can write on it. It shows that the relationship between student and teacher is very important and their relationship must be trustworthy and students feel comfortable with their teacher as well as respectful. This relation secures the future of our national assets.

"Guidance does not impose one person's viewpoint on another; it merely provides direction. It's not about bearing the weight of another person's life. Guidance, on the other hand, is support whether personal or professional that an individual of any age receives to enable him to actively manage his own life, form his own opinion, come to his own conclusions, and bear his own burdens” by Crow and Crow.

According to Arthur J. Jones, "Guidance is the assistance that one person gives another in making decisions and adjusting in order to solve problems. The purpose of guidance is to help the receiver develop his independence and self-sufficiency. One service that is available to everyone and is not limited to families or schools is guidance. Throughout life, guidance is present anywhere there are people who can help and wherever there are people who need to help them. This includes the home, workplace, industry, government, social life, jail, and hospital”.

Guidance is the process of assisting a person in developing and accepting an acceptable and comprehensive self-image, as well as his place in the world of work, according to the National Vocational Guidance Association. must put this idea to the test in the actual world and turn it into a reality that will satisfy him and help society.

Types of Guidance

For the best result of a task following some strategies is very important. If a person guides about the assigned task, they should perform it in an efficient manner. So the following techniques play a key role.




Individual Guidance

Individual guidance is advice given to a person specifically to help them solve their own problems. These coaching strategies help the person by motivating him in areas of weakness and increasing his level of trust, both of which will help him achieve his objectives. Individual coaching helps people comprehend their existing circumstances and identify potential solutions.




Group Guidance

A person's ability to solve an ongoing issue with a group of people is significantly enhanced by a lecture. Lectures are the main method used to solve group problems. To help the group grasp the problem, a question-and-answer period should be held. This will enable the group to come up with the best and most advantageous solution. It is vital to lead a group orientation class, and each member of the group needs to be instructed on how to complete a certain assignment.




Academic Guidance

Academic guidance is the comprehensive support within an educational institute designed to assist individuals typically students. Academic guidance involves the provision of advice, information and resources to help a student make informed decisions about their education path, academic challenges and advice on their learning objectives. Academic guidance encompasses various aspects including study skill development, course selection, educational planning, and adherence to academic policies and it plays a crucial role in enhancing student learning experience and success in their academic endeavours.

Academic guidance refers to the support and assistance provided to individuals and students in their educational pursuits. Academic guidance advises students on appropriate courses based on their academic interests, goals and requirements. This guidance covered various aspects such as course selection, study skill development, educational planning and career exploration. The key goal of academic guidance is to empower schoolchildren to make informed decisions about their academic path, overcome challenges and achieve success in their education pursuit. Academic guidance may be offered by the teacher, head of the institute or educational advisors which enhances the student's learning outcome and their satisfaction.




Teacher Guidance Competence

Teacher guidance competence is the proficiency and effectiveness of educators in providing support, direction and assistance to students through their learning journey. This competence extends beyond subject matter expertise and involves a range of skills. A broad spectrum of skills and attributes are used by teachers who are proficient in teacher mentoring to assist students in both their academic and personal growth. In addition to having a thorough comprehension of the material, a skilled teacher can communicate well, giving students the freedom to voice their opinions and follow directions. Empathy is essential because teachers with high guiding competency can relate to the unique learning styles and challenges of each student, fostering a more sympathetic and understanding learning environment. Being flexible is essential because it enables educators to modify their methods in response to shifting student requirements and shifting educational environments. A qualified teacher is capable of directing students to pertinent materials and support services because they are aware of the range of educational resources that are accessible. Another component is career advising, in which educators help students explore various professional pathways and make wise decisions about their future. The mentoring and counselling component entails developing a relationship of mutual support and providing guidance on both personal and academic issues. Proficiency in addressing problems empowers educators to tackle obstacles with efficacy, offering valuable feedback and promoting the development of their pupils.

Objectives of the Study

• To investigate teachers' academic guidance competence at the secondary level in district Mardan. 

• To find out the level of students' academic satisfaction at the secondary school level.

• To measure the relationship between teachers’ guidance competence and students’ satisfaction at the secondary school level.

Research Question:

• To find out teacher academic guidance competency at the secondary level. 

• How guidance leads to student satisfaction of secondary students.

• What is the relationship between teachers' guidance competence and student satisfaction?




Research Hypotheses  

1. There is no significant teachers' academic guidance competence at the secondary level in district Mardan.

2. There is no significant student academic satisfaction at the secondary school level?

3. There is no significant relationship between teachers’ guidance competence and students’ satisfaction at the secondary school level. 

Literature Review

Guidance is the form of succour or intervention which is conveyed by a proficient person to an individual to flourish his or her identity and attain an appropriate direction. An individual's development of their educational, vocational, and psychological skills is aided by guidance. Most notably, the advice assists a student in reaching their ideal state of happiness and tranquillity. The guidance concept is quite democratic in nature because the individual who properly guides has the ability to shape his destiny. Without guidance no one can put forward in their life as "A candle can walk 'with' us and show us the way; it cannot walk 'for' us". Academic guidance is a technique in which a student seeks and acquires guidance with the academic program. Academic guidance plays a pivotal role in educational sectors and makes them enlightened about the educational path and academic challenges in their learning objectives. In the field of guidance, students' satisfaction is the top priority and it is the basic aim of academic guidance. To achieve this aim every teacher makes its teaching methodology effective and convenient for students. The guidance between student satisfaction and teacher academic guidance is just like "Pen without ink", when there is no ink in the pen, not a single one can write on it. It shows that the relationship between student and teacher is very important and their relation must be trustworthy and students feel comfortable with their teacher as well as respectful. This relation secures the future of our national assets.

Academic Guidance

Academic guidance is an important element of the educational system and plays a pivotal role in making of student academic flow of overall success. The guidance obtained from knowledgeable persons such as mentors, raises the learning output and facilitates intelligible development. Guidance not only circumscribes specific subject support but also wide facets like time management, study skills, goal setting and contributing to student panoramic development (Cuseo,2007). Academic guidance encourages a positive smash in student intellectual engagement. In quintessence, academic guidance is just like a lighthouse which gives direction to students through their complexities and their education journey and provides essential support for their intellectual growth and academic guidance (Lange, 2014). 




Need of Academic Guidance Program at Secondary School

Level 

 According to Chaudri's (2015) study paper, the following stakeholders have a critical role to play in addressing the need for guidance programs at the secondary school level.




Faculty Guidance Committee

One of the main pillars supporting academic achievement in educational institutions is the Faculty Guidance Committee. This committee, which is made up of committed academic members, plays a crucial role in advising and assisting colleagues as well as students. By means of its diverse duties, including curriculum creation, guidance for students, and professional growth programs, the committee makes a substantial contribution to the institution's overall academic achievements. Studies confirm the beneficial effects of faculty guidance committees on student outcomes and highlight their critical role in determining the nature of the educational process (Smith & Johnson, 2018; Williams et al., 2020). 




Head of the School

The head of the school must have full confidence in the services of academic guidance and his or her pedagogical philosophy must be explicit about academic guidance. He or she is expected to convene the guiding committee, keep its minutes and facilitate democratic discourse. In addition to serving as a team leader and public relations officer for the purpose of offering academic guidance services to students, he or she should have excellent relationships with teachers and students. Studies show that good school leadership has a significant impact on students' outcomes and emphasizes the head's role in determining the calibre and availability of academic support (Hallinger, 2022).




Teacher

Teachers are the front-runners, guides and friends of the undergraduates during his/her own subject teaching, they can supply knowledge about the different professions and he or she must be mindful of different varieties of knowledge that affect their financial trouble, level of social interaction and acumen level. The professional knowledge delivered by an educator to the student can be associated with his or her personal topic.




Librarian

The school librarian may help to the extent that they gather journals, books, and pamphlets on advice and occupational information, and they can also give students the necessary assistance in collaborating with them on how to use the material. 




Co-Operation of Parents

Parents must be instructed that decisions regarding their children's difficulties should never be forced upon them. Making a checklist would be preferable for the necessary data.




Evaluation of the Academic Guidance Program

Academic guidance is the most important tool for student motivation. Academic guidance evaluation is required to make improvements in teaching methodology. It takes evaluation to make sure that the right kind and number of services are consistently offered. When students receive these academic advising services, they should be able to assist their teachers in assessing and comprehending their interests, aptitudes, abilities, and shortcomings. It is imperative that the guidance program be evaluated in order to meet the requirements of students and to address concerns expressed by educators, parents, and taxpayers. Reducing inefficiencies and incorporating more efficient processes can be achieved most effectively through ongoing assessment. Additionally, the guidance program must adapt as societal conditions and student requirements change. The best method for determining the scope and direction of necessary change is to use an evaluation process. (Stoops & Wahlquist, 1958). 




Importance of Academic Guidance

Nobody can decline the importance of academic guidance in the educational career of a student. This is most important for academic achievement and career choice Academic advising supports a student's overall growth by assisting them in making informed decisions and adjusting to the school's curriculum, courses, and daily routine. The practice of helping each student achieve their maximum potential in school is known as educational guidance. It is impossible to overstate the importance of academic advice for educational institutions, as it significantly impacts students' educational trajectories. The goal of academic advising is to assist students in effectively navigating their academic courses using a variety of support systems, including counselling, mentorship, and strategic assistance. Students can make well-informed decisions on their course choices, career pathways, and overall academic goals with the help of individualized assistance. In addition to improving academic performance, this tailored coaching helps kids grow holistically by building self-assurance and a feeling of purpose. According to investigations, academic advising has a significant impact on students' achievements. It also plays a key role in lowering dropout rates, increasing student engagement, and fostering a general sense of contentment with the educational process (Drake, 2011; Gysbers & Henderson, 2012).




Teacher Academic Guidance Competence

In order to help students achieve their secondary school goals, teacher academic guidance is a crucial component of the secondary level, in a consequence the learning and formulation of the educational plane are made successful and individual satisfaction is achieved




Teachers' Role in Academic Guidance

At the secondary school level, teachers are in charge of both instructing pupils in their subject matter and assisting them in their academic endeavours. Teachers may serve as mentors, counsellors, and role models for kids, according to research (Smith, 2017). Higher levels of student satisfaction are linked to professors who provide effective academic advice (Parker et al., 2018). It's likely that no other organization has as much of an impact on a child's development as the school. In elementary schools, the instructor in the classroom spends the most time with the student. Therefore, the classroom teacher must handle the majority of the guidance process in the school. The guidance program is likely to be better the more knowledgeable the teacher is about children and guiding strategies. The variety of difficulties that a teacher can tackle is restricted by her training, experience, and time. The classroom teacher should understand the value of working in tandem with the administrator, who provides materials and serves as an advisor, the counsellor, who is a qualified specialist in the guidance field, and other school teachers who can provide information about a particular student, as elementary teachers are not qualified for all phases of guidance. The classroom teacher is the cornerstone of any school's guidance program, but she must never lose sight of the fact that a strong program is the result of the collaborative efforts of staff with a guiding mindset. (Arbuckle,1954).

Effective communication is a fundamental competency for teachers who are providing academic guidance, according to (Drake, 2011) In order to properly guide kids, one must have the capacity to listen, comprehend, and communicate knowledge. In order to successfully mentor students in their academic endeavours, teachers must have a solid understanding of the subjects they teach (Huang & Chang, 2020). Subject knowledge is a necessary component of good guidance. Empathy, patience, and the capacity to offer constructive criticism are among the mentoring competencies that are essential for developing healthy student-teacher interactions (Sharma & Singh, 2018).




Teacher's Competence 

In a teacher's competence, the role of his/her knowledge and skills is most important. Knowledge and skill improvement to enhance and explore the teaching practice is the basic need of a competent teacher. Teacher competence means competency in their related field of curriculum, communication, emotion and awareness of modern technology. In professional competence curriculum knowledge and use of modern methodology is most important.  A proficient educator facilitates the easy acquisition of knowledge and comprehension in the pupils, allowing them to retain the information for future reference and use it to grasp new material. (K. Selvi).




Design of the Research

Research design is an instrument that guides the researcher in each and every step in the compilation of research work. According to Niqab (2015), the research problem is effectively addressed by the research design. Considering the current study's nature, the researcher used a quantitative (survey-type) research design. The researcher employed this research methodology to rapidly collect data from the participants. The quantitative research plan has consistently been demonstrated to be exhaustive and precise when the sample size is high and the researcher wishes to oversimplify the conclusion (Gray, 2004). According to Gay et al. (2009) and Adnan (2023), the examination approach is the best because it requires less effort, money, and time and is simpler to consume. 

  

Sample of the Study 

A self-developed, close-ended five options Likert Scale (Strongly Agree, Agree, Undecided, Disagree, Strongly Disagree) questionnaire consisting of 15 items, was developed in reflection of the research objectives and used to assemble primary data from secondary school teachers and secondary level students of the targeted district. A total of 169 public secondary schools had 2790 employed and the size of the sample for the study was 118 schools out of this 11 were present in urban areas while 107 were present in rural areas of district Mardan. Likewise, of the respondents, a sample size of 338, 48 teachers worked in urban schools and the remaining 287 teachers carried out their duties in the rural area (as cited in Adnan, 2023)

Data Analysis

Data collection through self-made Likert scale questionnaire. The researcher analyzed and interpreted data using the descriptive approach of research. By doing so, the researcher frequently structured and standardized data consuming the Independent Samples t-test in SPSS to examine the relationship between teachers' academic guidance competence and students' satisfaction at the secondary school level in district Mardan.

Table 1

Gender	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Df	T	Sig (?)
Male	194	3.45	.120	26	1.437	.004
Female	144	3.07

 The aforementioned table clearly indicates that there is a significant teachers' academic guidance competence at the secondary school level in district Mardan. The table reveals the Mean value for male teachers is 3.45 and 3.07 for female teachers, the Std. The deviation value for both genders is.120, t value is 1.437 and the ? value is .004. This interpretation clearly means that the researcher got a significance value of .004 which is < 0.05. The cited interpretation evidently confirms a significant teachers' academic guidance competence at the secondary school level in district Mardan. Moreover, the stated interpretation strongly rejects hypothesis H01 (There is no significant teachers' academic guidance competence at the secondary level in district Mardan). 

Table 2

Gender	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Df	t	Sig (?)
Male	194	4.39	0.137	39	1.863	.000
Female	144	4.30

 The above-mentioned table evidently shows that there is significant students' academic satisfaction at the secondary school level. The table clearly indicates that the Mean value for male teachers is 4.39 and for female teachers is 4.30, the Std. The deviation value for both males and females is 0.137, the t value is 1.863 and the ? value is .000. This clarification undoubtedly demonstrates that the researcher obtained a significance value of .000 which is < 0.05. The mentioned analysis clearly confirms a significant student's academic satisfaction at the secondary school level. Furthermore, the stated discussion strongly rejects hypothesis H02 (There is no significant student academic satisfaction at the secondary school level).

Table 3

Gender	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Df	t	Sig (?)
Male	194	2.17	0.115	48	1.342	.000
Female	144	2.11

The said table clearly displays that there is a significant relationship between teachers' academic guidance competence and students' academic satisfaction at the secondary school level. The table further clarifies that the Mean value of male teachers is 2.17 and female teachers is 2.11, the Std. The deviation value for both male and female teachers is 0.115, the t value is 1.342 and the ? value is .000. This interpretation unquestionably clarifies that the researcher obtained a significance value of .000 which is < 0.05. The mentioned analysis evidently confirms a significant relationship between teachers' academic guidance competence and students' academic satisfaction at the secondary school level. So, the analysis strongly rejects hypothesis H03 (There is no significant relationship between teachers’ guidance competence and students’ satisfaction at the secondary school level). 

Findings of the Study

The main objective of the research study was to investigate teachers' academic guidance competence, To find out the level of students' academic satisfaction at the secondary school level, To measure the relationship between teachers' guidance competence and students' satisfaction at the secondary school level and To recommend way forward to all the related stakeholders on the utilization of available resources for guidance and counselling service. Secondary school teachers were taken as participants to accomplish the research question. After data collection, data analysis and interpretations, the findings of the study were compressed as follows; 

1. The current study has evidently confirmed that there is a significant teacher's academic guidance competence at the secondary school level in district Mardan (See Table 4.2). The measurements of 338 participants (male & female) from 118 secondary level schools (boys & girls) statistically showed a considerable teachers' academic guidance competence at the secondary school level in district Mardan. The mean value of male teachers was 3.45 and of female teachers was 3.07 whereas the ? value obtained was .004 which is less than the level of significance .5. So the stated ? value significantly confirms the teachers' academic guidance competence in the specified context.  

2. The present study significantly showed students' academic satisfaction at the level of secondary school (See Table 4.3). The statistical measurement of 338 teachers (male & female) from 118 secondary level institutions (boys & girls) clearly indicates students' academic satisfaction by means of the obtained significance value 000 which is less than the level of significance .5. Such ? value confirms the significant students' academic satisfaction at the secondary school level.

3. The present study explicitly demonstrates that teachers' academic guidance competence has a significant relationship with the student's academic satisfaction at the level of secondary school (See Table 4.4). The statistical interpretation of 338 teachers from 118 secondary schools by means of obtained significance value .000 which is less than .5 clearly indicates a strong significant relationship between teachers' academic guidance competence and students' academic satisfaction at the targeted level. 

The cited findings make this clear that the more there is teachers' academic guidance competence, the more will have academic satisfaction.   

Conclusion

The conclusion of the above discussion is that if the teacher is knowledgeable and experienced, his methodology is impressive for students, and only then students will show good results in academic reports resulting in student satisfaction. The teacher is also under pressure to teach a significantly lengthy course so individual attention to every student and their satisfaction is not possible in a short span of time. Student satisfaction is dependent on teacher academic guidance. There should be close collaboration between teachers and students to achieve academic goals. The teachers, knowledge of content and methodology of teaching have an effective role in students' satisfaction. The classroom environment which is set up by the respective teacher, plays an important role in the motivation and interest of students. Only those students feel satisfied who show their interest in the content and methodology of the teacher. The unsatisfied student is passive in the subject and communication with the teacher.

Recommendations

The researcher extracts the following recommendations after the study for enhancing the relationship between teacher academic guidance and student satisfaction at the secondary level;

• To enhance the knowledge of the teacher, training is mandatory for teachers during the summer vacation to make teachers more skilful.

• A class teacher for secondary school students must be energetic, young and friendly so that student will easily approach their teacher and the teacher will play a key role in their academic guidance and other education hurdles that the students face.

• Student satisfaction with science subjects may also be increased if the content of the study is more practical rather than theoretical work.

• The classroom environment should be more practical and modern literacy should easily be accessible to students of all levels.

• Administrators have close collaboration with their teachers and students to fulfil their needs and resources. 

• The age difference between teachers and students should be closed because when it widens, the level of comprehension between the two groups of students and teachers diminishes, and when it narrows, the understanding gap between the two groups of students and teachers increases and makes it easier for students to approach their teachers. 

• Teachers must be knowledgeable about communication skills so that teachers can communicate effectively with students within set boundaries.

• The career guidance is the basic need of the secondary school student. A well-trained career guide must be present in every institute to motivate the student toward their academic need.

• The classroom environment must be pleasant and the communication gap between teacher and student must be removed so that the student will be easily accessible to the teacher and the satisfaction goal will be achieved.

• Academic guidance programs should be designed in the curriculum for students and teachers.

• The school management should arrange seminars or other activities in the academic session for the student regarding academic guidance for their future.

References

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