Guidance – Meaning, Definitions and Functions
Humans are social creatures and therefore somehow problems are observed in various areas of their life, and proper ‘Guidance’ is required to solve these problems. Mothers, fathers, grandfathers, teachers and other elders, by providing proper guidance to young women at home, school and society, help them find a better direction in life.
Meaning of Guidance
Guidance is a new function of secondary education in India. Guidance is the act of guiding, or the direction provided by a guide. Guidance is based upon a philosophy of human uniqueness, goodness, worth, and dignity, all of which can be nurtured. The synonyms of ‘to guide’ are: to lead, to conduct, to regulate, to direct, to steer, to show, to channel, to point. A guideline is a piece of advice or information given by an experienced person to solve a problem or improve something.
To guide means to indicate, point out, and show the way. It means more than to assist. A man falls on the street; we assist him to get up, but we do not guide him unless we help him to go in a certain direction. The need for professional guidance is increasing due to the increasing complexities of daily life.
Definition of Guidance
Let’s discuss some definitions of guidance:
According to Crow and Crow, “Guidance is assistance made available by personally qualified and adequately trained men or women to an individual of any age to help him manage his own life activities, develop his own points of view, make his own decisions and carry his own burdens.”
According to Ruth Strange, “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.”
Characteristics of Guidance
The characteristics of the guidance process are:
- Guidance is a process by which a person learns and understands himself and makes proper use of his abilities.
- It is a continuous and lifelong process for all spheres or walks of life.
- Guidance is a universal process; everyone needs guidance.
- It is directed towards a specific goal.
Functions of Guidance
Some important functions of guidance are:
- Guidance helps the individual adapt effectively to all kinds of situations.
- Guidance helps to understand and sustain social relationships.
- It has the unique role of providing personal assistance or guidance for individual needs.
- It helps students utilise available resources through proper channelization of their energy to get maximum benefit for both personal and social life.
To Read More Posts - Click Here
Bibliography- Ranganathan, Namita., Wadha, Toolika. Guidance and Counselling for Children and Adolescents in School. SAGE Publication.
- Seligman, Linda., Reichenberg, L.W. Theories of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Pearson.
