Guidance and Counseling in Promoting Constructive Discipline and Improving Academic Performance Among Grade 5 Learners

Guidance and counseling play a vital role in shaping learners’ behavior, values, and academic achievement. In basic education, these services work hand in hand with classroom instruction by fostering discipline, emotional balance, and a strong sense of moral responsibility. This study examines how guidance and counseling influence the discipline and academic performance of Grade 5 learners in Edukasyon sa Pagpapakato (EsP) at Suarez Central School, Iligan City, during the School Year 2025-2026. It focused on describing the learners’ socio-economic background, determining the extent of the teacher-counselor’s role in four key areas: academic support, social-emotional learning, character development, and prevention and intervention, and analyzing how these dimensions relate to learners’ performance in EsP. Descriptive-correlational and causal-comparative methods were utilized. The respondents consisted of one hundred thirty-one (131) Grade 5 learners. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data, and statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean, and regression analysis were applied to analyze and interpret the results. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were male, under 10 years old, and from low-income households. With an overall mean score of 2.95, the respondents agreed that the guidance and counseling program effectively supported their academic and personal growth. Regression analysis revealed that prevention and intervention had no significant influence on the learners’ academic performance, whereas social-emotional learning and character development showed a significant positive effect. This study concludes that an effective guidance and counseling program enhances learners’ academic performance, moral development, and overall growth, supporting the holistic goals of Edukasyon sa Pagpapakato.