Search

The emergence of the increases in the rate of different social vices among the adolescents in high schools calls for re-evaluation and updating of the existing operating counselling services in secondary schools' educational system. The study examined the challenges of the newly qualified school counsellors and the solution proffered. Six research questions were raised to guide the study. It adopted a mixed-method research approach. The results of the findings revealed that the lack of recognition of the role of counsellors in the school system was rated the highest among the challenges experienced by newly-qualified counsellors, non-referral of students who need to be sent to a counsellor by teachers was rated second. From the findings of the study of the awareness campaign on the importance of counselling through various media, the finding “more time should be allotted to practicum for counsellors in training” was the highest-rated as the solution to the challenges experienced by newly-qualified counsellors. The results obtained from the study also revealed that male counsellors might be experiencing different challenges from their female counterparts. The results of the study also show a significant difference in the challenges experienced by newly qualified counsellors based on school type. The findings revealed that there is a significant difference in the solution provided by newly qualified counsellors based on gender. The results also show that the solution provided by a counsellor from private schools does not differ from that of their public schools’ counterpart. Based on the findings of the study recommendations were made: government should provide public enlightenment programmes to parents, school administrators, teachers, and students through jingles, posters, billboards on the need to embrace counselling in the school system and make use of the facility. National University commission should revise the counsellor training programme and increase the period allocated for practicum for the counsellor in training in order to equip them for the tasks ahead. Keywords: challenges, solutions, experiences, newly qualified counsellors

The rate at which adolescents fall victims of drug abuse is high due to their ignorance about the negative consequence of the act. The descriptive study assessed the knowledge and attitude of secondary school students towards drug abuse and its implications for counseling. Random sampling techniques was used in drawn 600 secondary school students from Ilesa Metroplis in Osun State. Four research questions were raised to guide the study. Questionnaire Knowledge and Attitude towards Drug Abuse Questionnaire (KATDAQ) was used in collecting data for the study. Data collected were analyzed using mean scores and mean ranking of items, and t-test. The results of the study reveal that (a) university students were not knowledgeable about drug abuse, (b) they have a positive disposition towards drug abuse, (c) the most common place undergraduates source for information about drug abuse are from friends, neighbours and social networks. It was however, found that there was significant difference in the attitude of male and female students towards drug abuse. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommended the establishment of counseling units in the schools, Churches, mosques, other places of worship and the media should work assiduously with a view to curbing drug abuse. The school counsellors should work in collaboration with NDLEA (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency) to be organizing workshop, talks for students on the dangers of drug abuse., Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, Vol. 6, N. 2 (2019)

One of the dominant and pervasive problems in Nigeria and Africa at large is the language. Language being a potent vehicle of transmitting cultures, values, norms and beliefs from generation to generation, remains a central factor in determining the status or nature of any nation. In Nigeria, English language is the official language of communication; it is referred to as “Lingua Franca”. However, its knowledge is not sufficient. The goals of the article were to define the types of spelling mistakes in the English Language and the most dominant errors made by junior secondary school students, to find out what the level of students’ performance in essays in terms of spelling is, and what the causes of spelling mistakes are among junior secondary school students. A conclusion was made that omission and addition of letters are the typical spelling errors, students’ attitude towards the second language was found as the major reason of low level of spelling skills. Male students were found less successful than female students and spelling skills’ level was found different according to private vs. state schools and urban vs. rural schools.

This article examined the Nigerian Basic Science Curriculum by focusing on the appropriateness and relevance of the curriculum contents as perceived by the science teachers and students. To achieve this objective, two research questions were formulated in this descriptive study. The study sample consisted of 435 students who were randomly selected and 57 Basic Science teachers who voluntarily participated in the study. Two researcher-developed instruments: Relevance of Basic Science Curriculum Scale (RBSCS) and Appropriateness of Basic Science Scale (ABSCS) were used to elicit information from students and teachers respectively. Each of the questionnaires consisted of 56 sub-topics (attached to a five-point Likert Scale) as spelt out in the curriculum guide prepared by the State Ministry of Education. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics in form of mean. The findings of the study included the fact that: (1) genetics, the nervous system and sense organs were considered moderately appropriate and highly relevant as rated by science teachers and students respectively, (2) all physical science contents were considered highly irrelevant by the students while these contents were rated by the teachers as moderately appropriate for the third year junior secondary school, (3) topics such as environmental hazards, drug abuse, reproductive health and resources from living and non-living things were rated as highly relevant and highly appropriate. Based on the findings, it was recommended that science education researchers, curriculum development agencies, science educators and professional associations should collaborate in designing (1) socially relevant curriculum through infusion of more indigenous scientific knowledge into Basic Science Curriculum, (2) developmentally appropriate curriculum through application of relevant theories of developmental psychology., Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, Vol. 5, N. 1 (2018)

Domestic violence is a gender based violence in which women are often the target of the aggressive and/or oppressive behaviour from their spouses. Unfortunately, children are known to be the victims of the negative consequential effects of this abnormal behaviour with possible maladjustment that may become observable in their academic performance among others. Therefore, this study investigated primary school teachers’ perception on the impacts of domestic violence against women on academic performance of students. One research questions were generated to guide the study; three hypotheses were stated and tested. A researcher-designed questionnaire titled “Impacts of Domestic Violence against Women on Academic Performance of Students Questionnaire” was administered to three hundred (300) school teachers randomly selected from primary schools in Osun State. Simple percentage, mean, t-test and ANOVA statistical analysis were used to analyze data collected. Where the results of ANOVA showed a significant difference, Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) statistics was used to determine the group(s) that contributed to the significant difference. The findings showed that most respondents agreed to the statement that most students from violence-prone family exhibited poor concentration in the class; there is no significant difference in perception of primary school teachers on the impact of domestic violence against women on academic performance of students on the basis of gender and qualification; while there is significant difference on the perception of primary school teachers on the impact of domestic violence against women on academic performance of students. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that Government should create Counselling centers in the communities to provide marriage counselling to spouses; while School authorities should also see to the establishment of Counselling Units in primary schools to cater for emotional challenges of students., Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair, Vol. 4, N. 2 (2017)