DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION AND COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY

This study investigated the views of students with disabilities and B.Sc. (Ed.) Special Education students regarding inclusive education practices and peer support at the University of Benin during the 2025/2026 academic session. A descriptive survey design was employed for the study. Data were obtained from a sample of 40 participants, comprising 20 students with disabilities and 20 Special Education students, using a validated 25-item questionnaire with a Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.69. The study addressed four research questions and tested two null hypotheses using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation at the 0.05 level of significance. The results indicated that students with disabilities were generally dissatisfied with the implementation of inclusive education practices, particularly regarding the availability of accessible facilities and the use of inclusive instructional methods. Despite these concerns, respondents reported positive experiences with peer support, noting that classmates were generally willing to assist them during lectures and treated them with respect and dignity. Furthermore, the correlation analysis showed that peer support was not significantly associated with the level of inclusion experienced by students with disabilities (r = .332, p = .152). Likewise, no significant relationship was found between the perceptions of students with disabilities and those of Special Education students concerning inclusive education practices (r = .343, p = .138). Based on these findings, the study concluded that the implementation of inclusive education at the University of Benin remains below the expected standard, although peer support among students is encouraging. The study therefore recommended that the university improve the provision of accessible learning facilities, strengthen disability support services, actively involve students with disabilities in decisions related to inclusion, and provide regular professional development for lecturers to enhance the adoption of effective inclusive teaching practices.

This study was designed to examine the influence of societal attitudes toward the education of learners with hearing impairments in Benin City. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The total sample of the study consisted of fifty(50) learners with hearing impairments in Ihogbe College, from both junior and senior schools (Hearing Impaired unit) in Benin City, a public Secondary School in the sampled area. Random sampling technique has used to select the respondents. The research instruments for the study was a questionnaire titled "Societal Attitudes Towards the Education of Learners with Hearing Impairments Questionnaire" which was distributed to the respondents and collected immediately after completion. Simple frequency percentages, mean scores and standard deviations were used to analyze the responses. To ensure the reliability of the study, Cronbach's Alpha was calculated, yielding a value of 0.716. The findings revealed that societal attitudes have a minimal direct impact on these learners' educational experiences, with most respondents reporting no significant stigma or discrimination from peers or teachers. However, the study highlights that misconceptions and lack of awareness about hearing impairments create challenges in their education, particularly regarding inclusion in regular classrooms. While societal attitudes do not significantly motivate academic achievement, they negatively influence learners' self-esteem and confidence. The study indicates that negative perceptions from peers and teachers, while not directly affecting academic performance, can lower motivation and self-confidence, leading to indirect impact on academic success. Overall, the findings suggests that societal attitudes, while having a modest influence, play a more significant role in shaping the emotional well being and inclusion of learners with hearing impairments than in their academic outcomes.

This study investigated the influence of social anxiety and self-esteem on academic adjustment in Edo State Polytechnic Usen. To guide the study, three (03) research questions were raised and four hypotheses. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, the population of this study consisted of (1132) one thousand, one hundred and thirty-two students from five departments, (114) one hundred, fourteen students formed the sample size. The instruments used for the study was a questionnaire titled: social anxiety and self-esteem on academic adjustment scale questionnaire (SASEAASQ). The instrument was validated by the researcher supervisor and two experts in the department of Educational Evaluation and Counseling Psychology. Cronbach Alpha Statistics was used to establish the reliability which gave the values of .637, .514 and .710 respectively. Data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation which was used to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that students of Edo State polytechnic Usen have a high level of social anxiety, high level of self-esteem and high level of academic adjustment. Based on the findings, it was recommended that holding workshops and seminars for students at the beginning of each academic year to alleviate their feeling of stress and social anxiety and to raise the level of their self-esteem and promoting the participation of students with low self- esteem in social activities, collaborative work and social engagements to help them form a positive self-image these can better their academic adjustment, also applying social anxiety tests to students at different level, encourage students to trust themselves.

This study examined the factors contributing to academic stress among first-year students in the Faculty of Education, University of Benin. The study focused on four major stress indicators which include academic workload, course demands, challenges in adaptation, and pressure to achieve high academic performance. A descriptive survey research design was
adopted, and data were collected from 140 randomly selected first-year students using a structured questionnaire with verified reliability. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was employed to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that academic workload had a significant positive relationship with academic stress (r = 0.319, p < 0.01), indicating that heavy coursework, numerous assignments, and difficulty keeping up with academic tasks contribute to students’
stress. Course demands also showed a significant positive relationship with academic stress (r= 0.366, p < 0.01), suggesting that high expectations, complex course content, and frequent assessments heighten students’ anxiety. Adaptation challenges were found to significantly increase stress levels (r = 0.482, p < 0.01), especially in relation to adjusting to new learning
styles, large classes, and academic independence. The strongest contributor to academic stress was the pressure to achieve high academic performance (r = 0.737, p < 0.01), driven by fear of failure, family expectations, and the desire to maintain a high CGPA. The study concludes that academic stress among first-year students is multidimensional, arising from
both academic requirements and personal expectations. It highlights the need for improved academic guidance, supportive learning environments, and strengthened counselling services ix to help students adjust effectively to university life. The study recommends a review of academic workload, improved teaching strategies, structured mentorship programmes, and
increased psychological support to enhance students’ wellbeing and academic success

The study investigated the prevalence of deviant behaviours among senior secondary school students in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. To achieve the purpose of the study, three research questions were raised and examined. The descriptive survey research method was adopted for the study. The sample size for the study was made up of 100 students. In analyzing the data, the researcher made use of frequency count and percentages to compute the findings from the research The findings from the study include that there is low prevalent rate of deviant behaviours among senior secondary school students in public secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. It was concluded that there is no significant difference in the prevalent rate of deviant behaviours among male and female students in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The study recommended among others that government should establish counselling services in all schools to address various aspects of students’ lives, including mental health, peer relationships, and family dynamics, to provide support and guidance for students at risk of deviant behaviour.

The study investigated the Perception of students on the impact of Guidance and Counselling services on academic performance in public secondary Schools in Oredo
Local Government area, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Four research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The study adopted the survey research design. The population of the study was 2000 SSS2 students from five public schools in Oredo Local Government Area in Edo State Nigeria. The sample size is Seventy-nine (79) 36 males and 43 females SSS2 student selected through simple random sampling techniques. The Instrument used for data collection was a 20-item questionnaire adopted from James 2023. The instrument contains four subscales of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and strongly Disagree (SD). The instrument was validated by three experts from the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counselling Psychology. It yielded an Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficients of .667, .735, .713 and .735 for sub-scale 1,2,3 and 4 respectively. Data collected from the participants were analyzed using mean for research questions. while the independent sample t-test was used to test hypothesis at 0.05 level significance

The study investigated the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on the education of students with hearing impairment in Benin City. Four research questions were tested to guide the study. In order to achieve the intended objectives of the study. Literature was reviewed according to the sub variables of the study. The study adopted descriptive survey
research design. Purposive sampling was used in selecting fifty students with hearing impairment in Ihogbo College. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire title “The Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the Education of Students with Hearing Impairment in Benin City”. The internal consistency of the instrument was established
at 0.910 using Cronbach's Alpha correction co-efficient. The data collected were statistically analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to answer research questions. Result of the study indicated that use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has high impact on the education of students with hearing impairment, Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) has minimal influence on the academic performance of students with hearing impairment, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays minimal role in facilitating communication and social interaction among students with hearing impairment and there are little benefits and some challenge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
integration of students with hearing impairment. It was concluded that utilization of Information and Communication echnology (ICT) has high impact on the education of students with hearing impairment, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has minimal influence on the academic performance of students with hearing impairment, Information and ommunication Technology (ICT) plays minimal role in facilitating communication and social interaction among students with hearing impairment and there are little benefits and some challenge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration of students with hearing impairment.

Education has been seen as the primary tenet of both social and economic advancement. Globally, the educational landscape is continuously evolving, reforming, and changing. The education of the future generation takes place in vital institutions, and school administrators have a great deal of responsibility for these establishments. Parental excellence in their children's education is one of their main priorities. Indeed, parents are prepared to shell out cash for their kids' optimal education—paying for tuition, purchasing reference materials, and using computers and the internet for educational purposes (Ibrahim et al., 2017). The standard of leadership required to oversee and run the schools in order to produce a quality generation is extremely high (Diaz, 2018). A school's ability to advance is frequently correlated with its administrators, and the leadership of the teaching and learning environment is crucial to student learning.

This study analyzed the challenges faced by final-year guidance and counseling students at the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, during their teaching practice. Five research questions guided the investigation. The sample comprised 131 final-year guidance and counseling students from the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counseling Psychology. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to analyze the data, and hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed no significant gender differences in the challenges encountered by final-year guidance and counseling students during their teaching practice. The study concluded that the challenges faced by these students included a lack of teaching materials, overcrowded classrooms, unsupportive learning environments, and strained student-teacher relationships. The study suggested that the government ought to assign additional resources to the provision of educational materials, guaranteeing that guidance and counseling students possess the necessary tools for successful teaching practice implementation.

The study investigated the Perception of students on the impact of Guidance and Counselling services on academic performance in public secondary Schools in Oredo Local Government area, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Four research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The study adopted the survey research design. The population of the study was
2000 SSS2 students from five public schools in Oredo Local Government Area in Edo State Nigeria. The sample size is Seventy-nine (79) 36 males and 43 females SSS2 student selected through simple random sampling techniques. The Instrument used for data collection was a 20-item questionnaire adopted from James 2023. The instrument contains four subscales of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and strongly Disagree (SD). The instrument was validated by three experts from the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counselling Psychology. It yielded an Cronbach Alpha reliability
coefficients of .667, .735, .713 and .735 for sub-scale 1,2,3 and 4 respectively. Data collected from the participants were analyzed using mean for research questions. while the independent sample t-test was used to test hypothesis at 0.05 level significance. The findings from the study reveals that the Guadiance and Counselling services available in schools in Oredo Local public are appraisal services and orientation program. Also, students perceived the Guidance and Counselling services to be impactful in classroom participation activities, career development and academic performance but not xi impactful on their attitude towards academic peers. It was therefore recommended that other types of Guidance and Counselling services should be made available in the public schools in Oredo Local Government Area because of its perceived impact on students academic performance