Academic performance

Academic performance of students in universities has been associated with underlying problems, one of which is that of students’ stress. This study therefore aims to determine the influence of stress on the academic performance of undergraduates in University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State. In order to carry out the task, four research questions were raised and one hypothesis formulated which was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study comprised 6576 undergraduates. The data was collected using simple random technique and a sample size of 380 undergraduate students from the eight (8) departments in the Faculty of Education, University of Benin, Benin city, was used for the study. The research instrument used for the study was a self-structured questionnaire. The validity of the instrument was subjected to scrutiny and the test-retest reliability technique was used to ascertain its reliability. The correlation coefficient computed was 0.82 indicating that the instrument was reliable. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages and means, while chi-square statistics was used to test the hypothesis. Results revealed that undergraduate students of University of Benin were having stressed times in certain areas of their academic life such as: overall study habits, organizing time, listening and taking notes, writing test/examinations, financial concerns/hardships, campus environment, and course requirements. Majority (66.6%) of the respondents reported to have high stress levels while, the stress level for 18.9% of the respondents is moderate and for 14.5% of the respondents, it is low. The chi-square test carried out confirmed that there is a significant relationship between students’ stress levels and their academic performance in the University of Benin. In conclusion, students have to set priorities in light of their resources to avoid stressful situations. Recommendations were made that stress intervention programs be designed to address stress of University students. Coping strategies that deals with one's own thoughts and feelings can be facilitated by accessible professional and peer counselling, student support groups, and adequate course advising. Also, students themselves must develop effective study habits by giving appropriate time that must fulfil the demand of their course.

The study investigated the influence of smart phones utilization on the student habits and
academic performance of students in tertiary institutions. The main purpose of the study
was to examine how smartphones affect students’ academic behaviour and engagement in
learning activities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to
two hundred (200) students from the University of Benin, selected through a stratified
random sampling technique. The study adopted a survey research design, and the
collected data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, percentages, and inferential
statistics including Pearson correlation analysis, independent sample t-tests, and paired
sample correlation analysis. The findings revealed that smartphone utilization had both positive and negative effects
on students’ academic experiences. Students frequently used smartphones to support
learning through academic discussions, managing study schedules, accessing study
materials, and understanding difficult concepts, which positively influenced their study
habits. Smartphone use also enhanced students’ motivation by increasing engagement, interest, and commitment to academic tasks through interactive learning platforms. However, excessive use of smartphones for non-academic purposes, such as social media
and entertainment, could distract students and reduce the effectiveness of their study
habits and academic performance. Furthermore, the study showed that smartphones greatly improved students’ access to
educational resources, allowing them to obtain lecture materials, academic updates, and
research information conveniently. The results also revealed that the influence of
smartphones varied depending on students’ level of study, while gender and age did not
significantly affect academic outcomes or motivation. Based on these findings, the study
concluded that smartphones can serve as valuable learning tools when used responsibly. Recommendations were made for tertiary institutions, lecturers, and students to promote
balanced and academic-focused smartphone use, including integrating digital literacy
programs, setting usage guidelines, and encouraging educational applications to
maximize the benefits of smartphone technology in learning

The study was carried out to assess the influence of qualification and experience of Mathematics teachers on the academic performance of Senior Secondary School students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Three (3) research questions and three (3) hypotheses were raised for the study and the descriptive survey research design was adopted. A review of some related literature was carried out. A total of fourteen (14) secondary school Mathematics teachers in Oredo Local Government Area constituted the population study sample. The instrument used for gathering data from the selected sample was a proforma; the data collected were analyzed using statistics in form of Pearson correlation coefficient. The study revealed that; There is significant relationship between teachers’ qualification and students’ academic performance in Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. There is significant relationship between teachers’ years of teaching experience and students’ academic performance in Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. There is significant interaction influence of teachers’ qualification and years of teaching experience on students’ academic performance in Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Based on the findings, recommendations were made; for the professional growth of teachers, conferences, seminars, workshops, pre and in-service training programmes should be given adequate attention by the Ministry of Education, State and Federal Government. All non- professional and unqualified teachers should be encouraged to pursue their post graduate studies such as Post Graduate Diploma in Education, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Mathematics. This will help to improve teachers’ quality of teaching and consequently improve the performance of students and ultimately, the quality of teacher education in Nigeria.