Factors responsible for maladaptive behaviours among students as expressed by teachers in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria: Implications for counselling

Abstract

Maladaptive behaviors are serious issues among secondary school students in Ilorin. It affects the academic, social, and wellbeing of the students. To this end, this study, therefore, investigated factors responsible for maladaptive behaviours among students as expressed by teachers in Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria: Implications for Counselling. The variables taken into consideration were gender, age, years of teaching experience and highest educational qualification. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population of this study comprised 592 public school teachers in Ilorin metropolis while, a sample of 239 out of 245 respondents who properly responded to the questionnaire forms, was used for the study. The sample was selected using a simple random sampling technique and stratified random sampling technique. A self-designed questionnaire entitled “Factors Responsible for Maladaptive Behaviours Questionnaire (FRMBQ)" was used to obtain relevant data. Content validity was used to ascertain the validity of the instrument while test retest method was used to determine the reliability of the instrument and coefficient value of 0.68 was obtained. Percentage was used for demographic data, mean and rank order was used to analysis the research question while the four null hypotheses formulated were tested using t-test and Analysis of Variance statistical tools at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that teachers in Ilorin metropolis attested that peer pressure; poor parenting style; lack of positive role model; harmful media exposure are the main factors responsible for maladaptive behaviours among students. The study further revealed that there was no significant difference on the factors responsible for maladaptive behaviours among students as expressed by teachers in Ilorin metropolis based on gender, age, years of teaching experience and highest education qualification. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that the school authorities should implement comprehensive peer support and mentoring programs in order to create a positive peer culture and reduce negative peer influences. School counsellors in conjunction with school management should organise workshops and training sessions for parents on effective parenting strategies, communication skills, and understanding adolescents development that could prevent maladaptive behaviours among students. School Counsellors should train students on the use of Rational Emotive Behaviour and Cognitive Behaviour Therapies as problem solving therapies in order to ward off harmful social media exposure and have positive thinking.