Submitted abstracts for the 2026 NCEP Annual Conference. Use the filters below to search by keyword, author, or sub-theme.
93 abstracts found
Learning is often discussed in terms of curriculum, intelligence and academic achievement, yet the emotional and psychological state of the learner can quietly determine whether learning becomes meaningful or merely something to endure. This paper examines the relationship between mental health, academic apathy and youth engagement in learning, with particular attention to the realities of young people in Awka, Anambra State. Academic apathy is viewed not simply as laziness or unwillingness to study, but as a possible behavioural expression of psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, diminished hope, low self-efficacy and a weakened sense of connection with learning. From an educational psychology perspective, the paper argues that when young people experience persistent psychological strain, their capacity to concentrate, participate, persist and find personal meaning in academic activities may gradually decline. The discussion further highlights how academic pressure, financial difficulties, uncertainty about the future, social expectations, and the desire to succeed can interact with students’ mental well-being and shape their engagement with learning. The paper advocates a shift from labelling disengaged learners as “unserious” towards understanding the psychological messages behind their withdrawal. It proposes psychologically responsive classrooms, early identification of distress, supportive teacher–student relationships, counseling services, peer support, and learning environments that strengthen students’ sense of competence, belonging, and purpose. The paper concludes that improving youth engagement requires attention not only to what students learn, but also to how psychologically safe, valued and hopeful they feel while learning.
Read More →This study investigated family climate and gender as predictors of psychological well-being among undergraduate students in public universities Anambra State. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a predictive correlational research design. 54,998 university undergraduate students in public universities in Anambra state constitute the population. The sample of the study comprised 397 undergraduates (230 males, 167 females) drawn using Multi-stage sampling technique. Two instruments were used for data collection: Family Climate Scale (FCS) and Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS). Simple regression analysis was used as method of data analysis to answer the research questions and test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that family climate has a strong positive predictive value for psychological well-being among undergraduate students in public universities in Anambra state. That there is a significant relationship between family climate and psychological well-being among undergraduate students in public universities in Anambra state. It was discovered that family climate has a strong positive predictive effect on psychological well-being among both male and female undergraduate students in public universities in Anambra state. Based on the findings, the study recommended that administrators of universities should initiate structured programmes that involve families in the academic journey of undergraduate students in form of family orientation and workshops. This would help parents understand the economic, psychological, academic and emotional challenges confronting their wards. Keywords: family climate, gender, psychological well-being.
Read More →This study examined the relationship between economic strain, academic motivation, and academic disengagement among nursing school students in Nsukka Education Zone. The study specifically was conducted in Nsukka, Igbo-Etiti and Uzowani LGAs. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. Three research questions and corresponding null hypothesis guided the study. The population of the study comprised of 3,250 nursing school students from 3 major schools in the study area. The sample of the study was 315 drawn through multistage sampling technique. Academic Motivation Survey for Students Questionnaire (AMSSQ), Economic Stress Questionnaire (ESQ), and Academic Disengagement Questionnaire (ADQ) were used for data collection. The reliability of the instruments was established using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated a significant positive relationship between economic strain and academic disengagement, suggesting that students experiencing greater financial hardship at home report higher levels of withdrawal from academic tasks. Also, it indicated that economic strain was negatively associated with academic motivation. The study recommended among others that a longitudinal study be conducted to conducted on the Relationship between parents’ socioeconomic status and its implications for students' motivation and engagement.
Read More →Learning is often discussed in terms of curriculum, intelligence and academic achievement, yet the emotional and psychological state of the learner can quietly determine whether learning becomes meaningful or merely something to endure. This paper examines the relationship between mental health, academic apathy and youth engagement in learning, with particular attention to the realities of young people in Awka, Anambra State. Academic apathy is viewed not simply as laziness or unwillingness to study, but as a possible behavioural expression of psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, diminished hope, low self-efficacy and a weakened sense of connection with learning. From an educational psychology perspective, the paper argues that when young people experience persistent psychological strain, their capacity to concentrate, participate, persist and find personal meaning in academic activities may gradually decline. The discussion further highlights how academic pressure, financial difficulties, uncertainty about the future, social expectations, and the desire to succeed can interact with students’ mental well-being and shape their engagement with learning. The paper advocates a shift from labelling disengaged learners as “unserious” towards understanding the psychological messages behind their withdrawal. It proposes psychologically responsive classrooms, early identification of distress, supportive teacher–student relationships, counseling services, peer support, and learning environments that strengthen students’ sense of competence, belonging, and purpose. The paper concludes that improving youth engagement requires attention not only to what students learn, but also to how psychologically safe, valued and hopeful they feel while learning.
Read More →This study examined the relationships between mental health, academic apathy and learning engagement among undergraduate students at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined the relationship between mental health and learning engagement, examined the relationship between academic apathy and learning engagement, and determined the joint predictive contribution of mental health and academic apathy to learning engagement. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised first year undergraduate students of the University of Port Harcourt, while a sample of 760 students was selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using three instruments: Mental Health Scale (MHS), Academic Apathy Scale (AAS), and Learning Engagement Scale (LES). The instruments were validated by experts, while Cronbach alpha coefficients of .84, .81 and .87 were obtained respectively. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to answer the first two research questions, while multiple regression analysis was used to determine the joint predictive contribution of the two predictor variables. Results showed a significant positive relationship between mental health and learning engagement (r = .480, p < .05). Academic apathy had a significant negative relationship with learning engagement (r = -.410, p < .05). Multiple regression analysis showed that mental health and academic apathy jointly predicted learning engagement significantly, accounting for 37.2% of the variance in learning engagement (R² = .372, F(2,757) = 223.48, p < .05). It was concluded that students' mental health and academic apathy are important factors associated with learning engagement. The study recommended strengthened counselling services, mental-health promotion, academic mentoring and engagement-oriented instructional practices in Nigerian universities. Keywords: mental health, academic apathy, learning engagement, undergraduates, university students, University of Port Harcourt
Read More →The study explored the influence of financial stress on students academic motivation and mental health of undergraduate students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, in Anambra State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study was guided by four research questions. The population comprised all year one students in five faculties of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. The sample size of the study was 150 students; selected using purposive sampling technique from five faculties in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “Financial Stress Academic Motivation and Mental Health Questionnaire” (FSAMMHQ), designed on a five-point Likert scale. It was developed by the researchers and validated by experts. The data was collected digitally using Google form. Data analysis was done using frequencies and percentages. The findings of the study revealed that financial stress has a negative influence on students; leading to reduced academic motivation and poor mental health outcomes among university students. These could lead to poor academic achievement and adversely affect their overall health. Based on the findings, the study recommended amongst others that education policy makers and university administrators should design interventions such as introduction of scholarships and welfare support to reduce financial stress for students. It also recommended that topics on financial literacy should be included in seminars and orientation programmes organized for students. Keywords: Financial stress, academic motivation, mental health, undergraduate students
Read More →The study investigated academic stress, test Anxiety and psychological well-being as determinants of academic apathy among secondary school students in Rivers State, Nigeria. four research questions were answered while four hypotheses were tested to guide the study. The study adopted a correlational design. The population of this study 25,673 students. A sample size of 3050 students was drawn using a multiple stage sampling procedure. Academic Stress Questionnaire (ASQ), Test Anxiety Questionnaire (TAQ), Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire (PWBQ) and Academic Apathy were used for data collection. The instruments were face validated by three experts. The internal consistency reliability coefficients of 0.88, 0.78, 0.79 and -0.77 were computed through Cronbach alpha for Academic Stress Questionnaire (ASQ), Test Anxiety Questionnaire (TAQ), Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire (PWBQ) and Academic Apathy respectively. Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression were used to answer the research questions while t-test and ANOVA associated with regression were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. It was found that academic stress and test anxiety have high and positive relation with academic apathy. It was also found that psychological well-being has a high negative relationship with academic apathy. It was recommended that students having challenges with academic stress and test anxiety should be intentional in their visit to counseling psychologist in order to reduce academic apathy. Keywords: Academic Stress, Test Anxiety, Psychological Well-Being, Academic Apathy and Students
Read More →This study investigated the effectiveness of counseling and psychological intervention for re-engaging students facing financial anxiety and academic apathy in Oshimili South Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study was originally designed as a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest nonrandomized control group study; because a comparison control group could not be constituted during implementation, the study is reported as a one-group pretest-posttest design. A sample of 120 Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) students was drawn from four public secondary schools in Oshimili South LGA. Participants received the CBCP-AA intervention across eight weekly counseling sessions. Anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), administered and interpreted within the context of the financial hardship confronting participants, and academic apathy was measured using the researcher-developed Academic Apathy Scale for Senior Secondary School Students (AAS-SSS). Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while paired-samples t-tests were used to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed a statistically significant reduction in students' anxiety scores from pretest (M = 9.65, SD = 3.83) to posttest (M = 6.53, SD = 4.06), t(119) = 14.23, p < .001, d = 1.30, and a statistically significant reduction in academic apathy scores from pretest (M = 64.15, SD = 4.94) to posttest (M = 44.28, SD = 4.24), t(119) = 205.19, p < .001. It was recommended that school counselors adopt structured cognitive-behavioral counselling strategies as part of efforts to reduce financial anxiety and academic apathy and support the re-engagement of at-risk students. The absence of a control group, the use of a general rather than finance specific anxiety measure, and the unusually narrow spread of change scores on the apathy measure are acknowledged as limitations of the study, warranting cautious interpretation and replication. Keywords: Cognitive-behavioral counselling, financial anxiety, academic apathy, student re-engagement, GAD-7, AAS-SSS, one-group pretest-posttest design
Read More →The study investigated Emotional intelligence as correlate of suicidal tendencies among university undergraduates in Enugu State. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study was a correlation research design. The population of the study was ten thousand, one hundred and eighty (10, 180) third year undergraduates in university of Nigeria, Nsukka. Enugu State. The sample was 385 third year undergraduates (100 male and 285 female). Purposive Sampling was used to select four faculties in university of Nigeria, Nsukka. The faculties are faculty of Arts, Biological sciences, Engineering and Social sciences. The instruments used for data collection were, Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, (E.IQ), and Suicidal Tendencies Identification Scale (STIS). The instruments were faced validated by three experts from the department of Educational Foundations and from the department of Science Education University of Nigeria Nsukka and reliability indices of 0.869 for emotional intelligence, and 0.862 for suicidal Tendencies was obtained using Cronbach Alpha Method. Linear regression was used to determine the relationship between the variables and analysis of Variance. (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result of this finding indicated that there is a positive low relationship between emotional intelligence and suicidal tendencies among undergraduates in Enugu State. The findings of this study also revealed that there is a low negative moderation of gender in the relationship between emotional intelligence and suicidal tendencies of male and female undergraduates slightly in favour of male undergraduates. The study recommended among others that Universities should implement structured emotional intelligence training programmes such as workshops on emotional regulations, stress management and problem-solving for staff and students. Also, suicide prevention units should be established across tertiary institutions, with trained professionals who can provide timely intervention. Key Words: Emotional intelligence, suicidal tendencies, undergraduates, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Read More →This study investigated the influence of mental health interventions, specifically school-based counseling and peer support, on academic motivation among secondary school students in Enugu State, Nigeria. Adolescent mental health in the state remains largely unaddressed because of cultural stigma, a severe shortage of school counselors, and limited institutional resources, despite evidence that unmet psychological needs undermine students' motivation to learn. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A sample of 400 students was drawn through multi-stage sampling from 20 government-owned secondary schools across three education zones (Enugu, Nsukka, and Udi), and 387 valid responses were obtained. Data were collected using a validated, researcher-developed instrument, the Mental Health Interventions and Academic Motivation Questionnaire (MHIAMQ), with reliability coefficients of .81 and .79 for its two main sections. The two research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while two null hypotheses were tested using independent-samples t-tests at the .05 level. Results showed that both counseling interventions (grand mean = 3.33) and peer support interventions (grand mean = 3.43) exert a high, positive influence on academic motivation. No significant difference was found between male and female students' perceptions of counseling (t = 0.86, p = .39), or between junior and senior secondary students' perceptions of peer support (t = 1.68, p = .09). The study concludes that mental health interventions substantially shape academic motivation and recommends that schools institutionalize both professional counseling and structured peer support as core components of academic support systems. Keywords: mental health interventions, academic motivation, school counseling, peer support, secondary school students
Read More →Educational futility has become a growing concern among undergraduates, amid persistent unemployment, credential inflation, economic uncertainty, and perceived inequities in opportunities that undermine students’ confidence in the future value of university education. However, educational futility has not been sufficiently conceptualized and empirically measured as a distinct psychological construct in higher education. This study aimed to conceptualize Educational Futility, develop and factorially validate the Educational Futility Beliefs Scale (EFBS) among Nigerian undergraduates. An instrumentation research design was adopted, guided by six research questions and informed by Situated Expectancy-Value and Human Capital Theories. A sample of 1,120 undergraduates was randomly selected through multistage procedure. An initial pool of 48 items was generated from literature, theoretical specifications, and expert review. Content validity was established using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR ≥ .60), Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI ≥ .80), and Scale-level Content Validity Indices (S-CVI/Ave = .93; S-CVI/UA = .72). Exploratory Factor Analysis identified a five-factor structure, while Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated good model fit (CFI = .953; TLI = .945; RMSEA = .031; SRMR = .039). Internal consistency was established using Cronbach’s alpha (α = .94), McDonald’s omega (ω = .95), and composite reliability (CR = .95). Measurement invariance was also examined across gender. The study produced an instrument for measuring educational futility and provides an empirical foundation for investigating its predictors and implications for educational disengagement. The EFBS may assist researchers, university administrators in identifying students vulnerable to disengagement and informing interventions to strengthen educational expectations and persistence. Keywords: Educational futility; scale development; psychometric validation; exploratory factor analysis; confirmatory factor analysis; measurement invariance; Nigerian undergraduates.
Read More →This study investigated the influence of mental health interventions, specifically school-based counseling and peer support, on academic motivation among secondary school students in Enugu State, Nigeria. Adolescent mental health in the state remains largely unaddressed because of cultural stigma, a severe shortage of school counselors, and limited institutional resources, despite evidence that unmet psychological needs undermine students' motivation to learn. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A sample of 400 students was drawn through multi-stage sampling from 20 government-owned secondary schools across three education zones (Enugu, Nsukka, and Udi), and 387 valid responses were obtained. Data were collected using a validated, researcher-developed instrument, the Mental Health Interventions and Academic Motivation Questionnaire (MHIAMQ), with reliability coefficients of .81 and .79 for its two main sections. The two research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while two null hypotheses were tested using independent-samples t-tests at the .05 level. Results showed that both counseling interventions (grand mean = 3.33) and peer support interventions (grand mean = 3.43) exert a high, positive influence on academic motivation. No significant difference was found between male and female students' perceptions of counseling (t = 0.86, p = .39), or between junior and senior secondary students' perceptions of peer support (t = 1.68, p = .09). The study concludes that mental health interventions substantially shape academic motivation and recommends that schools institutionalize both professional counseling and structured peer support as core components of academic support systems. Keywords: mental health interventions, academic motivation, school counseling, peer support, secondary school students
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