Submitted abstracts for the 2026 NCEP Annual Conference. Use the filters below to search by keyword, author, or sub-theme.
93 abstracts found
This study investigated the impact of financial stress on academic motivation and mental health among students in Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, Kogi State. The study was guided by two specific objectives: to examine the impact of financial stress on students' academic motivation and to assess its impact on students' mental health. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised all full-time students of Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, during the 2026/2027 academic session. A sample of 369 students was selected using a multistage sampling technique involving stratified, proportionate, and simple random sampling methods. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Financial Stress, Academic Motivation and Mental Health Questionnaire (FSAMMHQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Educational Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation, and Economics Education, while its reliability was established through a pilot study using Cronbach's Alpha, which yielded an overall reliability coefficient of 0.86, indicating high internal consistency. Data collected were analyzed using Mean and Standard Deviation, with a criterion mean of 2.50 for decision-making. The findings revealed that financial stress had a significant negative impact on students' academic motivation, as indicated by a grand mean of 3.32 (SD = 0.73), showing that financial difficulties reduced students' interest in learning, concentration during lectures, classroom participation, assignment completion, and commitment to academic success. The study also found that financial stress adversely affected students' mental health, with a grand mean of 3.40 (SD = 0.68), indicating increased anxiety, emotional exhaustion, depression, excessive worry, sleep disturbances, and reduced psychological well-being among the respondents. The study concluded that financial stress is a major factor influencing both academic motivation and mental health among students of Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa. It recommended that the College management, government, and other stakeholders provide scholarships, bursaries, emergency financial assistance, flexible tuition payment options, and strengthened counselling and mental health support services to reduce financial stress and improve students' academic engagement and psychological well-being. Keywords: Financial stress, academic motivation, mental health, students, Colleges of Education, Kogi State, Nigeria.
Read More →This study investigated the impact of financial stress on academic motivation and mental health among students in Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, Kogi State. The study was guided by two specific objectives: to examine the impact of financial stress on students' academic motivation and to assess its impact on students' mental health. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised all full-time students of Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, during the 2026/2027 academic session. A sample of 369 students was selected using a multistage sampling technique involving stratified, proportionate, and simple random sampling methods. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Financial Stress, Academic Motivation and Mental Health Questionnaire (FSAMMHQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Educational Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation, and Economics Education, while its reliability was established through a pilot study using Cronbach's Alpha, which yielded an overall reliability coefficient of 0.86, indicating high internal consistency. Data collected were analyzed using Mean and Standard Deviation, with a criterion mean of 2.50 for decision-making. The findings revealed that financial stress had a significant negative impact on students' academic motivation, as indicated by a grand mean of 3.32 (SD = 0.73), showing that financial difficulties reduced students' interest in learning, concentration during lectures, classroom participation, assignment completion, and commitment to academic success. The study also found that financial stress adversely affected students' mental health, with a grand mean of 3.40 (SD = 0.68), indicating increased anxiety, emotional exhaustion, depression, excessive worry, sleep disturbances, and reduced psychological well-being among the respondents. The study concluded that financial stress is a major factor influencing both academic motivation and mental health among students of Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa. It recommended that the College management, government, and other stakeholders provide scholarships, bursaries, emergency financial assistance, flexible tuition payment options, and strengthened counselling and mental health support services to reduce financial stress and improve students' academic engagement and psychological well-being. Keywords: Financial stress, academic motivation, mental health, students, Colleges of Education, Kogi State, Nigeria.
Read More →This study examined the influence of cultural perceptions of money on educational disengagement among undergraduate students in Rivers State, Nigeria, with learning attitudes as a mediating variable and socioeconomic status as a moderating variable. The study was anchored on the proposition that students’ culturally acquired orientations toward money may reshape the value they attach to education and consequently influence their academic participation. A correlational survey design was adopted. The population comprised 64,850 undergraduates from three public universities in Rivers State, from which a sample of 400 students was drawn through multistage sampling; 398 valid responses were analyzed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, regression analysis, and Hayes’ PROCESS mediation and moderation procedures. Findings indicated that cultural perceptions of money significantly predicted educational disengagement, while also exhibiting a significant negative relationship with learning attitudes. Learning attitudes significantly predicted educational disengagement and mediated the relationship between cultural perceptions of money and educational disengagement. Socioeconomic status significantly moderated the relationship, with the influence of money-oriented cultural perceptions being more pronounced among students of lower socioeconomic standing. The study concludes that educational disengagement is shaped by the interaction of cultural, psychological, and socioeconomic forces. It recommends value-reorientation initiatives, counselling interventions, and socioeconomic support mechanisms to strengthen students’ educational commitment. Keywords: Cultural perceptions of money; Educational disengagement; Learning attitudes; Socioeconomic status; Undergraduates.
Read More →Teacher competence is widely recognized as a key determinant of student learning outcomes. However, limited empirical studies exist on how teacher competence specifically influences both critical and creative thinking skills among undergraduate students in Nigerian Colleges of Education. This study investigated the influence of teacher competence on learning, critical thinking, and creative thinking among undergraduate students of Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 320 undergraduate students selected through stratified random sampling. A structured questionnaire, _Teacher Competence and Students’ Thinking Skills Scale_ TCTS, with reliability coefficient r = 0.84 was used. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that teacher competence had a significant positive influence on students’ learning outcomes r = 0.62, p < 0.05, critical thinking skills r = 0.58, p < 0.05, and creative thinking skills r = 0.55, p < 0.05. Multiple regression showed that pedagogical competence, subject matter competence, and professional competence jointly predicted 47% of variance in students’ thinking skills. The study concluded that teacher competence is a strong predictor of students’ cognitive development. It recommended regular teacher training, classroom supervision, and adoption of student-centered teaching methods to enhance critical and creative thinking. Keywords: Teacher competence, learning outcomes, critical thinking, creative thinking, undergraduate students
Read More →A growing concern over Gen-Z generation students’ academic apathy in higher education is alarming and has attracted global attention mostly in a situation where get rich quick behavior is highly observed. This study therefore explores the get rich quick syndrome and academic apathy tendencies of gen-z generation students attending Ebonyi State higher institutions: the moderating role of gender. Two research questions guided the study. The corresponding hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted correlation design. The population of the study comprised two thousand, eight hundred (2,800) educational foundations and management students (1090 males and 1710 females) attending three (3) public higher institutions offering Education in Ebonyi State. The sample size of 350 students (150 males and 200 females) was used for the study. Using simple random sampling technique for the study, the identified participants/students was based on the adapted instruments for the study. The adapted Get-Rich-Quick Syndrome Rating Scale (GRQSRS) by (Asuai,&Ebenuwa-Okoh, 2023) and Academic Apathy Scale (AAS) developed by Beaton, Mutisya, and Mohanty (2013) were used for data collection. The internal consistency reliability coefficients of 0.86 and 0.78 were obtained for (GRQSRS) and (AAS) respectively using Cronbach alpha method. The data collected was analyzed using simple linear regression to answer the research questions and t-test associated with linear regression to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results of this study revealed that get rich quick syndrome to a high extent significantly predicted academic apathy tendencies among Gen-Z generation students attending Ebonyi State higher institutions. The predictive power of get rich quick syndrome on Gen-Z generation students’ academic apathy was significantly moderated by gender. Conclusions were highlighted with some recommendations that targeted digital based-mental health interventions for effective counselling of Gen-Z students should be embraced; adopt curricular redesign responsive to Gen-Z learning preferences/programme towards curbing of academic apathy and engaging of educational policy measures addressing get rich quick syndrome challenges affecting Gen-Z generation students in higher institutions. Keywords: Get Rich Quick Syndrome, Gen-Z Generation, Academic Apathy and Gender
Read More →This paper examined school financial stress and family financial obligation as a correlate of academic apathy of undergraduate students of Nasarawa State University Keffi. The news of stress and its implication threading these days are quite alarming. The high cost of living coupled with demands from school and home as well as nation economic melt-down could induce stress on students. Although, stress is an integral part of student’s experience in life. When students could not navigate through prevalence stress, it could arouse emotional distress, reduce student’s academic efficacy because of divided attention. In fact, financial stress is a ubiquitous and debilitating obstruction to academic success. Therefore, students need good understanding of determinants factors of financial stress from school and home and the inflict psychological burden to promote critical thinking, which aids decision and enhance smooth sailing through school. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. Correlation research design was used in this study. The population of the study was 27000 undergraduate students of Nasarawa State University keffi, Nasarawa State. Sample size of 394 students was selected for the study using Taro Yamane formula. Data was collected using three adopted instruments “School financial stress scale (SFSS), Family financial obligation stress scale (FFOSS) and Academic Apathy scale (AAS)”to assess the school fees stress, family obligation stress as correlates of academic apathy. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation was used in answering the research questions, while hypotheses were tested at 0. 05 level of significance by comparing the p-value of Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The finding revealed significant relationship between School financial stress, family financial obligation and academic apathy of undergraduate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi. This means finance is decisive for academic success. It was therefore recommended that students should be subjected to series of workshops and seminars on skills acquisition, budgeting and planning necessary to access and navigate through higher education. keywords: school financial stress, family financial obligation academic apathy
Read More →This study examined the influence of family background on social adjustment among secondary school adolescents in Nsukka Education Zone, Enugu State, Nigeria, with particular attention to its implications for students' participation and engagement in school learning. Specifically, the study examined the influence of family structure, parental educational attainment, and family background on adolescents' social adjustment. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. An ex-post facto research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised 2,823 Senior Secondary II (SS II) students in public secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone, from which a sample of 282 students was drawn. Data were collected using the Secondary School Adolescents Social Adjustment Questionnaire (SSASAQ), developed by the researcher. The instrument was face-validated by three experts from the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and yielded a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.81. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested using independent-samples t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a significant influence of family background on the social adjustment of secondary school adolescents. It was recommended, among others, that school administrators should provide regular counselling programmes and peer-support activities to assist students experiencing social adjustment challenges. The study highlights the importance of strengthening adolescents' social adjustment as part of efforts to promote positive school participation and sustained engagement in learning. Keywords: Family background; Nsukka Education Zone; social adjustment; secondary school adolescents; school participation; youth engagement.
Read More →Financial stress has become a significant challenge among university students, particularly sandwich programme students who often combine academic responsibilities with employment, family commitments, and other financial obligations. This study examined the impact of financial stress on the academic motivation and mental health of sandwich students in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) , Abia State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study population comprised sandwich students enrolled in the university, from which a sample of 50 respondents was selected college of education in MOUAU, using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Financial Stress, Academic Motivation and Mental Health Questionnaire (FSAMMHQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Adult Education, Educational Psychology, and Measurement and Evaluation at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.88. Data were analyzed using mean statistics to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that financial stress negatively affected students' academic motivation by reducing concentration, class attendance, and commitment to learning, while also contributing to anxiety, emotional distress, and other mental health challenges. The study concludes that financial stress significantly undermines both academic motivation and mental well-being among sandwich students. It recommends that universities establish targeted financial support schemes, expanding financial aid opportunities to reduce financial burden, strengthening counselling and mental health support services, promoting and implementing institutional policies that enhance students' academic motivation and success and overall well-being. Keywords: stress, financial stress, academic motivation, mental health, sandwich students.
Read More →This study investigated psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression) as predictors of learning engagement among public senior secondary school students in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State. Three research questions and three corresponding null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive correlational survey research design was adopted. The population comprised an estimated 20,000 public senior secondary school students in Senior Secondary I–III, from which a sample of 392 respondents was selected using Taro Yamane's formula and a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using the Psychological Distress and Learning Engagement Questionnaire (PDLEQ). Psychological distress was measured using items adapted from the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) while learning engagement was measured using items adapted from the Student Engagement Instrument. The instrument was validated by three experts, while a pilot study conducted among 40 students in Sapele Local Government Area yielded Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.80 for Stress, 0.82 for Anxiety, 0.84 for Depression, and 0.86 for Learning Engagement, with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.83. Data were analysed using simple linear regression. The coefficient of determination (R²) was used to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and regression coefficients were used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that stress and anxiety did not significantly predict learning engagement, whereas depression significantly predicted learning engagement among public senior secondary school students in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State. The study concluded that depression is a significant psychological factor influencing students' learning engagement. It was therefore recommended that schools strengthen mental health screening, counselling services, and supportive classroom practices to enhance students' emotional well-being and learning engagement. Keywords: Psychological distress, stress, anxiety, depression, learning engagement, public senior secondary school students.
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