WELCOME TO KENTERPRO:
IMPACT OF STUDY HABIT COUNSELLING ON ACADEMIC BEHAVIOUR OF NCE II SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENTS, FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, PANKSHIN IN PLATEAU STATE

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Study habits are approaches applied to learning, centering on an individual’s efforts, with a view to taking action, based on a mode of occurrence or growth. These approaches lead people to study easily, naturally with growing skill and certainty. Study habits (approaches applied to learning) have to do with: study methods, study skill and study attitude.  They enable students to work personally and privately. They are techniques that facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills which result in achieving success and becoming productive. Study habits are very important to enhancing the proper development and attainment of an individual.

Study habits are very important, because they enhance every learning process of all students, males and females alike. Findings on gender differences in study habits arouse interest and curiosity. Ossai (2012), for example, shows significant differences in the study habits of students on the basis of age and gender. Whereas the studies by Kagu (2005) and Ossai (2011) found no significant differences in the study habits of male and female students. Aluja and Blanch (2004) found that girls scored higher on a study habit measure than boys.

  It is needful therefore that students start with the conscious awareness of the availability/relevance of study habits, such as: approach to studying matters; having the right attitude to studying; when to study; peak study times, teacher consultation relationship; setting goals for studying; time management, organizing the study area; concentration in studying; creating study tools, self-motivation and how to read and study textbooks, among others. Study habits also include students’ ability to manifest skills like: review strategy, note-taking/making strategies, self-discipline, memorization, organization and determination to succeed. However, the present study will focus on two study skills: Review Strategy and Note-taking Strategy. They are part of the effective study skills that enhance students’ academic behaviour. Effective teaching of study habits, study methods and reading to students will curtail students’ failure rate in school (Oyetunde, 2000). Good study habits also serve as means of widening intellectual horizons.  They help in developing more stable and matured personality.  Good study skills lead to better acquisition of knowledge as well as adjustment to life, through sharing other people’s experiences, joy, sorrows and insights.

Review Strategy makes recall of learnt materials easier. It is an important technique that enables students to check comprehension and prevent forgetting. It serves as a good test of a student’s comprehension of material received during lecture. Review summary paragraph, an important aspect of review strategy helps students to prepare for short answers test/examinations or easy type tests/examinations. It helps students ensure thorough efficient practice before examination.

Likewise, note-taking strategy helps students to listen actively in class and take notes on the key points from the lecture delivery. It helps them to be focused during lessons/lectures, therefore helps their concentration, retention and understanding, and make them active participants rather than passive day-dreamers. Notes taken during lesson/lectures become study aids needful for review, which aid long time storage of information. Note-taking is a vital tool in making information meaningful. It helps to connect new information to existing knowledge and helps retention. Note-taking is important and necessary in achieving learning goals.

Study habit counselling is the deliberate effort of academic counsellors to sensitize students not only to become aware of effective study strategies but also apply the strategies with the view of comprehending, synthesizing, analyzing and applying principles learnt in the strategies, when they are faced with tests and examinations at any time. Through the academic sensitization, the development of skills to cope with good vibrant study skills is passed on to students, bringing improvement in academic achievement.

Academic behaviors such as class attendance, homework completions, and active classroom participation directly and indirectly affect classroom performance.  Because for other non-cognitive factors realize academic success through academic behaviors, there are multiple ways (direct and indirect) to improve academic behaviors.  Implementing strategies for improving student academic behaviors can improve their performance.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The incessant rate of failure and the number of times some students write their Examinations before they succeed is worrisome. Interaction with some of the past NCE II Social Studies students of Federal College of Education, Pankshin revealed that some of them had to re-sit or carryover some subjects several times before graduating from the institution.

Research evidence have shown that defective study habits such as lack of study tools, ordanised study area,low self-motivation, poor note taking among others and their consequences, could be a key factor to this situation. Defective study habits result in the failure to cope with expected volume of work which leads to low academic behaviour. Graduating with poor result does not make for good professional output in practical work life, as the case with the teaching profession. This explains the worrisome state of rampant reports in the news-television, radio and newspapers of quackery in the education sector of the economy.

The problems associated with study habits might have a major impact on student’s academic behavior and by extension, performances, it is believed that everyone has a different study habit and it is important to find out the best personal way to study. Studying with friends has a long way to go in student’s study habits, it has a positive influence in which they discuss what have been read together but also has a negative effect in which they might not read but discuss throughout the stipulated time for reading which boils down to time wastage.
A very good and conducive environment encourages students study habit and might have positive impact of their academic behaviour but students reading in an unfavorable environment might find it difficult to study which might affect their academic behaviour. Students with financial constraints might also find it difficult to perform excellently well in their academics.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of study habit counselling on academic behaviour of NCE II Social Studies students, Federal College of Education, Pankshin in Plateau State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study are to:

• find out the nature of study habits on academic behaviour of NCE II Social Studies students, Federal College of Education, Pankshin
• determine how impact of study habit counselling can in improve academic behaviour of NCE II Social Studies students Federal College of Education, Pankshin
• find out the impact of study habit counselling on academic behavior of NCE II Social Studies, Federal College of Education, Pankshin students based on gender
• determine the impact of note-taking counselling on academic behaviour of NCE II Social Studies students Federal College of Education, Pankshin
• find out the impact of review strategies counselling on academic behavior of NCE II Social Studies students Federal College of Education, Pankshin

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

      The following research questions were posed to guide the study:

• What are the nature of study habits on academic behaviour of the NCE II social studies students, Federal College of Education, Pankshin?
• To what extent does impact of study habit counselling helps in improving the academic behaviour of NCE II social studies students, Federal College of Education, Pankshin?
• To what extent does impact of study habit counselling affect the academic behaviour of NCE II social studies students, Federal College of Education, Pankshin based on gender?
• To what extend does impact of note-taking strategy Counselling affect the academic behaviour of NCE II Social Studies students, Federal College of Education, Pankshin?
• To what extent does impact of review strategy Counselling affect the academic behaviour of NCE II Social Studies students, Federal College of Education, Pankshin?

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this research will be of benefit to the following Stakeholders: Students, Tertiary Institutions, Researchers, Professional Counsellors, Parents and the Government. 

Students will be able to access counselling from professional Counsellors which will bring about the development of good study habits that may result in an excellent academic achievements and eventual excellent professional expertise, this excellent output will result in the provision of accurate and reliable information to students.

Teachers in institutions of higher learning will also benefit from the findings of this study. They will be equipped with skills to encourage, train and guide students on effective study habits, especially review strategy and note-taking strategy. They will also find the study useful in guiding students to review their note-taking systematically in order to boost comprehension and retrieval of information, as well as how to have effective note-taking strategies.

The findings of this study will be of value to government and all policy-makers that will be furnished with information about effective study habits, these will then enhance students’ academic behaviour. As such, policy-makers will make use of this study to promote and sponsor  teachers and students on using study habits to improve learning.

Parents and publishers will benefit from the findings of this study. Parents will be able to  value the important of study habits and so encourage their children to acquire effective study habits. Publishers will find the study helpful by encouraging authors to publish books and journals that will promote study habits.

Finally, counsellors and other researchers will benefit from this study. Counsellors will be able to counsel their clients with learning difficulties and poor study habits. Other researchers can also replicate this study by following the procedure used in the present study or can extend the study to other levels of education.

1.6  DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study focuses mainly on two (2) key study habits: Review Strategy (RS) and Note-taking Strategy (NTE). These two are part of the important effective study skills which enhance students’ academic behaviours and achievements. Review strategy makes recall of learnt materials easier. It is an important technique that enables students to check comprehension and prevent forgetting. It serves as a good test of a student’s comprehension of material received during lecture. Likewise, note-taking strategy helps students to listen actively in class and take notes on the key points from the lecturers lesson. It helps them to be focused during lessons/lectures, therefore helps their concentration, retention and understanding, and make them active participants rather than passive day-dreamers.

1.7  OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS                         

The following terms and concepts are operationally defined in the context of this work and are to be understood as used here:

Impact:  in the context of this work, effects connotes the expected outcome of the application of effective study strategies by the NCE II Social Studies, Federal College of Education, Pankshin such that, their hitherto defective study strategies and low academic achievement may be improved.

Study Habit Counselling: This phrase denotes a deliberate effort by an academic counsellor, to sensitize NCE II Social Studies students to become aware and apply effective study strategies with the view of comprehending, synthesizing, analyzing and applying principles learnt from the strategies when faced with examinations and learning challenges.

 Study Habits:  The usage of this concept in this research implies the application of effective studying approaches such as regular and punctual attendance to lectures, note-taking during lectures, summarizing during personal studies, reviewing, being organized, observing regular study time. Study habits are approaches applied to learning centering on an individual effort with a view of taking action, base on a mode of occurrence or growth.

Review Strategy: This phrase denote a recall of leant material easier. It is important technigue that enables students to check comprehension and prevent forgetting. It serves as a good test of a student’s comprehension of material received during lecture.

Note-taking: It helps students to listen actively in class and take note on the word from the lecture delivery. it helps them to be focus during lessons/lectures, therefore, helps their concentration, retention and understanding, and make them active participant rather than passive day dreamers.

Defective Study Habits: The usage of this concept in this research implies the negation, by all action/practice, of every aspect listed above under effective study habits. This situation may result in failure in Council examination, leading to re-writing the examination several times before succeeding by the students.

Academic Behaviour: This refers to the changes that student actions can have on the ability to maintain good performance in the classroom by regular and punctual attendance to lectures, note-taking, personal and observing regular study time.