Abstract:
The study investigated the utilization of e-counselling in social and academic adjustments among undergraduates of Universities in Kebbi and Sokoto States, Nigeria. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study, six research questions and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study comprised of 4275 first year and final year undergraduates of Faculty of Education selected from two Universities in Kebbi and Sokoto States where guidance and counselling services were in operation. The sample of the study was 427 undergraduate students of Faculty of Education in the selected Universities for the study. The sampling technique instrument that was used for data collection for the study was titled “E-Counselling Utilization and Social/Academic Adjustments Questionnaire”. The instrument was validated by experts from Guidance and Counselling and Measurement and Evaluation, all from Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The instrument was trial tested with 30 undergraduates in Kaduna State. Cronbach Alpha Statistics was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument and the overall reliability indices of 0.75 was obtained. Four hundred and twenty seven copies of the questionnaire were administered to the respondents by the researcher with the help of two research assistants. The data collected were analysed using mean, standard deviation and t-test statistics. The results obtained indicated that the extent e-counselling was utilized in social adjustment among undergraduates was high; the extent e-counselling was utilized in academic adjustment among undergraduates was low; there was significant mean difference in the utilization of e-counselling in social and academic adjustment among male and female undergraduates and among first year and final year undergraduates. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended, among others that e-counselling facilities should be made available in Kebbi and Sokoto States Universities to enable the undergraduates to make adequate utilization of e-counselling services in social and academic adjustments. Also, counsellors should be provided with more and stable facilities to enhance more opportunities for e-counseling with the undergraduates.
