Nigerian Undergraduates Research Articles

Sexual behaviours and contraceptive usage among Nigerian undergraduates: Moderating effects of course of study and school type

Sexual behaviours and contraceptive usage among Nigerian undergraduates: Moderating effects of course of study and school type

Help-Seeking Attitude of Nigerian Undergraduates Toward Mental Health Issues

This study investigated the help-seeking attitude of undergraduates at the University of Ilorin Nigeria toward mental health issues. The study employed a descriptive survey design. A multistage sampling method was used in selecting a total of 400 participants. The demographic data and research questions were examined using percentage distribution. The hypotheses were tested using t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical methods at a significance level of 0. 05. The help-seeking attitude of respondents towards mental health difficulties did not vary significantly based on gender. However, there were substantial differences depending on age, degree of study, and students' place of residence. The vast majority of undergraduates rather talk to friends and family about their mental health problems than seek psychotherapy or medical help. School counsellors need to educate students on the significance of seeking help from trained mental health professionals.

Impact of Artificial Intelligence (Chatgpt and Google-Bard) on Undergraduates’ Creative Writing Skills at A University in Northeastern Nigeria

Artificial intelligence (AI) has a profound influence on various facets of modern-day society, notably within the realm of education. Its application in educational settings is extensive, primarily aimed at improving the methods of instruction and knowledge acquisition. Thus, this research investigates the impact of AI tools (ChatGPT, Google Bard) on the creative writing skills of Nigerian undergraduates using a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design. Eighty (80) third-year undergraduates participated in the study. Data were collected using pretest-posttest writing tasks. The writing scripts were graded using creative writing assessment rubrics. Paired sample t-test analysis was conducted to compare the pretest-posttest writing scores using SPSS. The results of the analysis showed a significant improvement in the participants’ overall writing scores after using the AI tools. The results also show significant improvement in all the aspects of creative writing: image, voice, characterization and story. Finally, the study makes some recommendations for practice and further studies.

Investigating Perceptions and Practices of Plagiarism among Nigerian Undergraduates in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era: The Role of ChatGPT

Investigating Perceptions and Practices of Plagiarism among Nigerian Undergraduates in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era: The Role of ChatGPT

Deploying a Campus Telephony to Enhance Tele-Penetration and Service Provision to aid Mobile Computing for Nigerian Undergraduates

Deploying a Campus Telephony to Enhance Tele-Penetration and Service Provision to aid Mobile Computing for Nigerian Undergraduates

Assessing the Influence of Unverified Instagram Blog Content on the Cognitive and Behavioral Pattern of Undergraduates: An Empirical Study of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)

The proliferation of unverified Instagram blog content in Nigeria raises concerns about the credibility and trustworthiness of information disseminated through this medium and unverified contents on Instagram blogs lack proper fact-checking, leading to the spread of misinformation, rumors, and fake news which is why this research investigated the impact of unverified Instagram blogs’ contents on Nigerian Undergraduates in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The study adopted the gratifications theory, which suggests that media users play an active role in choosing and using the media and that the user has alternate choices to satisfy their need. The study also adopted a survey research method to conduct the study through the use of questionnaire. The research sample size turned out to be 543 respondents but only 403 respondents completed the questionnaire from three selected faculties, which translated to a response rate of over 74%. The statistical analysis was carried out using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS 20). The study findings revealed high level of agreement among respondents regarding their engagement with Instagram blogs, mirrored by a weighted mean of 4.04. Additionally, the study also revealed a moderate level of agreement among with a weighted mean of 3.57 regarding respondent’s perception and attitude towards Instagram blogs’ contents. Moreover, the majority of respondent agreed that exposure to unverified information on instagram can negatively influence students’ academic performance, reflected by a weighted mean of 3.99. The research recommended that a supportive online environment should be prioritized as a fundamental intervention strategy to enhance the cognitive and behavioral pattern of undergraduate students’ such as awareness campaigns, digital programs and peer support network as well as inaugurating promotion of positive engagement is essential to counteract the prevalence of objectifying content on social media platforms. This study, therefore, concludes that unverified information on social media platform such as instagram can influence students’ engagement, perceptive, attitude and academic performance.

Achievement motivation, academic resilience, and academic performance among Nigerian undergraduates: Mediating role of perceived academic stress

Achievement motivation, academic resilience, and academic performance among Nigerian undergraduates: Mediating role of perceived academic stress

The impact of Flipgrid on Nigerian undergraduates' speaking skills and speaking anxiety

The impact of Flipgrid on Nigerian undergraduates' speaking skills and speaking anxiety

Mentoring Perceptions and Experiences among Nigerian Undergraduate Dental Students

Introduction: Mentoring among undergraduate dental students in Nigeria has never been evaluated, despite being well reported, to improve academic performance and learning process globally. This study assessed perceptions and experiences of Nigerian undergraduate dental students to mentoring.
 Materials and Methods: A sample of 382 students was recruited across all the thirteen Nigerian dental faculties. A self-administered online questionnaire prepared on google form was sent to the students for completion. The completed forms were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive and analytical statistics were applied, and set the statistical significant level at P<0.05.
 Results: The students showed a very good knowledge of mentoring (99.0%) and an adequate understanding of the role of a mentor (67.3%). Many students had experienced mentoring prior to their dental training; mainly from religious institutions (60.0%). The majority (96.1%) of the students would have preferred to be mentored at the start of their training; however, only 21.2% had assigned mentors. More than half (57.6%) of the students would have preferred to choose their mentor, and the majority (43.2%) were indifferent about gender preference of a mentor. About two-thirds of the students perceived career development as the most important reason for mentoring. The benefits of mentoring were ranked very highly, especially among the female students. Gender was the only predictor for successful mentoring (P< 0.05).
 Conclusions: Dental students reported low faculty mentoring. Career development was perceived as the most important factor in mentoring. Students recommended that mentoring should be incorporated into the dental curriculum right from the commencement of their training. 
 
 Keywords: mentoring, perceptions, experiences, dental students, Nigerian undergraduates

Perceived Importance of Social Support on Undergraduates' Academic Resilience in a Nigerian University: Where do Social Workers come in?

Academic success is critical for young people's effective development. Students who perform well in school are better prepared to enter adulthood and attain occupational, social, and economic success. The study aimed to provide fresh insights into how social support might assist university students in sustaining their interest in academics, and more importantly, drive them to excel academically while dealing with psychosocial difficulties at a Nigerian university. A qualitative research methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 students from varying departments. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study indicated that social support is highly valued among Nigerian undergraduates, with practical benefits of increased motivation and better grades. Furthermore, it was observed that family tradition, students' attitudes towards learning, as well as social support, were seen as important factors to consider while attempting to improve undergraduates' academic success. The study recommended that interventions targeted at boosting undergraduates' academic resilience should emphasize the relationship between social support and the learners' attitude towards the learning processes. We also urge various university administrations, social workers, and other stakeholders to provide more opportunities for students’ socialization, expand support services, and ensure that students have access to mental health counselling and other forms of psychological support.

Suicidal ideation and attempts among Nigerian undergraduates: Exploring the relationships with depression, hopelessness, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness.

The study investigated the prevalence of suicidal behavior and its association with depression, hopelessness, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness in a sample of undergraduates in Nigeria. Suicide is a leading cause of death among young adults globally. However, information about suicidal ideation, attempts, and relationships with psychiatric factors, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness is sparse in Nigeria. The study investigated the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts and associated factors in a sample of undergraduates in Nigeria. We collected data from a cross-sectional survey of 625 undergraduate students primarily recruited from universities, colleges of education, and polytechnics in Adamawa Central Senatorial Zone, Adamawa State, northeast Nigeria. The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, the 15-item Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and the 20-item version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale were administered to the participants. We used descriptive statistics and binary and multivariate logistic regressions for data analysis. A total of 616 students with a mean age of 21.41 ± 4.72 years completed the study. The prevalence of suicidal behavior was 34.9% (215/616). Having a female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 8.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.06, 34.03), depression (AOR = 45.15, 95% CI: 0.95, 5.11), hopelessness (AOR = 20.10, 95% CI: 5.56, 72.41), and perceived burdensomeness (AOR = 89.15, 95% CI: 29.63, 268.30) were associated with suicidal ideation. In addition, being a female (AOR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.02, 2.83), being a 200-level student (AOR = 3.41, 95% CI = 1.46, 7.96), and being a 300-level student (AOR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.11, 0.74) were associated with suicidal attempt. The study's findings show that suicidal behaviors (ideations and attempts) are prevalent among undergraduate students in northeast Nigeria. The findings underline the need for the development of mental health services and early identification and intervention for at-risk young people in Nigeria.

Impact of an Agripreneurial Curriculum on the Attitudes of Nigerian Undergraduates through the Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation

Impact of an Agripreneurial Curriculum on the Attitudes of Nigerian Undergraduates through the Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation

Assessing the relationship between dyslexia, psychological distress, and academic self-efficacy among Nigerian university undergraduates.

Academic self-efficacy refers to the student's beliefs and attitudes toward their capabilities to achieve academic success, as well as belief in their ability to fulfil academic tasks and the successful learning of the materials. The influence of dyslexia on academic self-efficacy and psychological distress among Nigerian students is underresearched in this study. This study investigated the relationship between dyslexia, psychological distress, and academic self-efficacy. A total of 460 undergraduates purposively drawn from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, of over 10,000 undergraduate population, with a mean age of 26 ± 5 years, responded to the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, the dyslexia adult checklist, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, and Adult Reading History Questionnaire. Data were analyzed descriptively, and the regression analysis and T-tests were used for statistical analysis, with a significance threshold of P < 0.05. The results showed that dyslexia is a significant predictor of academic self-efficacy (β = 0.34, t = 7.31, P < 0.01). Dyslexia strongly predicted performance in examination [β = 0.32, F = 48.18, P = 0.00], comprehension [β = 0.32, F = 33.54, P = 0.00], school adjustment [β = 0.32, F = 35.86, P = 0.00], reading skill [β = 0.21, F = 18.65, P = 0.00], working memory [β = 0.26, F = 28.5, P = 0.00], and time management [β = 0.21, F = 19.8, P = 0.00] among the undergraduates. In addition, dyslexia significantly predicted psychological distress [t 41) = 1.40, P = 0.65]. Gender had no significant influence on academic self-efficacy and psychological distress among the participants [t 41) = 1.33, P = 0.19]. Dyslexia is a strong predictor of academic self-efficacy and psychological distress. Male and female Nigerian undergraduates have similar academic self-efficacy and psychological distress.

Empowering Minds: Exploring the Library's Influence on Peer Pressure among Nigerian Undergraduates

This study explores the role of academic libraries in shaping peer pressure among Nigerian undergraduate students. Using a cross-sectional research design, data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Of the 537 students surveyed, the findings reveal that male students are more likely than female students to feel pressured to engage in negative behaviors like dressing inappropriately, engaging in sexual activity, and gambling. However, libraries can mitigate this by providing online books, while physical books and library personnel can influence positive peer pressure. Close friends were found to exert greater negative peer pressure than classmates or random students. The study concludes that academic libraries play significant role in shaping peer pressure among undergraduate students in Nigeria. Therefore, it is recommended that academic libraries should focus on providing a diverse range of reading materials, fostering a supportive environment for literacy and reading conversations, and empowering students to select their reading material.

Awareness, Coverage, and Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccination Among Undergraduate Students in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: With the resumption of physical learning activities across Nigeria's higher education institutions, tertiary-level students, a prioritized group according to the WHO SAGE in the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccines, face circumstances that necessitate widespread vaccination coverage among them. This is critical in view of vaccine hesitancy attitude and low vaccination coverage that has been reported among this subpopulation and the larger Nigerian populace. Surmounting these barriers is necessary to achieving a successful national vaccination program and for future pandemic preparedness and response. To this end, this study aimed to assess Nigerian undergraduate students' knowledge, coverage, and barriers to COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of Nigerian undergraduates was conducted in October 2021, using an online questionnaire and a non-probability convenient sampling technique. The questionnaire included sections on respondents' demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine awareness, coverage, barriers, and recommendations. A total of 326 respondents electronically completed and returned the informed consent form along with the questionnaire. Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25 were used to code and analyze the data, respectively. RESULTS: The overall awareness of COVID-19 vaccines among the sampled students were high, with 62.3% having good knowledge, 20.9% having average knowledge, and 16.9% having poor knowledge. However, the majority of the respondents (81.3%) had not received the vaccines. The most prominent barrier to vaccination was misinformation about vaccine safety (23.6%). Opening vaccination centers on campuses (18.6%), demonstrating vaccine effectiveness and safety (18.7%), and organizing awareness campaigns (17.2%) were the most frequently recommended actions. CONCLUSION: Most respondents were aware of the availability and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccines; however, coverage remained extremely low. Our findings emphasize the importance of addressing vaccination barriers by public health stakeholders to achieve optimal COVID-19 vaccine coverage.

Awareness, Coverage, and Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccination among Undergraduate Students in Nigeria

Background: With the resumption of physical learning activities across Nigeria's higher education institutions, tertiary-level students, a priority group in the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccines according to the WHO SAGE, face circumstances that necessitate widespread vaccination coverage among them. This study aimed to assess Nigerian undergraduate students' knowledge, coverage, and barriers to COVID-19 vaccination. Method: A cross-sectional survey of Nigerian undergraduates was conducted in October 2021, using an online questionnaire and a combined simple random and snowballing sampling technique. The questionnaire included sections on respondents' demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine awareness, coverage, barriers, and recommendations. A total of 326 respondents electronically completed and returned the informed consent form along with the questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results: The overall awareness of COVID-19 vaccines among the sampled students was high; with 62.3%, 20.9%, and 16.9% having good, average, and poor levels of knowledge respectively. However, a majority of the respondents (81.3%) had not received the vaccines. The most prominent barrier to vaccination was misinformation about vaccine safety (23.6%). Opening vaccination centers on campuses (18.6%), demonstrating vaccine effectiveness and safety (18.7%), and organizing awareness campaigns (17.2%) were the most frequently recommended actions. Conclusion: Most respondents were aware of the availability and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccines; however, coverage remained extremely low. Our findings emphasize the importance of addressing vaccination barriers by public health stakeholders to achieve optimal COVID-19 vaccine coverage.

A Corpus-based Analysis of Ten Most Frequently Used Part-of-speech Constituents in Descriptive Writing

This study is set to examine variation in the use of Part-of-Speech (POS) constituents in the contents of descriptive writing by Nigerian undergraduates using a corpus-based approach. The objective is to identify the ten most-frequently-used POS constituents they used. It also aims to identify the level of frequency variation and distribution patterns of the POS constituents used based on gender and ethnic groups. This study adopted the EAP theory and the usage-based theory. The method applied is quantitative descriptive research design and the samples include thirty (30) Nigerian undergraduates that were identified via purposive sampling. The corpus is subjected to a computer-assisted corpus analysis (CACA) where 33, 274 words were tagged and compiled. The findings revealed NN, NN1, II, AT, JJ, TO, NN2, RR and CC as the student’s ten most frequently-used POS constituents, as they achieve higher frequencies. In terms of gender variation, the findings revealed that males achieved a higher frequency of the words used, as equated with females, even though the level of variation at 0.90% is below the statistical level of significance. Also, in terms of their ethnic groups, no significant level of variation was identified, although the Igbo attained a high frequency of words-usage compared to the Yorùbá and the Hausa. Among the theoretical implications derived in this study are the deployments of the corpus-based, genre-based, EAP and ESP-oriented approaches into Nigerian ESL classroom activities.

Effects of Listening to Music on Mental Health of Nigerian Undergraduate Students

Aim: The impact of music on mental health, specifically among Nigerian undergraduate students, is an area yet to be fully explored. This study therefore sought to investigate the impact of music listening habits on the mental health of Nigerian undergraduate students.&#x0D; Methodology: This study employed a cross-sectional survey research design. The population of this study comprised of students from three tertiary institutions in Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria, namely: Federal College of Animal Health and Technology, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, and Federal College of Agriculture. A random sampling technique was employed to select four hundred (400) undergraduate students who were studying for the National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) respectively.&#x0D; Results: A majority of the respondents (56.75%) listen to music several times a week, with 78% admitting to listening to music while studying. The genres most listened to were Hip hop (35.15%) and Gospel (27.12%). Most students reported feeling happier (39.87%) and more relaxed (33.26%) after listening to music, indicating a positive influence on mood and emotion. Furthermore, 83% of respondents claimed their mood influenced the type of music they chose to listen to, and 71.50% noted that different genres affected their mood distinctly. When asked about their mental health status, most students rated their mental health as good (71.25%) or excellent (26.75%). The majority acknowledged that music significantly influences their mood (87.25%), reduces stress levels (84%), and helps with concentration (85.25%). Up to 95.25% of the students have used music as a coping mechanism during emotional distress. Despite these benefits, a small percentage (2%) observed negative impacts on their mental health linked to their music listening habits. Overall, a significant 86.25% of students believe music positively influences their mental health. Notably, only 2.75% of students have sought professional help for mental health issues, and of these, 72.73% were recommended music as a therapeutic tool. Up to 93% expressed openness to the idea of music therapy.&#x0D; Conclusion: These findings underscore the potential of music as a tool for enhancing mental health among Nigerian undergraduate students. However, the observed negative impacts on a minority of students highlight the need for further exploration and potential regulation of music-based interventions.

Impact of COVID-19 confinement on food consumption pattern, physical activity and perceived body size of Nigerian undergraduates

Background and objectives: Unhealthy dietary practices and physical inactivity are major contributors to overweight and obesity which is fast becoming a public health concern among adolescents and young adults globally. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on food consumption pattern, physical activity and perceived body size changes of Nigerian undergraduates.&#x0D; Methods: This cross-sectional study used a snowball sampling technique to select 310 respondents. An online questionnaire link was forwarded to eligible respondents to elicit information on their dietary pattern, physical activity levels and perceived body size. Data collection for these indicators followed standard procedures and were compared with standard references.&#x0D; Results: The pattern of fruit, vegetable, legume, and meat/fish consumption significantly increased during the lockdown. Snack, soft-drink and dairy products experienced a decline in consumption (p &lt; 0.05). The physical activity MET (metabolic equivalent) score of respondents reduced from 3378.85 to 3097.02 MET minutes/week. Information on the perceived body size using body silhouette classification reported that lockdown accounted for an elevation in the perceived prevalence of overweight/obese (11.0% to 23.9%). &#x0D; Conclusion: COVID-19 confinement improved some dietary practices of the undergraduates, but significantly contributed to a decline physical activity levels and an elevation in perceived body size. Designing effective approaches such as home-made physical activity routines, and local food production may help avert such outcomes of restricted access to the external environment.

Role of Demographic Variables in Predicting Citizenship Norms, Political Efficacy and Civic Engagement among Public University Students

This paper examines the role of demographic variables in predicting civic engagement. Precisely, it looks at the relative importance of religion and gender in predicting the likelihood of citizenship norms, political efficacy and civic engagement. The data used in this study were collected from a sample of 355 Nigerian undergraduates. Using t-test analysis and ANOVA, this study established that gender and religion, had partial predictive power in determining civic engagement of students. Specifically, result indicated that students’ political efficacy demonstrated that male (M=3.67, SD= 0.60) and female (M=3.36, SD= 0.69) had a substantial difference between them (t = 5.955, p= .015 &lt; 0.05). Similarly, statistically significant difference occurred in civic engagement of students (F=3.452, p=0.032 &lt; 0.05) based on religion. These findings have implications for scholars to conduct longitudinal studies that trace the civic engagement of students generally in universities.