GENDER AND PARENTS’ EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS ON ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION OF COVENANT UNIVERSITY

Achievement motivation level among university students varies. Some are highly motivated and achieve success while others are lowly motivated and experience little success. This study examined the influence of gender and parents’ educational qualifications on achievement motivation level of Covenant University students. The scope was limited to undergraduate students of the four Colleges in Covenant University, namely - College of Business and Social Sciences, Engineering, Science and Technology, and Leadership Development Studies. To achieve the objective of this study, two research questions and four hypotheses were raised and formulated respectively to guide the investigation of the study. The sample of the study consisted of three hundred (300) students comprising 206 males and 94 females randomly selected. Questionnaire forms were used for data collection. The study made use of the ex-post factor method which consists of survey and descriptive designs. Results show that female students’ achievement motivation level is stronger than that of the males at 1% level of significance (0.626). There is no significant correlation between father’s highest educational qualification and students’ achievement motivation level for both males and females at (0.064). However, there was a significant relationship between mother’s highest educational qualification and students’ achievement motivation level. (0.105). Based on the findings, it was recommended that male students should be given the same level of attention as the females by parents. In addition, the university should introduce sustainable mentorship programmes with faculty as role models to motivate the male students

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ACADEMIC ADVISING PRACTICE IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA

Academic advising is an important component of a university’s structure that assist students to realize their potentials and fulfill their educational, career and professional goals. This study investigated academic advising practice in public and private universities in Nigeria. It sought to determine students’ and faculty advisers’ perception of academic advising practice. Survey research design was used. Questionnaire and focused group discussions were used to collect data. Students from two universities participated in focus group discussions of 10 students per group. Faculty advisers participated in individual in-depth interview. Random and split sampling techniques were used to select students and faculty advisers. A total of 560 undergraduate students (296 males and 264 females) and 85 faculty advisers (49 males and 36 females) completed the questionnaire to examined academic advising practice (AAP) in Nigerian universities. The collated data was analyzed using regression and multi-variance to test the hypotheses while content analysis was used to explore the narratives of the focused group discussions. Some of the findings were that: Academic advising is at the developing stage and majority of the students 389 (85%) were of the opinion that academic advising practice in Nigerian universities was moderate. Advisers knowledge of university’s requirements [F (1,518) = 91.804, P<0.01]. Faculty Advisers’ skills [F (1,203) = 199.984, P<0.01)] and university type (t = 4.76) all have significant impact on the academic advising practice. Gender effect was only significant in the use of advising skills (t = 2.088). This study concludes that Advisers’ skills and knowledge are essential in academic advising practice. It was recommended that universities should establish Academic Advising centers because of its inherent benefits to students