Benue State University, Makurdi

PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT AS PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG FIRST YEAR EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION OJU, BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Adikpe Pius Omadu, Patrick Saaondo, Aleje Linda Ochole, Odo Gracemarvis Olihi

Abstract

If someone had serious adjustment problems when entering into college, he or she might do extreme things while on the programme (suicide, aggression, inferiority, autism). Thus, problems of adjustment will do harm to students' quality of daily life and mental health. Although student enrollment at college of Education, Oju has significantly increased from 2022 upward; students' retention and graduation rates remain low, while students' dropout rates are high especially among historically disadvantaged students. One reason for the low students' academic success is poor academic performance which is, in part influenced by a variety of psychological constructs. This calls for the research on psychological adjustment as a predictor of academic performance among year one educational psychology students of College of Education, Oju. The study adopts a cross sectional design, data were collected using theStudent Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) developed by Baker and Siryk (1989) and Academic Performance Questionnaire developed by McGregory (2015) were used. Participants were 280, made up of 154 (55%) males and 126 (45%) females.Findings indicated that the overall psychological adjustment positively and significantly predicted academic performance (â = .276, P<.01). On the individual dimensions of psychological adjustment, self-esteem (â = .265,P<.01) andsocial support from family (â = .391,P<.01) were statistically positive and significant on academic performance.While there was no significant influence of perceived stress (â = .056,P>.05), test-anxiety (â = -.084, P>.05), self-efficacy (â = .067, P>.05) support from friends (â = .125,P>.05) on academic performance. Results furthershowed that there was no gender difference on academic performance among year one educational psychology students, College of Education Oju((Mean= 21.62, SD= 2.68) and females (Mean= 20.93, SD= 3.40), t (277) = 1.90, P>.05. The study recommends amongst others that there is a dire need for the school management to employ the services of psychologists to counsel students on psychological adjustment problems in areas of test 147 anxiety, self-esteem, self-efficacy and perceived social support from family and friends. More so, there is no need for the consideration of psychological adjustment on the basis of male and female. If this is done, there will be a higher academic performance among year one educational psychology students College of Education, Oju.

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