STRESS, ADJUSTMENT NEEDS, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND COPING STRATEGIES OF ADULT LEARNERS IN SOKOTO STATE AGENCY FOR MASS EDUCATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING.

Abstract

xi ABSTRACT This research investigated “stress, adjustment needs, academic performance and coping strategies of adult learners at Sokoto State Agency for Mass Education”. The study set eleven research questions, eleven research objectives and tested eight hypotheses. The total population of this study comprises 9,428 adult participants undergoing Post Literacy programme at various Adult and Non-Formal Education (ANFE) centers across the state. Research Advisor (2006) table for determining sample size was used to determine that a sample size of 357 respondents for a target population of 4,548 adult learners was appropriate for this study. To this end, the population was divided into 3 strata with respect to Senatorial Zones upon which 2 LGAs were selected using simple random sampling. Purposive sampling was also employed in selecting Post Literacy Centers from each of the selected LGAs while proportionate sampling was used to select the 357 respondents. The instruments used in this study were adopted questionnaire titled “Stress, Adjustment Needs and Coping Strategies of Adult Learners” designed by Okunola (2016) and aptitude test to test the academic performance of the respondents in English, Mathematics, Life Skill and Social Studies (Citizenship). t-test was used to test hypotheses 1,2,3 & 7 and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test hypotheses 4,5,6 & 8. Six hypotheses were accepted and two hypotheses were rejected at alpha level of 0.05. Among the findings of the study, there was no significant difference in the sources of stress among male and female adult learners at Sokoto State Agency for Mass Education, there was significant difference in the coping strategies adopted by adult learners at the Sokoto State Agency for Mass Education based on age and there was no significant difference in the academic performance of adult learners at the Sokoto State Agency for Mass Education based on age. Recommendations were made such as that, guidance Counsellors should be employed in every Adult and Non-formal Education (ANFE) Centers to enable adult participants comprehend their sources of stress, counsellors should take cognizance of peculiarity in age with respect to the coping strategies, which will be introduced to the adult learners.