International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IV, April 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Influence of Peer Counselling on Academic Achievement and Social Adjustment of Students in the University of Mines and Technology (Umat), Ghana

Theophilus Andoh-Robertson¹, Peter Simon Kwofie², Peace Sitsofe Kploanyi^3
1Snr. Assistant Registrar University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa P. O. Box 237, Tarkwa, Ghana.
²Snr. Assistant Registrar (PQAU) University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa P. O. Box 237, Tarkwa, Ghana.
³Assistant Registrar Counselling and Student Support Unit University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa P. O. Box 237, Tarkwa, Ghana.

Abstract
This study investigated the influence of peer counselling on social adjustment and academic achievement of students of University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana. Two hundred and forty (240) peer counselled and non-peer counselled respondents were sampled randomly for the study. Related literature on peer counselling, social adjustment and academic achievement were reviewed. The research designs used for the study were ex-post facto and correlation research designs. Data collection instruments were self-developed questionnaires on the influence of peer counselling on social adjustment and academic achievement. Instruments’ reliability co-efficient was 0.92. Data were analysed by Pearson’s product moment correlation statistics and independent sample T-test. Documentary analyses on students’ academic records were also conducted. The findings of the study were that peer counselling; improves social adjustment and academic achievement of students’, peer counselled students had increased academic achievement than their non-peer counselled counterparts. Finally, there was no significant statistical difference in the social adjustment of students in terms of gender. It was therefore recommended that university management and Counsellors should intensify peer-counselling programmes in universities.

Keywords: peer counselling, academic achievement, social adjustment.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

University is a place of transition academically and is socially associated with significant lifestyle changes, making students inevitably adapt to changes in different ways (Maunder, 2013). The academic and social pressures endured also vary among students. While some students may easily seek counselling support from adult counsellors, Ackummey, (2003) asserts that students are also likely to perceive individual sessions with adult-counsellors as inappropriate, uncomfortable and to some extent intimidating. The peer counsellor however, is not seen as ‘contaminated’ by authority or separated by age or social position Therefore, the barriers which impede counselling with some students do not exist hence, most students feel more comfortable when counselled by their colleague peer counsellors.
Traditionally, counselling is a one-to-one activity that encourages clients to talk about the most intimate aspects of their lives. However, it is mostly not easy for university students to disclose personal matters that cause pain and discomfort to their adult-counsellors (Idowu, 2004