STUDENTS DELINQUENT BEHAVIOURS AS THREAT TO EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING

Abstract

The problems of delinquent behaviours among students are fast becoming a serious wound that is eating deeper into the fabrics of our society and thereby constituting a threat to the stability of the nation's educational system. It is necessary for stakeholders in the education. sector to pay urgent attention to this menace, so as to achieve effective teaching and learning. The study examined the influence of student delinquent behaviours on effective teaching and learning in public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State. The study made use of correlational survey research design. The study was guided by two research questions and the two hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population for the study was 8452 teachers in two 268 public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State. The sample comprised of 423 participants drawn from 18 Senior Secondary Schools (Public schools), which were chosen by applying non-proportionate sampling techniques. The instrument for data collection was Student Delinquency Assessment Questionnaire (SDAQ) and Effective Teaching and Learning Questionnaire (ETLQ). Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to answer research questions, while Simple liner regression was employed to test the hypothesis at the 0.05 level of significance. The result shows that students’ delinquent behaviours retrogressively affect active learning. Also student delinquency has a negative influence on the study habit of Senior Secondary School students in Rivers State. Hence, it was concluded that student delinquency is a threat to effective teaching and learning in public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State. The recommendations made in this duty are that the government of Rivers state, Educationist, Educators, School administrators and parents, should ensure that facilities are provided in schools for effective teaching and learning.