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Item A CROSS-ETHNIC STUDY OF STRESS LEVELS, SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND ADJUSTMENT STRATEGIES AMONG WIDOWS IN NIGERIA(DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2000) ONIYE, OLAYINKA ABDULRASAQItem GRIEF REACTIONS, COPING STRATEGIES AND COUNSELLING NEEDS OF NIGERIAN IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS FACED WITH PARENTAL LOSS(University of Ilorin, 2017) AJOKPANIOVO, MichaelParents play a decisive role in children’s academic and social development. The demise of the parent has a huge emotional impact on a child. This study investigated grief reactions, coping strategies and counselling needs of in-school adolescents faced with parental loss in Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to find out: (i) the grief reactions; (ii) coping strategies adopted; (iii) counselling needs of adolescents faced with parental loss; and (iv) if significant differences existed based on gender, religion, geo-political zone and adolescent’s age at parental loss. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population for this study comprised all inschool adolescents faced with parental loss in Nigeria. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 432 in-school adolescents. A researcher-developed instrument entitled Questionnaire on Grief Reactions, Coping Strategies and Counselling Needs of Nigerian inschool Adolescents faced with Parental Loss was used for data collection. Means and inferential statistics were used to analyse the collected data. Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) was applied as a post-hoc measure to locate where the differences exist in the tested hypotheses. The findings of the study were that: (i) the grief reactions of in-school adolescents faced with parental loss is high and these reactions include having mood swing (𝑋 ̅ =3.71), depression (𝑋 ̅=3.62) and nervousness/anxiety (𝑋 ̅=3.43); (ii) some coping strategies adopted by the students include listening to inspirational music (𝑋 ̅=2.77), listening to motivational talks from religious leaders (𝑋 ̅=2.65) and reading scriptural passages to relieve tensions or anxiety(𝑋 ̅ =2.63); (iii) counselling are more needed in the areas of educational concerns (𝑋 ̅=2.81), emotional concerns (𝑋 ̅ =2.62) and personal concerns (𝑋 ̅=2.60); (iv) there were significant differences were found in the grief reactions of in-school adolescents faced with parental loss t = 3.30, p<0.05; coping strategies adopted t = 5.22, p<0.05 and counselling needs t = 3.83, p<0.05 based on gender; (v) no significant difference was found in the grief reactions of in-school adolescents faced with parental loss. Significant differences were found in the coping strategies adopted (F(2, 429) = 19.27; p<0.05) and counselling needs (F2, 429) = 17.45; p<0.05) based on religion; (vi) no significant difference was found in the grief reactions, coping strategies adopted and counselling needs of Nigerian in-school adolescents faced with parental loss based on zone; and (vii) on the basis of age at parental loss, significant differences were found in the grief reactions of in-school adolescents faced with parental loss t = 4.46, p<0.05; coping strategies adopted t = 3.46, p<0.05. This study concluded that adolescents faced with parental loss need counselling more in the areas of educational and emotional concerns. The implication of the study is that there were insufficient enlightenment programmes and sensitisation on the reality of death in secondary schools. The study therefore recommended that counsellors should include in their enlightenment programmes to the students, the reality of death as well as how to get the right support when faced with parental loss. WordItem EFFECTIVENESS OF RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND REALITY THERAPIES IN REDUCING AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOURS OF HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENTS IN ILORIN, NIGERIA(University of Ilorin, 2017) OGUNGBADE, Oyelakin KunmiFindings from previous studies and the gap left behind showed that the issue of aggressive behaviours among students with hearing impairment has created serious concerns for parents, school authorities and the society at large. The attitudes of such students impact negatively on their academic performance, interpersonal relationships and general social wellbeing. This study therefore investigated the effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) and Reality Therapy (RT) in reducing aggressive behaviours of students with hearing impairment in Ilorin, Nigeria. The objectives of this study were to determine: (i) the aggressive behaviours index of participants before and after experimental packages; (ii) which of REBT, RT and control groups is effective in reducing aggressive behaviours of participants; (iii) which of REBT and RT is more effective and (iv) the influence of moderating variables of gender and age on the effectiveness of REBT and RT. The study is a quasi-experimental research design adopting pre-test, post-test and control group. There were two treatment groups (REBT & RT) and a control group. A total of 84 students were selected using purposive, stratified and proportional sampling techniques from Kwara State School for Special Needs, Ilorin using an Aggressive Behaviour Scale (ABS) developed by Orpinas and Frankowski (2001). The aggressive behaviours benchmarks are boys 19.3; girls 13.2. The validity of the test was established through the use of construct validity. The internal consistency of ABS was ascertained having Cronbach’s alpha of 0.88. Aggressive Programme Evaluation Questionnaire (APEQ) (2008) was adopted and used to ascertain the effectiveness of the experimental packages. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyse hypotheses 1, 5 - 10, t-test was used for hypotheses 2, 3, 4 and Scheffe Multiple Comparison Test was used for post-hoc analysis at 0.05 alpha level. Findings of the study were that: i. the aggressive behaviours index of participants before and after experimental packages were REBT 31.68, 4.93; RT 38.63, 3.00; and control 35.14, 40.66, respectively; ii. there is a significant higher reduction in the aggressive behaviours of participants exposed to treatments (REBT & RT) than those in the control group (F 865.06 p < 0.05) in favour of those in the treatment groups; iii. RT treatment package was found to be more effective when compared to REBT (t 54= 3.80, p < 0.05); and iv. gender and age had no influence on the effectiveness of REBT and RT treatments (F 0.39 p > 0.05; F 1.07 p > 0.05, respectively). The study concluded that although both REBT and RT were effective in reducing aggressive behaviours of students with hearing impairment, RT was more effective while gender and age had no influence on the effectiveness of the treatments. The implication of the findings is that students with hearing impairment could be assisted by reducing their aggressive behaviours. The study recommended that Counsellors should adopt RT and REBT in reducing cases of aggressive behaviours because using their principles would inculcate anti-aggressive behaviours in the minds of students with hearing impairment and thus improving interpersonal relationship.Item INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION FOR OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING IN UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2017) ABDULAZEEZ, Muhammad AdewuyiInformation and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities form the main framework upon which Open and Distance Learning (ODL) depend for its development as an alternative way of learning, mainly for Adult. Literature has revealed that the use and integration of ICT in distance education for teaching and research have been major obstacles that may have impeded proper and full accomplishment of the programme. This study therefore investigated ICT Utilization for ODL in Universities in South-west, Nigeria. The Objectives were to: (i) determine the availability of ICT facilities for ODL; (ii) determine the lecturers’ access to ICT facilities for ODL; (iii) examine the extent of lecturers’ utilization of ICT facilities; (iv) identify institutional ICT policies and strategies for ODL; (v) identify factors that facilitate lecturers’ ICT utilization; (vi) examine the influence of ICT accessibility on instructional delivery and research; (vii) identify factors hindering the utilization of ICT facilities for ODL; and (viii) determine whether differences exist in ICT utilization between dual mode and single mode universities The study adopted quantitative research design of survey type. The population of lecturers was 1,984, out of which a sample of 693 lecturers; (394 males and 299 females) was purposively selected from four dual mode and one single mode universities. Data were collected through the administration of validated researcher-designed questionnaire. Percentages and mean scores were used to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses Findings of the study were that: i. ICT facilities were available in ODL; (66.6% and mean of 1.33) ii. ICT facilities were accessible by lecturers; (58.3%, mean of 1.42) iii. ICT facilities were moderately utilized by lecturers; (57.4%, mean of 1.54) iv. ICT policies were adequately formulated by ODL managements; (65.8%, mean of 2.07) v. instructional delivery, research, online tutorial and counseling were factors that facilitated lecturers’ ICT utilization for ODL; (77.4%, mean of 1.96) vi. ICT accessibility highly influenced instructional delivery and research in ODL; (82.2%, mean of 1.76%) vii. Network problem, poor funding, poor electricity and insufficient skill were factors hindering the utilization of ICT facilities for ODL; (77.9%, mean of 1.87); and viii. there were significant differences between dual mode and single mode ODL on the availability of ICT; F (df 4,657) = 5.994, P= < 0.05); accessibility of ICT; F (df 4,657) = 20.063, P=< 0.05); utilization of ICT; F (df 4,657) = 21.087, P=< 0.05); institutional ICT policies and strategies; F (df 4,657) = 3.192, P= < 0.05). All significant at 0.05 significant level The study concluded that though, majority of ICT facilities were available and accessible; a gap still existed among ODL universities on the availability, accessibility, utilization, institutional policies and strategies of ICT facilities. The implication is that if ICT facilities are properly utilized, there is likely to be an improvement in the instructional delivery and research in Open and Distance Learning. It was therefore recommended that university management should increase their investment in ICT facilities so as to attain world class Open and Distance Education.Item INSTITUTIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND LECTURERS' READINESS TOWARDS ADOPTION OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN SOUTH-WEST UNIVERSITIES, NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2017-11) JIMOH, Taibat BolanleLearning Management System (LMS), a component of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has brought changes into most aspects of the education system. This has rendered the existing teaching principles and methods unsuitable for the achievement of the educational objectives. Therefore, there is need for new orientation in teaching and learning. This research was carried out to examine lecturers’ readiness and institutional policy implementation towards adoption of LMS as part of their ICT utilization in universities in the South-west, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: (i) investigate the level of ICT policy implementation with respect to adoption of LMS; (ii) determine the adequacy of facilities provided for adoption of LMS in the institutions; (iii) examine lecturers’ perceived self-efficacy in the use of LMS; (iv) examine the readiness of lecturers towards using LMS in the institutions; and (v) examine the influence of gender, age and ICT skill on lecturers’ readiness to adopt LMS. The study adopted a mixed method research design involving cross-sectional survey and in-depth interview. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 538 out of 6,252 lecturers and five ICT Directors from six universities for the study out of the 15 government-owned universities in the South-west, Nigeria. The research instruments used for the study were validated researcher-designed questionnaire and structured interview guide entitled “Institutional Policy Implementation and Lecturers’ Readiness on LMS Adoption Questionnaire” (IPILRLMSAQ) and “Interview Questions on Institutional Policy Implementation and LMS Adoption” (IQIPIALMSA), respectively. The reliability coefficient of the IPILRLMSAQ was 0.8. Seven research que-stions were answered and six hypotheses were tested in the study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.5 level of significance. The findings of the study were that: i. ICT policy implementation in institutions with regards to LMS adoption were at its infancy stage as a result of inconsistent framework, non-functional ICT policy, inadequate funding and lack of adequate training and retraining on LMS; ii. the ICT facilities provided were adequate with the least mean value of 3.81; iii. the lecturers indicated a moderate level of perceived self-efficacy with least mean value of 3.87; iv. lecturers’ readiness towards using LMS in the universities is positive (b = 0.539, p < 0.05); and v. there was no significant difference in the lecturers’ readiness to use LMS based on gender, age and ICT skills (male = 4.0261, female = 4.0278; young = 3.97; old =4.02; skilled 3.96; unskilled 4.21 respectively). The study concluded that implementation of institutional policy on ICT and lecturers' readiness could guarantee successful adoption of LMS in the Nigerian universities. The study recommended that there should be consistent framework, functional ICT policy implementation on LMS and adequate funding in Nigerian universities. Also, there should be adequate training and retraining for lecturers on LMS to enhance their job performance in the universities.Item INVARIANCE OF ITEM PARAMETERS OF POLYTOMOUS GEOGRAPHY ITEMS IN Senior SCHOOL Certificate Examination IN NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) ABDULSALAM-NUHU, RashidatOmotayoThe hallmark of a test instrument is its quality. Test validity is key in ascertaining the quality of tests in all school subjects and it is critical at the School Certificate Level. Geography is examined at this level and a lot of studies have been conducted to determine the item parameters of objective tests using traditional Classical Test Theory. Therefore, it has become necessary to utilize the Item Response Theory procedure for analyzing the invariance of Item Parameters of Polytomous Items in Geography at the Senior School Certificate Examination Level in Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to examine: (i) examinees’ ability estimates; (ii) item difficulty and discrimination estimates; (iii) the extent of invariance of item difficulty estimates across male and female students; and (iv) the extent of invariance of item difficulty estimates across Geography students in rural and urban areas. This study employed the descriptive survey design. The population comprised all senior secondary school students in Nigeria. The target population was all senior secondary school three (SSS3) students that offered Geography in their final examinations in 2016/2017 academic session. A sample of 1,546 drawn out of 32,499 students from 876 senior secondary schools in Nigeria was selected. A multi-stage sampling procedure involving stratified random sampling, simple random sampling and proportionate sampling technique were used to select the respondents. The research instruments were questions on Element of Practical and Physical Geography (WASSCE 2016 Geography Paper 3). The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Robust Maximum Likelihood Estimation and Bayesian Ability Estimation methods and to answer the research questions, while t-test statistics was employed for hypotheses testing. The findings of the study were that: 1. the examinees’ ability estimates in Physical Geography showed that 49.35% of the examinees had performance below average, while 50.65% of the examinees had performance above average; 2. item 2B was the most difficult with difficulty index of 62.366 (mean = 3.719) ; 3. item 1B discriminated most with discrimination index of 4.364 (mean = 0.5076); 4. five out of 23 items representing 22% of the test items showed obvious variation in the difficulty estimates of the test items across gender; 5. 14 out of 23 items were more difficult for students of urban schools (Mean = -0.11, SD = 3.754) than the students of rural schools (Mean = -1.98, SD = 4.420); 6. there was a significant invariance of item parameter estimates across male and female geography students; and 7. there was a significant invariance of item parameter estimates across rural and urban geography students. The study concluded that the items in the 2016 WASSCE Paper 3 had a large variation of item parameters based on school location (rural and urban) which implies that the test was not good for group comparison. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that examination bodies should adopt Item Response Theory to reduce measurement problems encountered in score comparison and test equating.Item AWARENESS, PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE OF GRADUATING STUDENTS OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES TOWARD CHALLENGES OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT(2018) ALAFIN, Simon BamideleGraduate unemployment is a global challenge. It began to manifest in Nigeria in the late 70’s becoming seemingly uncontrollable and posing a serious concern to all stakeholders. Most students graduate with very high expectations for a comfortable life anchored on viable and well paying jobs. But these expectations soon give way to frustrations, confusion and hopelessness when later they encounter, face-to-face the realities of the challenges of securing gainful employment. Could this be an indication that most graduating students were not anticipating these challenges? This study therefore examined the awareness, perception and attitude of graduating students of Nigerian universities toward the challenges of youth unemployment. The objectives of this study were to find out: (i) the awareness level, (ii) perception (iii) attitude of graduating students of Nigerian universities toward the challenges of youth unemployment, and (iv) the influence of gender, age, and course of study on these variables. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population of the study comprised all graduating students of universities in Nigeria, estimated at about 1.8 million. The target population was drawn from public universities comprising 40 federal and 44 state universities spread across the six geo-political zones of the country. Multistage sampling procedure involving; simple random, purposive and stratified sampling techniques were used to select a total of 1,582 respondents made up of 853 males and 750 females for the study. A researcher - developed instrument was used for the study. The instrument was content validated by five experts. The instrument was subjected to a test re-test reliability technique using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation formula which yielded a coefficient of 0.78. Percentage, t-test and Analysis of Variance statistics were used for the data analysis. The findings of the study were that: i. the respondents had high awareness level of the challenges of youth unemployment with a value of 97.5 percent; ii. the respondents’ perception of the challenges of youth unemployment was negative with a value of 94.7. percent; iii. the respondents’ attitude toward the challenges of youth unemployment was negative with a value of 87.7 percent; and iv. there was no significant difference in the awareness level, perception and attitude of respondents toward the challenges of youth unemployment on the basis of gender, age, and course of study. The study concluded that the challenges of youth unemployment were obvious to the graduating students because their perception and attitude towards the challenges were negative. There is therefore need for improvement in their perception and attitude toward the challenges. The implication is that the graduating students need counselling to change their perception and attitude toward youth unemployment. It was recommended that counselling restructuring techniques should be used to sensitise students on these challenges.Item POLICY CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND GOAL ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN SOUTH- WEST, NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) ADEWALE, SulaimonEducation policy change is intended to improve the education system. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) policy as adopted by the federal ministry of education in Nigeria is structured on three major goals believed to ameliorate economic challenges. The accomplishment of these however, depends on the effectiveness of its policy implementation strategies. This study therefore investigated policy change implementation strategies and goal achievement in technical colleges in South-west, Nigeria. The objectives were to examine: (i) the level of principals’ and teachers’ awareness of TVET policy changes; (ii) principals’ adoption of TVET policy implementation strategies as stated in policy documents;(iii) the resource availability to develop skills in technical colleges; (iv) the extent of principals’ achievement of TVET goals in technical colleges in South-west Nigeria; and (v) the relationship between policy change implementation strategies and goal achievement in technical colleges in South-west, Nigeria. The research was a correlational survey type. It adopted a multi-stage sampling technique. Stratified sampling technique was used to select state-owned technical colleges. Simple random sampling technique was then used to select four out of the six states in South-west, Nigeria. Respondents in the technical colleges were classified as administrative (principals and vice-principals) and instructional (teachers). Adopting census method, all the 21 principals, 47 vice-principals and 626 teachers were sampled. Six researcher-designed instruments were used for data collection. These were two content-validated questionnaires entitled Policy Change Implementation Strategies Questionnaire (PCISQ), Goal Achievement in TVET Questionnaire (GATVETQ) with reliability coefficients of 0.68 and 0.81 respectively; Students’ Academic Performance Inventory in NABTEB, Resource Availability Checklist (RAC), Skills Acquisition Observation Checklist (SAOC) and unstructured interview. Percentage, means and rank order were used to answer the research questions, while linear Multiple Regression Analysis and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation statistics were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. The findings of the study were that: i) principals (96 %) and teachers (98.8 %) were highly aware of policy changes in TVET; ii) principals did not fully adopt TVET policy implementation strategies as stated in the policy document (funding = 1.96; counselling = 2.19; staff capacity building = 2.47); iii) resources were available but were inadequate to train students to acquire relevant skills in most colleges (180, 47%). iv) TVET goals have not been fully achieved in technical colleges in South-west, Nigeria (manpower production =52%, entrepreneurial skills development =33%, practical skills acquisition = 62.3%); and v) there was a significant relationship between policy change implementation strategies and goal achievement in technical colleges in South-west, Nigeria (F (6,564) =25.947 p < .005, .217). The study concluded that inability to fully adopt TVET policy change implementation strategies was due to poor funding to acquire adequate training resources which was the major reason why TVET goals have not been fully achieved in technical colleges. Based on the findings, it was recommended, that principals should make efforts to reach out to the alumni, public-spirited philanthropists, Government, and Non-governmental organisations to assist in the provision of training resources for students.Item AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN GHANA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) ESHUN, PeterItem FUNCTIONAL LITERACY NEEDS AND ENRICHMENT INTERESTS OF ADOLESCENT INMATES OF BORSTAL HOMES IN NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) ABIOLA, Muhydeen OlaitanIlliteracy is one of the factors that may lead to juvenile delinquency and incarceration. When inmates with a low literacy level are freed from correctional facilities, social and economic difficulties, including future unemployment and welfare dependence are some of the challenges they are confronted with.This study attempted to seek ways of ameliorating the conditions of juvenile inmates and rehabilitate as well as re-integrate them into the mainstream.The objectives of the study were to: (i) investigate the functional literacy needs of the adolescent inmates of Borstal homes in Nigeria; (ii) analyse their literacy enrichment (reading and writing) interests; (iii) establish the influence of religion, training, ethnicity and home background on their functional literacy needs; and,(iv) ascertain the influence of these variables on their literacy enrichment interests. This study was a descriptive study of the cross-sectional survey type. The target population involved all the current adolescent inmates in all the three Borstal Institutions in Nigeria situated in Kaduna, Ilorin and Abeokuta. The sample consisted of all the 498 adolescent inmates in Kaduna (257), Ilorin (141)and Abeokuta (100) as at the time the study was carried out. The purposive sampling technique was therefore used for the selection of the sample and the locale. A researcher-designed questionnaire with reliability index of 0.95 and an oral interview schedule were used for data collection. The validity was ascertained by a group of seven arbitrators. The percentage was used for analysing the demographic data, while One-way Analysis of Variance and the t-test were used to test the hypotheses of the quantitative data which were further corroborated by context analysis of qualitative data. The findings were that: the functional literacy needs rated “very crucial” were both the cultural (x ̅=2.69) and the economic (x ̅=2.64); the literacy enrichment interests rated “very crucial” were both the quantitative enrichment reading (x ̅=2.50) and writing (x ̅=2.51); there was no significant difference in the functional literacy needs based on ethnicity, inmates’ parents’ educational background, and training; and, there was a significant difference in the enrichment interests based on religion (reading F=14.70, p<0.05; writing F=9.76, p<0.05), ethnicity (reading F=3.93, p0.009<0.05; writing F=8.87, p<0.05), inmates’ parents’ socio-economic status (reading F=7.94, p<0.05; writing F=5.56, p0.004<0.05), and training (reading t=4.80, p0.000<0.05; writing t=5.54, p0.000<0.05). Conversely, there was no significant difference in the enrichment(reading and writing) interests based on inmates’ parents’ educational background. It was concluded that all the predictor variables were significant in enhancing the re-integration of the adolescent inmates into the mainstream after discharge from the correctional institutions.The implication isthat the functional literacy needs as well as the enrichment reading and writing interests should further be explored in order to forestall an inadvertent relapse.The study recommended that the controllers of prisons should ensure that the enrichment materials that would be stocked in the institutions’ libraries and the classrooms must be those that can consolidate the identified functional literacy needs of the inmates. Parents are also to work harmoniously with the institutions in ensuring sustainable literacy development for all inmates irrespective of religious and ethnic affiliation, or home background.Item LABOUR MARKET CORE SKILLS REQUIREMENTS AND UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SOFT SKILLS COMPETENCE IN NORTH-WEST, NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) ADEDEJI, Israel OlusegunOne of the challenges facing university graduates is unemployability. This is because university graduates have generally been described as poorly-trained and are deficient in employability skills. This study investigated labour market core skills requirements and university graduate soft skills competence in North-west, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: A correlational research design was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select four states for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 306 out of 1,212 top management staff from educational, commercial, science and technology industries in the Selected States (Zamfara, Jigawa, Katsina and Kaduna). The instrument used for the study was a validated researcher-designed questionnaire with a test re-test reliability index of 0.89. Descriptive statistics of percentage and mean scores were used to analyse the demographic data of the participants and to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product-Moment Correlation statistic was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were that: i. employers of labour (in public and private sectors): required university graduates from different areas of specialisations, most especially from Science and Technology more than Education, Social Sciences and Arts (36.6%); required university graduates with 1st class honours in few cases while in most cases required graduates with 2nd class upper, 2nd class lower division and third class (30.7%); also, required university graduates with 5-9 years of work-related experiences (37.9%) than the others; ii. the soft skills competence levels of university graduates in communication, analytical and entrepreneurial skills were low with mean scores of 1.86, 1.81 and 1.71, respectively; while basic computer and interpersonal skills were moderate (mean scores = 2.18 and 2.12, respectively); and, iii. there was a significant relationship between labour market core skills requirements and universi This study concluded that university graduates soft skills competence level in North-west was low and the implication of this is that the Nigerian universities needed to focus more on developing graduates soft skills. This study recommended that more emphasis should be placed on the soft skills competence of graduates and the curricular content of every area of specialisation should be reviewed to be more activity-based in meeting the skills required by employers of labour.Item ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION, TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY AND STUDENTS’ SKILLS UTILIZATION IN PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) FASANMI, Eunice ApekeApparently, the world is presently undergoing major transformations. Entrepreneurship curriculum implementation has been identified as part of the transformational measures towards ensuring the socio-economic empowerment of the nation’s youths and her technological development. Thus, this study investigated the relationship among entrepreneurship curriculum implementation (ECI), Total Quality Management Strategy (TQMS) and Students’ Skills Utilization (SSU) in Public Senior Secondary Schools (PSSS) in South-west, Nigeria. The main objectives were to examine the: (i) level of implementation of the 34 entrepreneurship subjects in PSSS in South-west, Nigeria; (ii) level of availability of entrepreneurship infrastructural facilities; (iii) practical skills students have acquired through products and services made; (iv) relationship between availability of entrepreneurship subject instructional materials and students’ academic performance, and (v) relationship among. ECI, TQMS and SSU. The study adopted a descriptive survey of correlational type. The population comprised 13,225 participants from the 2,645 PSSS in South-west, Nigeria. The sample size was 1,690 comprising one principal, one vice-principal (Academic), one HOD (Entrepreneurship) and two entrepreneurship subject teachers from each selected 338 out of 2,645 PSSS using purposive sampling technique and Krejeie Morgan Table respectively. Three instruments: “Entrepreneurship Curriculum Implementation and Students’ Skills Utilization Checklist” (ECISSUC), “Total Quality Management Strategy Questionnaire” (TQMSQ) and “Students’ Academic Achievement Proforma” (SAAP, WAEC standardized format), were used to collect relevant data. The instruments were content validated by five experts.The reliabilities of ECISSUC and TQMSQ were established using Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC) statistics with coefficients 0.62 and 0.65, respectively. Ten research questions were raised and answered using percentages while the main and operational hypotheses were tested using Stepwise Multiple Regression and PPMC statistics at .05 alpha level. The findings of the study were that: i) the level of implementation of the 34 entrepreneurship subjects in PSSS was rated very low by participants 71.9%; ii) the level of availability of infrastructural facilities in PSSS in South-west, Nigeria was rated very low with the mean score of 1.28 below the cut off mean score of 1.50; iii) the practical skills students acquired as shown through product produced was low (39.1%); iv) a significant, low but positive relationship existed between availability of entrepreneurship subject instructional materials and students’ academic performance (r = 0.318; p < .05); and v) There was significant relationship among ECI, TQMS and SSU -- ECI & TQMS (r=0.621; p<.05), ECI and SSU (r=0.556; p<.05), TQMS and SSU (r=0.536; p<.05). The study concluded that there was a strong positive relationship among ECI, TQMS and SSU in PSSS in South-west, Nigeria. The implication of these findings is that adequate knowledge and effective utilization of TQMS would facilitate ECI for SSU in PSSS in South-west, Nigeria. It was recommended that Ministry of Education and curriculum planners should include TQMS in their various training workshops and seminars to sensitize all PSSS stakeholders on TQMS issues and make ample provisions for infrastructural facilities and instructional materials.Item FUNDING AND SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AS CORRELATES OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) SAGAYA, Abiodun AmudalatuEducation is a yardstick to measure socio-economic, cultural, skill acquisition and technological development. Secondary school education is important because it is a bridge between basic and tertiary education. Inadequate funds and poor implementation of school development programmes were factors affecting students’ academic performance in North-central Nigeria. Thus, this study therefore investigated the relationships among funding, school development programmes and secondary school students’ academic performance. The objectives were to: (i) determine the sources of funding secondary school education; (ii) investigate how the funds allocated are utilised; (iii) identify various development programmes in secondary schools; (iv) examine the level of the implementation of the school development programmes (v) examine the level of students’ academic performance; and (vi) determine the relationships that existed between funding, school development programmes and students’ academic performance in North-central Nigeria. The research was a correlational descriptive survey. The population comprised all the 1,582 secondary school principals in North-central Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select three (50%) out of the six states. The target population was 844 secondary school principals, while stratified sampling technique was used to select 196, 169 and 152 principals, respectively from the three states, making a total sample of 517 principals. Purposive sampling technique was used to select six project officers from the three states Ministry of Education. A total number of 341,425 students’ results from 2011 to 2015 were used to determine students’ academic performance. A researcher-designed questionnaire, checklist and result proforma were employed to collect relevant data. The questionnaire was validated by four experts and reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. The data collected was analysed using percentage, graph, mean ranking, multiple regression and Pearson Product-Moment correlation statistic at 0.05 level of significance. The findings were that: i. main source of funding secondary education came from the budgetary allocation of the state (98.53%); ii. fund utilised on secondary school education was 98.04% recurrent and 32.24% capital expenditure, respectively; iii. school development programmes available were Teacher Development Programme (45.3%), Student Exchange Development Programme (0.8%), Student Welfare Services Development Programme (26.8%), Infrastructural Development Programme (12.7%) and School Renovation Programme (14.4%); iv. implementation of school development programmes was moderate with the mean score of 2.67; v. students’ academic performance was average with 65.5% of the students having 5 credit passes including English Language and Mathematics; and vi. there was a positive but low significant relationship among funding, school development programmes and students’ academic performance in North-central Nigeria ( F (2,461) = 53.532, p ˂ 0.05) The study concluded among others that state budgetary allocation was the main source of funding secondary education; that fund utilized on school development programmes was below average; and that students’ academic performance was average. The implication is that, to enhance student’s academic performance, there is the need for full release of approved funds and adequate implementation of school development programmes. The study therefore recommended a full release of funds allocated to secondary school education and an effective implementation of school development programmes to enhance students’ academic performance.Item EFFECTS OF TWO COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES ON SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE IN CIVIC EDUCATION IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) BABATUNDE, Peter JimiCivic Education Curriculum for senior secondary schools as a new innovation for Citizenship Education in Nigeria emphasizes the need for the teachers to make use of strategies that would enable the students to be actively engaged in the learning situations in the classrooms. Existing literature indicated scanty empirical proof on the effectiveness of students-centered strategies on the students’ performance in Civic Education. Therefore, this study investigated the : (i) effects of Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) and Group Investigation (GI) ) cooperative learning strategies on senior school students’ performance in Civic Education; (ii) effects of STAD and GI cooperative learning strategies on senior school students performance in Civic Education based on gender; and (iii) interaction effects of STAD and GI cooperative learning strategies and gender on senior school students’ performance in Civic Education in Osun State, Nigeria. The research was a pre-test, post-test, quasi-experimental type using 3×2 factorial design, two cooperative learning strategies (STAD and GI) and conventional method were crossed with gender (male and female). STAD and GI were the treatment groups while the conventional method served as the control group. The target population comprised of all the senior school II students in Osun State, Nigeria. One hundred and twenty one SSII Civic Education students from three intact classes constituted the sample for the study. 41 students (17 males and 24 females) were in the experimental group I (STAD); 40 students (17 males and 23 females) were in the experimental group II (GI) and 40 students (27 males and 13 females) were in the control group. Civic Education Performance Test (CEPT) with the reliability coefficients of 0.87 was used to collect data. The treatments lasted for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) for the hypotheses and Scheffe Multiple Range Test to locate where there were differences. The findings of the study were that: i. there was significant effect of STAD and GI cooperative learning strategies on senior school students’ performance in Civic Education (F (3,117) = 30.545; ρ<.05, η2=.343); Scheffe Multiple Range Test showed that(STAD=27.33> GI=23.81>control=23.33); ii. there was no significant effect of STAD and GI cooperative learning strategies on senior school students performance in Civic Education based on gender; and iii. there was no significant interaction effect of STAD and GI cooperative learning strategies and gender on senior secondary school students’ performance in Civic Education. The study concluded that cooperative learning strategies (STAD and GI) are more effective in the teaching of Civic Education. It implies that there is need to employed learners-centered strategies to complement the existing teaching strategies in Civic Education and other Citizenship Education related subjects. Therefore, it was recommended that, teachers should be sensitized and encouraged to use learners-centered instructional strategies such as STAD and GI cooperative learning strategies, and that these should be emphasized in faculties of education and colleges of education in Nigeria.Item PERSONALITY TYPES, STRESS LEVELS AND COMMUNICATION STYLES AS CORRELATES OF SPOUSAL ABUSE AMONG MARRIED ADULTS IN NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) ADEBOYE, Bosede AnuSpousal abuse, divorce and unhappiness after marriages are increasing steadily among married adults in Nigeria necessitating the need for improved communication among married adults for family happiness. Therefore, the study investigated Personality Types, stress levels and communication styles as correlates of spousal abuse among married adults. The objectives of the study were to determine: (i) the personality types; (ii) stress levels; (iii) communication styles; (iv) spousal abuse index of married adults; and (v) correlation coefficient of gender and length of years in marriage with personality types of married adults in Nigeria. Descriptive design of correlation type was adopted for the study. The population was all literate married adults who are civil servants in Nigeria. Using the Research Advisor, at confidence of 95%, a total of 1,537(males and females) respondents were drawn from the six geo- political zones in Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure involving simple random, purposive and stratified sampling techniques were employed. The study employed a researcher- designed questionnaire which was content validated by experts. The reliability was determined by the use of test-retest reliability (r) that yielded 0.74 for Personality Types, 0.71 for Stress levels, 0.73 for Communication Styles, 0.76 for Spousal Abuse respectively. Percentage, Multiple Regression Analysis and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study were that: i. High percentage made up of 82.21 % of the respondents were Type A (extroversion) while 16.80 % were Type B (introversion); ii. 78.42% had high stress levels, while 3.40% had moderate stress levels and 18.1.% of the respondents had low stress levels; iii. 82.62% used appropriate communication styles while 17.41% of respondents used inappropriate communication styles; iv. 79.90% exhibited more spousal abuse in their marriage while 20.12% exhibited less spousal abuse in their marriage; v. There were significant relationships among personality types, stress levels, communication styles and spousal abuse of married adults in Nigeria; personality type had a Beta weight (β) of .229, t =3.940, p< 0.05; stress levels had a Beta weight (β) of .422 t =4.641, p<0.05 and communication styles had a Beta weight of (β) .397, t = 9.508, p < 0.05. vi. Gender and length of years in marriage had significant correlation coefficient with spousal abuse of married adults in Nigeria (r=0.365; p<0.05 and r=0.983, p<0.05) respectively. The study concluded that married adults faced the problem of spousal abuse in Nigeria that might be as a result of personality types, stress levels and communication styles. The implication of the of the study is that counsellors should sensitise the married adults on how to use positive communication skills to enhance marital stability. It was therefore recommended that married adults need counselling with the aid of Logo therapy as counselling technique to ameliorate the problems of married adults on their personality types; stress levels and communication styles in order to stem the tide of spousal abuse.Item EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF BACHELOR OF EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMME IN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, GHANA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) EFFRIM, Paul KobinaEarly Childhood Education (ECE) is a major component that provides solid foundation for basic, secondary and higher education. Well trained and professionally competent teachers are needed to achieve quality in ECE. The extent to which degree programmes in ECE equip pre-service teachers with knowledge, pedagogy and related skills need to be regularly ascertained. Therefore, this study assessed the quality of Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Programme (BEDECP) in the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. The study was designed to find out the: (i) extent of coverage of ECE objectives by BEDECP; (ii) adequacy of course contents; (iii) quality and adequacy of human resources; (iv) quality and adequacy of learning resources; (v) appropriateness of instructional methods; (vi) quality of assessment methods; and (vii) quality of graduates. The study employed convergent parallel design within the mixed methods research paradigm based on the Context, Input, Process and Product evaluation model developed by Stufflebeam. Purposive and stratified sampling techniques were used to select 1085 participants comprising 420 students, 461 graduates, 9 lecturers, 120 Primary School Head Teachers (PSHT) and 75 ECE Coordinators. Questionnaire on ECE Resources, Graduate Appraisal Scale, Lecturer Observational Scale and Focus Group Discussion Guide were used for data collection. The instruments were content-validated through expert judgement. Reliabilities of the first three instruments were respectively 0.89, 0.85 and 0.87 using test-retest method. Data collected were analysed using the mean, standard deviation and percentage statistics and narrative approach. The findings of the study were that BEDECP: adequately covered the objectives of ECE in Ghana (x ̅=16,SD=0.85); course contents were fairly adequate for achieving stated objectives by sampled stakeholders (x ̅=26.33,SD=2.25); has moderate quality human resources (x ̅=23.45,SD=5.12); human resources were not adequate for its implementation by sampled stakeholders (x ̅=15.83,SD=2.13); learning resources for attaining the intended objectives were seen as having moderate quality (x ̅=25.63,SD=7.75); learning resources were not adequate for instructional purposes (x ̅=17.68,SD=4.74); lecturers employed fairly appropriate instructional methods (x ̅=28.58,SD=6.64); assessment methods for evaluating students' learning were poor (x ̅=17.31,SD=4.41); and graduates were qualitatively moderate in terms of content knowledge, instructional delivery, communication skills and job performance but poor in assessment methods. The study concluded that the quality of BEDECP was generally moderate. However, human and learning resources were inadequate and assessment of BEDECP pre-service teachers was poorly executed. The observed inadequate input and process components of the BEDECP may lower the quality of graduates of the programme. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that resources, instructional and assessment methods be adequately improved with a view of improving the quality of graduates to effectively and efficiently implement ECE in Ghana.Item OCCUPATIONAL STRESSORS, COPING STRATEGIES AND COUNSELLING NEEDS OF PRISON OFFICERS IN NIGERIA(University of Ilorin, 2018) OTARU, Bernard MeshachThe prison setting is often dangerous and unpredictable. The nature of prison officers’ job exposes them to different stressors necessitating counselling and coping strategies. This study therefore, investigated occupational stressors, coping strategies and counselling needs of prison officers in Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to investigate: (i) occupational stressors (ii) coping strategies (iii) counselling needs of prison officers; and (iv)influence of gender, marital status, working experience and educational qualification on occupational stressors, coping strategies and counselling needs of prison officers in Nigeria. The research design adopted for this study was descriptive survey. The population of the study consisted of 23,991 prison officers in Nigeria. The target population (6350) consisted of prison officers drawn from six states, a state from each geo-political zone. Purposive and proportional sampling techniques were adopted in selecting a total sample of 1,468 prison officers across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. Occupational Stressors, Coping Strategies and Counselling Needs Questionnaire was adopted and used for the study. The instrument was content validated by five experts in the Department of Counsellor Education, University of Ilorin, Ilorin. To establish the reliability, the instrument was subjected to a test re-test reliability technique and a co-efficient of 0.87 was obtained using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation formula. Descriptive (percentages) and inferential ( t-test, and Analysis of Variance ) statistical measures were used to analyze the data collected for the study. The findings of the study were that: (i) Poor reward for hard work (X=3.40), unimproved salary (X=3.28), poor promotion opportunities (X=3.25) were major occupational stressors to prison officers in Nigeria (ii) Major coping strategies adopted by respondents include; effective planning(X=2.75), praying to God on every issue (X=2.71) and clarifying work schedule(X=2.69) (iii) The prison officers need counslling mostly in areas of periodic training(X=3.15); improved competency(X=3.15) and feeling happy(X=3.14) (iv) Gender (t=7.21;p<0.05) marital status (f(2,146)=20.75;p<0.05) and working experience (f(2,1465)=14.59;p<0.05) had significant differences on occupational stressors of respondents, in favour of male respondents; divorce/separated and those with 11-21 years of working experience (v) Marital status (f(2,1465)=16.46;p<0.05); working experience (f(2,1465)=3.12;p<0.05) and educational qualification (f(3,1464)=5.86;p<0.05) had significant differences on the coping strategies of respondents in favour of married officers; those with 11-21 years working experience and officers with SSCE (vi) Marital status (f(2,1465)=8.59;p<0.05); working experience (f(2,1465)=7.13;p<0.05) and educational qualification (f(3,1464)=14.10;p<0.05) had significant differences on the counselling needs of respondents. Married officers; those with 11-21 years working experience and officers with SSCE were responsible for the significant differences. The study concluded that the Nigerian prison officers are faced with numerous stressors, employed various coping strategies and had varying counselling needs. The implication of this is that prison officers need counselling to cope with their work stress. The study therefore recommended that counselling services be provided in all prisons in Nigeria and the prison authorities should make the working environment friendly for prison officers by providing basic occupational facilities.Item EFFECTIVENESS OF ASSERTIVENESS SKILLS TRAINING AND MODELLING IN REDUCING SOCIAL ANXIETY AMONG STUDENTS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA(University of Ilorin, 2018) ADEGOKE, Elizabeth AdunniSocial anxiety has been described as a major threat to the academic success of secondary school students in Nigeria. The less socially anxious a student is, the better is his/her performance in school. Previous studies have shown that social anxiety as a behavioural trait can be modified through counselling. This study therefore, investigated the effectiveness of assertiveness and modelling skills training in reducing social anxiety among secondary school students in Ondo State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine: (i) whether assertiveness and modelling skills training were effective in reducing social anxiety; (ii) which of the treatment packages of assertiveness or modelling skills training is more effective in reducing social anxiety; (iii) the influence of gender on participants’ level of social anxiety; and (iv) the interaction effect of the treatment groups and gender on social anxiety. The study adopted a 3 x 2 matrix of quasi-experimental type. The population for the study consisted of all secondary school students in Ondo State. Multi-stage sampling technique comprising simple random, purposive and stratified random sampling was used to select 120 students who participated in the study. There were two treatment groups of Assertiveness Skills Training and Modelling Skills Training and a control group while gender was the only moderating variable. The treatment groups were exposed to 8 weeks training sessions while the control group was exposed to some classroom activities. Social anxiety scale was adapted and used to collect data for the study. The instrument was content validated by experts and has a reliability co-efficient of 0.73.The hypotheses were analysed using Analysis of Covariance at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were that: there was a significant difference in the reduction of social anxiety of participants in the treatment groups and those in the control group (F1,116 =1599.784; p<.05); Assertiveness Skills Training was found to be less effective in reducing social anxiety (X ̅= 73.73) than Modelling Skills Training (X ̅= 69.73); there was no significant difference in the reduction of social anxiety based on gender; and there was no significant interaction effect of treatment groups and gender on the level of social anxiety reduction. The study concluded that assertiveness and modelling skills training are effective in reducing social anxiety among secondary school students but modelling skills training was more effective. This implies that issues related to social anxiety among secondary school students should be of concern to all education stakeholders. It was therefore recommended that counselling psychologists should employ assertiveness and modelling techniques in helping clients identified with social anxiety challenges.Item EFFECTS OF BLENDED LEARNING ON BIOLOGY STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA(UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, 2018) ADEOYE, Oyekemi OlubunmiContinuous increase in population of students in higher institutions of learning in Nigeria often results into overcrowded lecture rooms and laboratories, leading to poor performance of Biology students. Several strategies had been employed in previous studies to address the problem without much improvement in students’ achievement problem in Colleges of Education in Kwara State, Nigeria. There is, therefore, a need to find out if a method such as blended learning would address the problem. Moreover, there has been paucity of studies on students’ achievement in Biology using blended learning strategy. Hence, the objectives of this study were to investigate the: (i) effect of blended learning on students’ attitude towards Biology; (ii) effect of blended learning on students’ achievement in Biology; (iii) attitude of Biology students to blended learning based on gender ; (iv) attitude of Biology students to blended learning based on score level ; (v) difference in the achievement of Biology students exposed to blended learning based on gender (vi) difference in the achievement of Biology students exposed to blended learning based on score level; and (vii) interaction effect of treatment, gender and score level on attitude and achievement of Biology students. A quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select two Colleges of Education in Kwara State. The study involved (115) Biology students (experimental group = 48; control group = 67) comprising 82 females and 33 males. Attitude questionnaire, Achievement test, and an internet application, entitled, “Biology Blended Learning Package Application” were used. They were validated by two experts in Biology and four Educational Technologists. The attitude questionnaire had a reliability co-efficient of 0.83, using Cronbach alpha, while the achievement test had a reliability of 0.82, using split-half technique. Inferential statistics was used to analyze the data at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were that: i. Biology students in Colleges of Education had positive attitude towards blended learning (X =63.00 , SD=17.09); ii. there was a difference in the achievement of Biology students in the experimental and control groups in favor of those exposed to blended learning.( t (114) = 21.8, p <0.05); iii. there was no significant difference in the attitude of male and female students exposed to blended learning ; iv. there was a significant difference in the attitude of students exposed to blended learning, based on score level, in favor of medium score(F( 2, 44 ) = 1.66; p< 0.05) ; v. there was no significant difference in the achievement of male and female students exposed to blended learning; vi. there was a significant difference in the achievement of students based on score level, in favor of low score (F(2,44) = 36.39; p<0.05); and vii. there was no significant interaction effect of treatment, gender and score level on students’ attitude, and achievement. The study concludedthat Colleges of Education Biology students exposed to blended learning had a better achievement. This implies that blended learning improved the performance of Biology students. The study recommended that blended learning should be integrated into the teaching and learning of Biology in Colleges of Education.Item ANALYSIS OF SCHOOL AND NON-SCHOOL FACTORS AFFECTING CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO BASIC EDUCATION IN RURAL AREAS OF SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA(University of Ilorin, 2018) IGUDIA, Itohan HelenIn recognition of the importance of Education, countries have made commitments for her citizens to access basic education regardless of locality, by providing it free, universal and compulsory for all children of school age. Statistics have shown low access of children to basic education especially in the rural areas of Nigeria. In this study, rural areas are places with a population of at most 20,000 people; without tertiary hospital or banks, with at most one secondary school and is at least five kilometers away from urban. This study analyzed school and non-school factors affecting children’s access to basic education in rural areas of South-west, Nigeria. The purpose of the study were to determine: (i) availability, adequacy and conditions of educational resources to cater for the educational needs of pupils in rural areas; (ii) enrolment, retention and completion trends of children in Basic schools in rural areas (2011-2016); and (iii) school and non-school factors influencing enrolment, retention and completion of children in Basic schools in rural areas of South-west, Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. A multi-stage sampling procedure (involving simple random, proportional and purposive sampling techniques) was employed to select 1,688 respondents (545 Middle-basic school Head-teachers from 1,032 and 1,143 Basic-six pupils from 145,066) in rural areas of Ekiti, Osun and Oyo States. Data were collected through the administration of content-validated, researcher-designed questionnaire and facilities’ inventory with reliability indices of 0.66 and 0.68 respectively. Data collected were analysed using percentages, means and rank orders. The findings of the study were that: i. Educational resources for basic schools in rural areas were available in 300 (55%) of the sampled schools but inadequate (x̅ = 1.42) and in deplorable conditions (x̅ = 1.69); ii. There were fluctuating trends in children’s access to basic education in rural areas from 2011-2016; with enrolment trends of 62.0%, 82.0%, 71.4%, 72.2%, 72.2% and 74.1%; 11 iii. Non-school factors affecting enrolment, retention, and completion were children’s illhealth (56%), parental poor financial status (52%), engagement in farm works (58%) and hawking (67%). Fosterage (17%) did not affect enrolment, domestic chores (17%) did not affect retention and child’s age (17%) did not affect completion; and iv. School factors affecting children’s enrolment, retention and completion included distance of school to home (66%), overcrowded classrooms (57%), low quantity of teachers (75%), shortage of instructional facilities (75%) and dilapidated school buildings (63%). The study concluded that most Basic Schools in the rural areas of South-west, Nigeria were faced with non-availability and inadequacy of necessary educational resources with attendant fluctuating trends of access. These findings imply that children’s enrolment in Basic schools is inadequate and government intervention is necessary for addressing deficiencies in educational resources in rural areas. It was recommended that government and other stakeholders should adequately provide needed financial, human and material resources and show more commitment in the monitoring and supervision of rural schools to address the challenges impeding children’s access to basic education in the rural areas of South-west, Nigeria.