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Effect of Academic Counselling on Students’ Study Behaviour in Accounting Education in Nigerian Polytechnics

Abstract

Academic counselling is an important student-support service that can help learners identify academic challenges, develop effective study strategies, manage their time, set realistic academic goals, and improve their engagement with learning activities. In Accounting Education, where students are required to develop both theoretical knowledge and practical accounting competencies, appropriate academic guidance may contribute to more effective study habits and improved academic engagement. However, some students in Nigerian polytechnics may experience difficulties with study planning, time management, concentration, note-taking, assignment completion, examination preparation, and the organization of their academic activities. Academic counselling provides an avenue through which students can receive individualized guidance, academic information, goal-setting support, study-skills training, and continuous encouragement. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of Academic Counselling on students’ study behaviour in Accounting Education in Nigerian polytechnics. The study will be anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, Self-Regulated Learning Theory, and Humanistic Learning Theory. Social Cognitive Theory explains how students’ study behaviour may be influenced by self-efficacy, observational learning, feedback, reinforcement, and interaction with their academic environment. Self-Regulated Learning Theory emphasizes students’ ability to plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate their learning activities. Humanistic Learning Theory focuses on students’ personal development, motivation, individual needs, and supportive learning relationships. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how Academic Counselling may influence students’ study behaviour. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. The population will comprise Accounting Education students enrolled in selected Nigerian polytechnics. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, polytechnics, departments, levels of study, classes, and eligible students. Academic Counselling will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of counselling sessions, individual academic counselling, group counselling, academic goal-setting guidance, study-skills guidance, time-management guidance, examination-preparation guidance, assignment-management guidance, course-selection guidance, academic progress monitoring, academic feedback, academic mentoring, referral for additional academic support, and follow-up counselling. Students’ study behaviour will be assessed using indicators such as regular study schedules, time spent studying, consistency of study routines, punctuality in attending classes, lecture attendance, concentration during learning, note-taking practices, revision habits, assignment completion, participation in practical activities, use of textbooks and learning resources, use of library resources, use of digital learning resources, preparation for tests and examinations, review of previous lessons, independent study, group study, academic planning, goal setting, time management, avoidance of procrastination, management of distractions, submission of assignments on time, seeking academic assistance, self-monitoring, self-evaluation, learning motivation, and overall study discipline. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, academic counselling records, study-behaviour rating scales, academic engagement records, class attendance records, assignment records, and relevant institutional documents. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students’ demographic and academic characteristics, exposure to academic counselling, and study-behaviour patterns. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of Academic Counselling on students’ study behaviour. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, study-behaviour scores before and after exposure to academic counselling may be compared with those of a comparison group receiving conventional academic support to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that Academic Counselling has a significant positive effect on students’ study behaviour in Accounting Education in Nigerian polytechnics. Students who participate in structured academic counselling are expected to demonstrate more consistent and effective study behaviours than students without comparable counselling support. Academic goal-setting guidance may help students establish clear and achievable learning objectives. Study-skills guidance may improve students’ approaches to reading, revision, note-taking, and independent learning. Time-management counselling may help students organize study periods and balance academic responsibilities. Examination-preparation guidance may improve students’ planning and preparation for tests and examinations. Assignment-management guidance may encourage timely completion and submission of academic tasks. Academic progress monitoring may help students identify weaknesses and take corrective action. Feedback and follow-up counselling may encourage students to monitor their academic progress and maintain productive study routines. Counselling may also encourage students to reduce procrastination, manage distractions, seek academic assistance when necessary, and develop greater responsibility for their learning. However, the effectiveness of Academic Counselling may be constrained by inadequate counselling personnel, high student-to-counsellor ratios, limited counselling facilities, insufficient counselling time, low student participation, stigma associated with seeking academic assistance, inadequate follow-up mechanisms, limited awareness of available counselling services, poor institutional support, and competing academic or personal demands. The study therefore expects accessible, structured, confidential, student-centred, and continuous Academic Counselling to contribute significantly to improved study behaviour among Accounting Education students in Nigerian polytechnics. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on Academic Counselling, study behaviour, accounting education, student support services, academic guidance, self-regulated learning, study habits, academic engagement, time management, examination preparation, assignment management, academic motivation, learning discipline, student development, and higher education in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the National Board for Technical Education, polytechnic administrators, Accounting Education departments, academic counsellors, lecturers, student-affairs units, curriculum developers, educational psychologists, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving students’ academic behaviours. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening academic counselling services in Nigerian polytechnics, increasing students’ awareness and utilization of counselling services, integrating study-skills guidance into Accounting Education programmes, improving academic goal-setting support, strengthening time-management and examination-preparation guidance, establishing effective academic progress monitoring and follow-up systems, improving counsellor availability, and developing student-centred academic support programmes for Accounting Education students.

Keywords: Academic Counselling, study behaviour, study habits, academic guidance, Accounting Education, academic support, self-regulated learning, time management, examination preparation, academic engagement, Nigerian polytechnics, students, Nigeria.