AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES AND COPING STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY MARRIED FEMALE STUDENTS IN GOMBE STATE UNIVERSITY, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study examined the challenges and coping strategies of married female students in Gombe State University. The objectives were to examine the challenges faced by married female students in Gombe State University, investigate how the challenges faced by married female students in Gombe State University affect them and their academic performances, find out the coping strategies adopted by married female students to overcome their academic challenges and to proffer possible solutions to the challenges faced by female married students in Gombe State University. Relevant literature was reviewed in line with the study objectives and the role strain theory was adopted to explain the phenomenon studied. The study was conducted in Gombe State University, Gombe State and both the primary and secondary data were used for the study. Also, snow balling and purposive sampling techniques were adopted to select the sample for the study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in the process of data collections which are the questionnaire and in-depth interview. A total of 166 respondents were drawn across six (6) availablefaculties in Gombe State namely: faculty of Social Sciences, Science, Arts, Education, Medicine and Pharmacy. The data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20) from which simple descriptive statistics was used. Based on the research conducted, it was found out that majority(20.5%) of the respondents said that pregnancy was a major challenge for them, and that they always lay complains to lecturers and seeking assistance from colleagues to work out assignments. An overwhelming majority of the respondents also revealed that they always feel bad whenever they miss a class, miss class assignments and presentationand that beingmarried and schooling affect their chances of good mothering. In addition, a significant majority of the respondents said they carried over some courses, complained of poor grades and spill over some coursesand suffered low self-esteem and poor health. The study also indicated majority (89.8%) of the respondents disclosed that they wake up at mid night to read their notes, wake up early to perform domestic chores and enroll their babies in daycare. Also, it was found that the respondents don’t hesitate to always communicate with their lecturers when they encounter any problem, sought their colleagues’ assistance by informing then when the lecturer is around for lectures and to also assist them with materials and tutorials to enable them meet up with academic activities.However,it was recommended that husbands and relations should support their wives in both division of domestic work and childcare to enable them effectively achieve their education with minimal problem. It is recommended that lecturers and the school authority should be sensitive and sympathetic and take it upon themselves to meaningfully guide the mothering students. The study recommends that student mothers should develop personal time tables to cater for various educational activities which include assignment writing, reading, research and writing of lecture notes for missed lectures.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Parenting is one of the most challenging jobs an individual will ever face and can be stressful at times, but also very rewarding. Becoming the parent of a child has a time of great stress and challenge and is reported to have higher amounts of physical, emotional, psychological, and financial constraints. Luzzo (2002), stated that motherhood seems to oppress women and mothering is not quite compatible with other roles women are expected to play because women‟s career motivation is much more vulnerable to competing role priorities and environmental demands which constitute serious barriers to their career aspirations. Being a mother and pursuing a degree is a present challenge for many married female students. However, they often encounter additional obstacles as they strive to complete their degrees in a timely manner. Obtaining a higher education can provide economic security and social mobility for families while unleashing a potential wealth of human capital to meet the nation‟s workforce needs (White House, 2011). By completing a post-secondary education, women in particular increase their access to higher paying jobs and healthcare for their families (Lee, 2007). In some instances, the increase in income is immediate (Rose & Hartmann, 2004). This increased social mobility extends to women of all backgrounds and races (Zhan &Pandley, 2004).

Undoubtedly, education (formal) is one of, if not the most empowerment tools for human development. It has been argued that female education is critical to achieving particularly the first five Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Clark, 2010). A number of developing countries including Nigeria have implemented various interventions, not only to enable them meet the third MDG, but also to encourage the upward education of females especially to the tertiary level through affirmative action. Notwithstanding, reproductive characteristics of females impede the quest by some to achieve their full potential in their academic life. That is, combining household chores, child-rearing with academic activities on campus become a challenge. Chabaud (2012), observed that student mothers who combined activities would obviously find it difficult to effectively combine domestic responsibilities and academic work as they become tired which drained their physical energy and affected their academic performances. Mason et al. (2009) similarly reported that female students who are parents face difficulties balancing school, family, and work life. West et al.’s (2011) quantitative study of 103 married female students in education found that “Among the challenges experienced by the students, those most commonly reported were time management issues, including balancing work and life commitments, as well as their relationships with their spouse” and this affect family relationships and that parents struggle to satisfy their children‟s care responsibilities and academic demands. Other challenges faced by married female students include stress, absenteeism, financial constraints, lack of spousal supports and inadequate time to study.

However, Ansah, Osman, Thompson &Bondah (2007) found that many student mothers develop coping strategies by engaging house-helps and planned domestic work schedules. In their study, student‟s mothers engaged the services of house-helps (paid domestic workers) to perform their family chores, also plan family work schedules to make more time for their studies. Student mothers who combined child rearing and academic work made time for both children and academic work by visiting home frequently, at weekends, when they did not have lectures in order to perform their roles. Some worked to raise income for their needs and the needs of their children when their universities are not in session. Married female students who have babies while in school depend on peer support for academic work because, lecturers often don‟t repeat what they have taught to enable them understand concepts that were taught in their absence. Some married female students continued to share accommodation with their family members and friends off campus for a greater part of their programmes and have had to attend to their childrens‟ needs before, during and after school.

Given the varied needs and challenges of married female students in relation to their academic work, emphasis also needs to be placed on issues that touch on their academic pursuits. It is against this backdrop, that the study seeks to analyse the challenges and coping strategies adopted by married female students in Gombe State University, Nigeria.

1.2 Statement of the Research Problem

Being a mother and pursuing a post-secondary degree presents challenges for many mothers. This is because the reproductive career of females coupled with their socio-cultural and economic responsibilities have the potential to impede their academic endeavours. Generally, women are noted for playing multiple roles such as being a wife, cooking, washing, pregnancy burden, child rearing and nurturing and many other domestic chores. The pressure to fulfill these roles and concentrate on academic works overwhelms some married female students often laden with a disproportionate burden of household task and caregiver responsibilities when enrolled into higher institutions. As a result, management of multiple roles is a source of stress for married female students and unsuccessfully managed stress factors may result in premature withdrawal from school.

Also, academic stress such as early attendance to lectures, inability to meet assignment deadlines, inability to prepare for test, participate in examinations, uncompromising attitudes of lecturers, unfavorable comments, inadequate funds for academic fees including purchase of books, handouts, accommodation fees, feeding, purchase of other logistics including drugs, clothing, among others has psychological effects on married female students and invariably produce poor grade which becomes a source of worry to affected married female students.

It has become an obvious fact that issue of gender seems to adversely affect women especially in education. As the women give birth, their career motivation becomes much more vulnerable to competing role priorities and environmental demands. In a study by Swanson &Tokar (1991), married female students identified childcare concerns and career sacrifices as barriers to their career aspirations. This is because the child development becomes critical for women to concentrate and it becomes worst when the child is sick. Women tend to abandon or miss classes, test and exams to take care of the child. This constitutes obstacles for many women career advancement especially when there is no support mechanism.

In addition, where married female are confronted with problems of financial difficulty, relationship problems and support networks, it affect the general life of married female students. While there are no comprehensive information on the conditions of married female students of higher institutions, perhaps, this can be attributed to the fact the educational institutions do not have a specific policy on the subject. As such UNESCO (2010) argued that countries can achieve most Millennium Development Goals if female education becomes a priority. Although Nigeria has reduced the gender gap in education over the last two decades, less emphasis has been placed on the challenges married female students face on campus.

1.3 Research Questions

This study answers the following questions:

1. What are the challenges faced by married female students in Gombe State University?
2. How do the challenges faced by married female students affect them and their academic performances in the study area?

3. What are the coping strategies employed by the married female students in State University? Gombe

4. What strategies can better help married female students in their academic work?

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to analyse the challenges and coping strategies adopted by married female students in Gombe State University, Nigeria. However, the specific objectives of the study include:

1. To examine the challenges faced by married female students in Gombe State University.
2. To investigate how the challenges faced by married female students in Gombe State University affect them and their academic performances.
3. To find out the coping strategies adopted by married female students to overcome their academic challenges in the study area.
4. To suggest strategies that can best help married female students in their academics.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge, as it disclosed the challenges facing married female students in combining academic work with marital and maternal roles and the various strategies they employ to overcome such challenges. The study is useful to married female students on the need for effective and timely family planning in other to avoid role strain and conflict with their academic and family and maternal responsibilities.

The study has policy implication in that, it will provide that basis for the federal government and university authorities to initiate policies that will ensure equity for married female students so that they can cope with the academic demands without fear of being withdrawn. The study is also relevant because it will serve as a useful resource material to future researchers on the subject matter.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study analysed the challenges and coping strategies adopted by married female students in Gombe State University, Nigeria. Therefore the geographical scope of this study covers only Gombe State University. Also, the scope of the study covered the challenges faced by undergraduate married female students, how the challenges affect their academic performance, the strategies they adopt to overcome such challenges in Gombe State University campus. Therefore, anything outside this scope was not a major concern of the study. The researcher chosed Gombe State University because it is among the fast growing universities in Nigeria and has among its objective to promote education across all human race and status.

1.7 Definition of Terms

Challenges: Something that appears new and difficult which requires great mentaland or physicaleffort in order to be done successfully.

Coping: This is an attempt to manage or deal with a stressful situation.
Coping Strategy: It is defined as „survival skills‟ available for people to deal with or manage challenges or problems associated with biological, psychological and social challenges.

Married Student: This refers to a female student who is married with or without a child.

Parenting: It is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, financial, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood.

Performance: This is simplythe accomplishment of a given task measured against preset known standards of accuracy, completeness and cost. It can also be define as the fulfillment of an obligation

Undergraduate Student: This is a student that is still undergoing a first degree programme in a university or any institution of higher learning.

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