CAUSES, CONSEQUENCIES AND COUNSELING STRATEGIES FOR CURBING PROCASTINATION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN EBONYI NORTH EDUCATION ZONE.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes, consequences, and counseling strategies for curbing procrastination among secondary school students in Ebonyi North Education Zone, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The research design adopted for this study was descriptive survey design. Three research questions guided the study. The population comprised 67 counselors in all the public secondary schools in Ebonyi North Education Zone. Researchers designed questionnaire was used for the data collected. The instrument was validated by three experts’ one in measurement and evaluation and the remaining two from Guidance and Counseling all from the Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa. All 67 copies of the questionnaire distributed were properly filled and returned to the researchers. The data collected for the study were analyzed using Arithmetic Mean. The findings revealed that distractions, fear of failure, forgetting, trauma, poor time management, too many commitments, lack of motivation and lack of belief in one’s ability are the causes of procrastination among secondary school students. They also agreed that the consequences of procrastination are depression, poor performance in examination, discontinuation of study, lowers student’s morale, anxiety, search for short cuts and poor study habit. The counselors also revealed the strategies for curbing procrastination among students as; self-reinforcement strategies, behavioral shaping skills, cognitive behavior therapy, emotional regulation skills and sharing problems with like-minded people. The study recommended among others that the government and non-governmental organizations should organize seminars on the consequences of procrastination on academic ofstudents periodically.