EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENT FOR CHANGE IN PERSONALITY AND ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATION RESEARCH GROUP
In Nigeria, there appears to be a general indolent behaviour depicting low motivation and achievement behaviour manifest of some kind of entitlement or agentic mentality. Many a Nigerian tends to believe that life owes them a fair share. Therefore they need not strive or stretch their potential in order to achieve excellence in doing the needful in whatever they do for a living. The mentality is characterized by low aim in life, apparent circumscribed life chances and an unexplained glass ceiling effect on the potential of many Nigerians.
It seems that the drive behind what people do is more agentic than a striving for excellence. Even among the academia many fall short of their achievement destination and show case low level output and a seemingly resigned attitude to life. In virtually all realms and spheres of life (economic, educational, industrial and political) in Nigeria, there are complaints of people who ought to lead, cutting corners, cheating, encouraging crime and other corruption and indolence, looting public property, showing apathy and nonchalant attitude to work and life generally. The question is: why is it that significant percentage of Nigerians, including the elite bother less about individual and collective excellence at work place and home, in domestic and public matters? Why is it that the economy appears to be unable to support development initiatives and not many bother much or seem to have solution to it?
There appears to be some general socio-psychological impediments, cultural artefacts and group belief systems that create through acculturation and socialization circumscribed mentality to life chances of the average Nigerian. This hypothesis needs to be tested through field research on notable victims of the prevailing culture of indolence manifest in all spheres of life in Nigeria. Such victims include persons trapped in crime, jail birds, school drop outs who end up as artisans of sorts, low achieving in-school adolescents, retirees of public and private sectors who generally want a second chance in life and the emergent internally displaced persons (IDP) (school children and adults). A need-focused educational engagement intervention package based on cognitive behavioural couching directed at faulty thinking, faulty beliefs, faulty cognitions and agentic/entitlement schema about life chances and accomplishments will be developed to address and change the personality core and achievement orientations of the at risk.
This research thrust based on Albert Ellis’ theoretical paradigm of cognitive restructuring has been effectively used in clinical and educational settings to change the mind sets of people whose behaviours are controlled by psychological malady, called faulty thinking habit. It is hoped that this research group will be able to use this theoretical paradigm to change emerging faulty personality and poor achievement orientation of the at risk, namely recidivist inmates in prisons in Nigeria, school drop outs who have ended up as artisans of sorts including commercial motor cyclists (alias, okada riders), identified low achieving in-school adolescents, retirees of public and private sectors who find ageing as a monster to be avoided and internally displaced persons who suffer from post traumatic syndrome.
Objectives:
It seems that the drive behind what people do is more agentic than a striving for excellence. Even among the academia many fall short of their achievement destination and show case low level output and a seemingly resigned attitude to life. In virtually all realms and spheres of life (economic, educational, industrial and political) in Nigeria, there are complaints of people who ought to lead, cutting corners, cheating, encouraging crime and other corruption and indolence, looting public property, showing apathy and nonchalant attitude to work and life generally. The question is: why is it that significant percentage of Nigerians, including the elite bother less about individual and collective excellence at work place and home, in domestic and public matters? Why is it that the economy appears to be unable to support development initiatives and not many bother much or seem to have solution to it?
There appears to be some general socio-psychological impediments, cultural artefacts and group belief systems that create through acculturation and socialization circumscribed mentality to life chances of the average Nigerian. This hypothesis needs to be tested through field research on notable victims of the prevailing culture of indolence manifest in all spheres of life in Nigeria. Such victims include persons trapped in crime, jail birds, school drop outs who end up as artisans of sorts, low achieving in-school adolescents, retirees of public and private sectors who generally want a second chance in life and the emergent internally displaced persons (IDP) (school children and adults). A need-focused educational engagement intervention package based on cognitive behavioural couching directed at faulty thinking, faulty beliefs, faulty cognitions and agentic/entitlement schema about life chances and accomplishments will be developed to address and change the personality core and achievement orientations of the at risk.
This research thrust based on Albert Ellis’ theoretical paradigm of cognitive restructuring has been effectively used in clinical and educational settings to change the mind sets of people whose behaviours are controlled by psychological malady, called faulty thinking habit. It is hoped that this research group will be able to use this theoretical paradigm to change emerging faulty personality and poor achievement orientation of the at risk, namely recidivist inmates in prisons in Nigeria, school drop outs who have ended up as artisans of sorts including commercial motor cyclists (alias, okada riders), identified low achieving in-school adolescents, retirees of public and private sectors who find ageing as a monster to be avoided and internally displaced persons who suffer from post traumatic syndrome.
Objectives:
Generally, the research group intends to achieve the following general objectives:
i. To refocus education for entrepreneurial based learning for human capital development
ii. To increase individuals’ access to personality change and educational enhancement programmes
iii. To apply evidence-based therapies to improve work orientation and personality of individuals in Nigeria.
Members:
1. *Ngwoke, Dominic Ugwoke (Ph.D)
Educational Psychologist
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (08036571502)
i. To refocus education for entrepreneurial based learning for human capital development
ii. To increase individuals’ access to personality change and educational enhancement programmes
iii. To apply evidence-based therapies to improve work orientation and personality of individuals in Nigeria.
Members:
1. *Ngwoke, Dominic Ugwoke (Ph.D)
Educational Psychologist
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (08036571502)
2. Ugwu, Gloria Chikasiemobi (Ph.D)
Childhood Educator
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Gloria.ugwu@unn.edu.ng (08034297127)
3. Ngwoke, Anthonia Nwakaego (Ph.D)
Childhood Educator
Registrar’s Department
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
anthonia.ngwoke@unn.edu..ng (08063291605)
Childhood Educator
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Gloria.ugwu@unn.edu.ng (08034297127)
3. Ngwoke, Anthonia Nwakaego (Ph.D)
Childhood Educator
Registrar’s Department
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
anthonia.ngwoke@unn.edu..ng (08063291605)
4. Obikwelu, Chizoba Lauretta (M.Ed)
Educational Psychologist
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
chizoba.obikwelu@unn.edu.ng (08034333948)
Educational Psychologist
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
chizoba.obikwelu@unn.edu.ng (08034333948)
5. Oyeoku, Eke Kalu (Ph.D)
Sociologist in Education
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
eke.oyeoku@unn.edu.ng (08037792953)
Sociologist in Education
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
eke.oyeoku@unn.edu.ng (08037792953)
6. Obetta, Kenneth Chukwuemeka (Ph.D)
Community Development
Department of Adult Education and Extra-Mural studies
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
chukwuemeka.obetta@unn.edu.ng (08037764740)
Community Development
Department of Adult Education and Extra-Mural studies
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
chukwuemeka.obetta@unn.edu.ng (08037764740)
7. Ikechukwu-Ilomuanya, Amaka Bridget (Ph.D)
Guidance Counsellor
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
amaka.ikechukwu-ilomuanya@unn.edu.ng (08068934700)
Guidance Counsellor
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
amaka.ikechukwu-ilomuanya@unn.edu.ng (08068934700)
8. Eseadi, Chiedu (B.Ed)
Guidance Counsellor
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
chiedu.eseadi@unn.edu.ng (08137258914)
9. Ngwuchukwu, Margeret N. (Ph.D)
Children and youth Librarianship
Department of Library and Information Science
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
margeret.ngwuchukwu@unn.edu.ng (07064614802)
Guidance Counsellor
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
chiedu.eseadi@unn.edu.ng (08137258914)
9. Ngwuchukwu, Margeret N. (Ph.D)
Children and youth Librarianship
Department of Library and Information Science
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
margeret.ngwuchukwu@unn.edu.ng (07064614802)
10. Ugwuozor, Felix (Ph.D)
Philosophy of Education
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
felix.ugwuozor@unn.edu.ng (08067479873)
Philosophy of Education
Department of Educational Foundation,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
felix.ugwuozor@unn.edu.ng (08067479873)
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