COUNSELLING FOR DIVERSIFIED PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY BUILDING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE TEACHING/LEARNING PARADIGM

Abstract

This study investigates the role of counseling in fostering diversified productive capacity building and sustainable development within the teaching and learning paradigm at Rivers State Universities. Specifically, it examines how counseling enhances individual competencies and skills, builds psychological resilience, and facilitates adaptability and innovation among both lecturers and students. Employing a descriptive survey design, the study had a population of 75,073 lecturers and students from two Rivers State-owned universities. The research sampled 702 respondents comprising 291 lecturers and 411 students from a population of 75,073 individuals across two state-owned universities. Data were collected using the "Counselling as a Tool for Diversified Production Capacity Building and Sustaining Development from the Teaching/Learning Paradigm Questionnaire “The instrument demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.91). Analytical methods included mean scores, standard deviations, and z-test statistics at a 0.05 significance level. Findings indicate that counseling significantly enhances individual competencies and skills, with mean scores averaging 3.21, and contributes to building psychological resilience (mean = 3.14) and facilitating adaptability and innovation (mean = 3.22) among lecturers and students. All aspects assessed were rated at a "Very High Extent," surpassing the cutoff point of 3.00. Furthermore, hypotheses tested revealed no significant differences between lecturers' and students' perceptions across all three dimensions, suggesting a uniform recognition of counseling's benefits within the university community. The study concludes that counseling is instrumental in promoting personal and professional growth, psychological resilience, and innovative capabilities essential for sustainable development. It recommends the establishment of structured counseling programs, the integration of psychological resilience training, and the promotion of emotional intelligence development within university counseling services. These initiatives are vital for enhancing the overall academic environment and preparing individuals to meet the challenges of a dynamic and competitive workforce.