Experiential Skills and Benefits of Counselling Practicum among Undergraduates in State Universities in South–South Nigeria

Abstract

Security challenges not only affect the development of the country, but also affect the quality assurance of pre-primary and primary education which are the basis for the rest of education to survive. Therefore, this paper examined the experiential skills acquired and the benefits derived from counselling practicum among undergraduates in State Universities in South–South Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 267 year four counselling undergraduates undergoing practicum in three State Universities in South–South Nigeria, from which a sample of 220 students was drawn using the census sampling technique. Two research questions were raised to guide the study. Data were collected using a self-structured questionnaire titled “Experiential Skills and Benefits of Counselling Practicum Questionnaire (ESBCPQ),” rated on a scale ranging from Very High Extent to Very Low Extent. The internal consistency of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, bar chart, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that counselling undergraduates acquired a high level of core experiential skills during practicum, including empathy, active listening, questioning, communication, and client engagement skills. The results also showed that practicum experiences provided substantial benefits to students, such as improved self-efficacy, professional identity development, increased confidence, emotional intelligence, and preparedness for real-world counselling practice. Based on these findings, the study recommended that universities strengthen practicum structures and supervision to further enhance students’ experiential learning and professional development.