Influence of Motivational Counselling on Academic Persistence Among Undergraduate Students of Kebbi State University of Science and Technology

Academic persistence is a key determinant of student success and graduation completion rates in Nigerian universities, and motivational counselling has been proposed as an effective mechanism for supporting at-risk students. This study examined the influence of motivational counselling on academic persistence among undergraduate students at Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, North West Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was employed, with 70 undergraduates identified as academically at-risk randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight weeks of individualised motivational counselling incorporating goal-setting, self-efficacy enhancement, and academic planning components. The Academic Persistence Scale was administered at pre-test and post-test stages. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance. Findings showed a statistically significant improvement in academic persistence scores among students in the experimental group. Improvements were particularly notable on subscales measuring academic goal commitment and self-regulation. The study concluded that motivational counselling is a contextually relevant and effective intervention for supporting at-risk undergraduates in Kebbi State. Recommendations included the institutionalisation of motivational counselling programmes in university student support services and the development of counsellor training modules focused on academic retention strategies. Keywords: motivational counselling, academic persistence, undergraduates, Kebbi State, student retention.