Attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate science students towards university counselling services in selected West African countries

Counselling services are valuable for higher education students, but undergraduate science students often neglect them despite needing counselling assistance. This results in wasted resources and unaddressed counselling concerns, ultimately hindering students' academic performance. This study aimed to examine the attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate science students regarding academic counselling services in West African higher education institutions. Using a survey research method, data were gathered through open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires from university students in Ghana and Nigeria. One hundred and four undergraduate science students from two public institutions participated in the research. Responses were analysed using thematic analysis and percentage distribution. The research showed that undergraduate science students generally showed a positive attitude towards seeking academic counselling services on their campuses. Students also acknowledged the potential benefits of seeking counselling, such as enhancing academic confidence and decision-making abilities, building practical time management skills, and addressing personal, social, and emotional issues. However, their perceptions of the institutional academic counselling services were unfavourable due to several barriers that hindered their full participation in the provided institutional assistive services. It is therefore recommended that institutional administrators consider establishing informed policies and methods that address students' attitudes and views towards counselling to boost the use of counselling services among science students on West African university campuses. This can be done by cooperating with academic counsellors and addressing science students' difficulties in using these services. By doing so, students' motivation to use counselling services can be increased, leading to better outcomes.