Over-Schooling and Identity Formation in Early Childhood in Nigeria: Exploring the Roles of Guidance and Counseling in Teacher Education

This study, titled "Over-Schooling and Identity Formation in Early Childhood in Nigeria: Exploring the Roles of Guidance and Counseling in Teacher Education," investigates the impact of over-schooling on identity formation and proposes strategies to mitigate its adverse effects through guidance and counseling (G&C). Over-schooling, characterized by excessive academic workloads and societal pressures, disrupts children’s natural processes of self-exploration, cultural immersion, and socio-emotional development. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in multicultural contexts like Nigeria, where ethnic diversity, communal values, and parental aspirations shape educational practices. The research explores the perspectives of 400 Nigerian teacher educators (215 males and 185 females) using a descriptive survey design. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire titled "Teacher Educators’ Perceptions on Over-Schooling and Guidance and Counseling in Early Childhood Education (TEP-OSGCE)," with a reliability coefficient of 0.87, and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that over-schooling limits opportunities for self-exploration, weakens cultural connections, and prioritizes academic achievement at the expense of holistic development. Challenges such as large class sizes, lack of resources, and inadequate training hinder efforts to address over-schooling, while strategies like mindfulness exercises, art therapy, and flexible curricula are proposed to promote balanced learning. The novelty of this study lies in its focus on integrating G&C into teacher education programmes to empower educators to counteract over-schooling’s negative effects. Based on the findings, five specific recommendations are proposed, which include limiting standardized testing in early childhood to reduce academic pressure and create space for play and exploration.