Influence of social support on psychological wellbeing on academic performance among colleges of education students in Anambra state

Abstract

This study examined the Influence of social support on the psychological wellbeing on academic performance among colleges of education students. Specifically, the study determined the social support available among students of colleges of education in Anambra State, examine if psychological wellbeing can affect academic performance of students, examine if social support can affect academic performance of students in Colleges of education in Anambra State. Three research questions were answered. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study comprised of one hundred and sixty (160) third year students in the two Colleges of Education in Anambra State. Questionnaire was used for data collection and the instrument was validated by three experts, the data were collected and analyzed using mean scores. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made among others that, since social support significantly affects psychological wellbeing, colleges of education should establish student support programs such as peer mentoring, group counseling, and social engagement activities to strengthen students' social networks and improve their psychological wellbeing. As parents support was found to be a strong factor of social support and psychological wellbeing towards academic performance, parents and guardians should be encouraged to maintain open communication and provide emotional and financial support. Schools can facilitate parent-student engagement programs to reinforce the importance of family involvement in students’ wellbeing. Conversely, the negative influence of social support on students reduced their psychological wellbeing.