PERCEPTION OFCOVID-19 AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT'S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY MINNA, NIGER STATE.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has raised dreadful alarm in the world which resulted to school closure in educational sector in Nigeria. The study assesses the perception of COVID-19 among undergraduate students’ academic performance in Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State. Descriptive Survey was employed in the study. Population for the study were8397 students in different schools in Bosso campus,from which a sample of 200 students were randomly selected. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The reliability of the instrument was found to be 0.81 using Cronbach Alpha.Thequestionnaire was validated by 2 senior lecturers in the department, data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean, Standard Deviation by the means of SPSS. The result of the finding showed that, students perceived that COVID-19 has influenced their academic performance with a grand mean score of 3.40, at different levels students adhered to COVID-19 protocols in the University with a grand mean score of 3.52, H01 revealed that there is no significant difference in the adherence of COVID-19 protocols between gender in the University with p value of 0.73, COVID-19 influenced students’ mode of learning with grand mean score of 3.44. H02 revealed that there is no significant difference in the adherence of COVID-19 protocols based on age grade with P value of 0.77. The following recommendations were made; Students should be given emotional support by means of motivation, education on how to manage stress, anxiety and depression. Alternative measures should be adopted by school administrators in the University to minimize physical gathering of teachers and students by considering online teaching and learning.