HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AND MOTIVATIONAL DYNAMICS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA

Abstract

Help-seeking improves the functioning of young people in schools; however, no previous study was conducted to understand the help-
seeking behaviour (HSB) of young people in Northeast Nigeria. Thus, the current study addresses this omission by seeking to better understand factors that motivate young people into help-seeking; relative to learners in public secondary schools in the community of the study. To explore the phenomenon, the study employed the use of FGD technique for twenty-four student sample and in-depth interview for four teacher-counsellors and four in-school administrators with interview topics on individual experiences on help seeking; including topics on motivational factors that lead learners into seeking help. Using NVivo 10 software, participants’ data generated five emergent themes, vis-à-vis: (a) Nature of man and need to understand self; (b) Vulnerability to threats; (c) Need for problem-solving skills; (d) Counsellor characteristics; and (e) Resolving psychosocial challenges. These have been discussed elsewhere in this paper. As recommendations, the study suggests need for (teacher-)counsellors to instill trust and confidence in learners to admit the inevitability of help-seeking to humans; besides, understand differences in humans and influence of diversity on help- seeking for inclusive therapeutic work in schools.