DIGITAL TOOLS AND THE MODERNIZATION OF COUNSELLING PRACTICES IN THE NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL SECTOR
Keywords:
Counselling Practices, Digital Tools, Nigerian Educational Sector, Modernizing Counselling PracticesAbstract
Counselling services are essential to the Nigerian educational system, supporting students’ academic, emotional, social, and career development, yet traditional face-to-face models have struggled to meet growing demands amid rapid digital transformation. This study examines the role of digital tools in modernizing counselling practices within Nigeria’s educational sector, exploring how they can enhance service delivery, the barriers to their adoption, and their alignment with national development goals. Grounded in Davis’s Technology Acceptance Model, the study adopts a qualitative approach, drawing on document analysis and a review of peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and institutional reports. Digital tools, such as tele‑counselling platforms, mobile applications, electronic record systems, and AI-driven chatbots, offer significant potential to expand access, improve efficiency, and increase student engagement. However, adoption is constrained by infrastructural deficits, unstable power supply, limited digital literacy among counsellors, and the absence of clear ethical guidelines. Perceived usefulness and ease of use, as framed by the Technology Acceptance Model, are critical determinants of counsellors’ willingness to integrate these technologies. Strategic investment in ICT infrastructure, continuous professional development for counsellors, and the formal integration of digital counselling into educational policies are essential. These measures will enable counselling services to become more proactive, data-driven, and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3 and 4) and Nigeria’s national education objectives.
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