CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Universities all over the world are places where learning is sought at its maximum level and it is the center for academic pursuits. It is necessary to remind ourselves of the objectives of a university because for a proper chart of the university course, it is paramount to state the mission of universities. According to Henderson (1969), re-echoed by Omoregbe (1973), universities are meant to fulfill the following functions:
To provide places for pure culture and learning for learning sake.
To conduct research and advance the boundaries of knowledge through outlet like workshops, conferences, publications, etc.
To serve as training schools for the professions.
To turn out trained leaders for every walk of life.
To act as liaison between the so-called “academic men” and the “good solid practical men” acquisition of balancing theory and practice, and
To be the custodian of intellectual freedom, safe guarding liberty and the unfettered search for truth.
These functions indicate the onerous responsibilities resting on the universities’ shoulders. For a university to attain such goals, it has to be properly equipped and focused to carry out such responsibilities.
Regrettably, Nigerian universities especially the University of Benin have fallen short of what these ideals are and they are beset by numerous problems which are affecting their proper functioning and the student in particular. These problems include:
Provision of basic infrastructural facilities such as accommodation, power, water and transportation.
Funding of university which include payment of lecturers’ salaries, allocation of part-time jobs for students and scholarship, inflation, deflation and unemployment of graduate after graduation.
Parents’ economic status, income of parents as it affects students.
According to Awe (2000), the problem of Nigerian universities as it affects undergraduate students have increased over the years with increasing enrolment and poor funding.
The Faculty of Education in the University of Benin is not left out of these inadequacies. The lack of basic infrastructural facilities and parents economic status would in turn directly affect teaching and learning for the students and this would reflect on their grade level in school. The lack of these necessities can be a source of stress to the students. For effective learning to take place, the right conditions that would be favourable to this memory needs to be set in places.
Learning and memory can be affected by stress. Although an optimal level of stress can enhance learning ability (Kaplan and Sadock, 2000), too much stress can cause physical and mental health problems (Niemo and Vainiomaki, 1999), reduce students self esteem (Lenn and Zeppa, 1984; Silver and Glicken, 1990) and may affect academic achievement.
According to high school psychology textbook, stress is a particular pattern of disturbing psychological and physiological reaction that occurs when an environment event threatens important motives and taxes one’s ability to cope.