Abstract:
The study explored adjustment challenges, coping methods and suggested
solutions among Colleges of Education students in Eastern Region, Ghana. A 42-
item questionnaire adapted from Baker and Siryk’s Student Adaptation to College
Questionnaire (SACQ) was used with 320 respondents sampled for the study.
Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse research questions and
hypotheses. The three adjustment challenges found were worry about finances,
intellectually demanding at college than high school and difficulty of being
responsible. The study revealed that students adjusted better through study
groups, motivation from colleagues, having prior knowledge about the college,
support from family members. It was revealed that males and females do not
differ in terms of the adjustment challenges they encounter. There was no
significant difference in the coping methods used by students in Colleges of
Education in Eastern Region of Ghana based on gender. There was significant
difference among the three programmes of study. The B.Ed JHS programme
differed from the other programmes of study due to more experience of
adjustment challenges. In view of the above results, it was recommended that
government should pay allowances on time to curb students’ worry about
finances. Family members should also support their wards financially in colleges
to ameliorate the worries students go through as a result of insufficient financial
challenges. Group studies should be encouraged by tutors in the classroom/lecture
halls to help students adjust better. School authorities and tutors should focus their
attention more on ways to assist students on the B. Ed JHS programmes, to enable
them better adjust to their studies in their respective Colleges of Education.
