STUDENT-MOTHERS' DIFFICULTIES AT WINNEBA-CAMPUS UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION - GHANA

Author Name: 1. Amos Amuribadek Adangabe, 2. Cecilia Anane, 3. Daniel Inkoom

Volume/Issue: 01/12

Country: Ghana

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: http://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/05.2021-84525816/UIJIR

Affiliation:

¹PhD Fellow and Tutor Department of Education -Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education, Box 71- Wa, Ghana- West Africa

²PhD Fellow and Tutor Department of Education – St. Joseph’s College of Education, P. O. Box 15 – Bechem

³PhD Fellow and Tutor Department of Education – Berekum College of Education Box 74, Berekum – Bono Region, Ghana

ABSTRACT

This research work explored the challenges and perceived support (needs) of student-mothers as they undertake motherhood and studentship concurrently at the University of Education, Winneba campus of Ghana. The study is a qualitative piece that employed the case study design. Twenty student-mothers between the ages 26 – 40 with at least a child aged five years or below staying with them full time on campus were interviewed. The student-mothers were selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The researchers employed an unstructured interview to gather data for the research. The study results revealed that student-mothers experience a myriad of social, academic, psychological, and financial challenges. Student-mothers stand a higher risk of experiencing stress. Student-mothers sacrifice their pleasures to fulfil their dual responsibilities—student-mothers experience role conflict as they perform their mothering responsibilities and study concurrently.

Key words: Coping Strategy, Motivation, Student-mothers