JOURNAL OF HUMAN KINETICS & HEALTH EDUCATION PEDAGOGY

ENHANCING MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE AMONG UNIVERSITY ATHLETES IN NIGERIA: THE ROLE OF SEX AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE COUNSELLING

Abstract

This study examined the impact of sex and culturally responsive counselling on motivation and performance among university athletes in southwest Nigeria. The aim was to develop and evaluate a counselling intervention that addresses the unique cultural and sex-specific needs of athletes, enhancing their motivation and performance. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative data. The population consisted of university athletes in southwest Nigeria. Using stratified random sampling, 200 athletes (100 males, 100 females) were selected. Instruments used were the Sports Motivation Scale (SMS) and Athlete Performance Questionnaire (APQ), validated through expert review and pilot testing (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82 and 0.85, respectively). Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention surveys and focus group discussions. The counselling intervention consisted of 8 weekly sessions, tailored to address cultural and sex-specific barriers. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and thematic analysis. Results in hypothesis one indicates that there is a statistically significant difference in motivation scores between male and female university athletes in Southwest Nigeria [t(198) = 3.21, p = 0.002]. Result in hypothesis two revealed that the interaction effect between sex and culturally responsive counselling is not statistically significant [F(1,196) = 2.00, p = 0.159). Result in hypothesis three revealed that the interaction effect between sex and culturally responsive counselling is not statistically significant [F(1,196) = 0.69, p = 0.406]. Based on findings of this study, it is recommended that sports psychologists and coaches incorporate culturally responsive counselling into athlete development programs to enhance motivation and performance, and provide training on culturally responsive approaches to support athletes from diverse backgrounds.