PEER MEDIATION AND SCHOOL COUNSELLING AS STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING RELATIONSHIP SKILLS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of peer mediation and school counselling as strategies for enhancing relationship skills among secondary school students in Rivers State, Nigeria. The objectives were to examine the individual and combined effects of peer mediation and school counselling on students' conflict resolution, interpersonal communication, empathy, and cooperation, and to determine whether gender moderated these effects. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was adopted, using a quantitative approach. A sample size of 480 SS1=SSIII students selected through multi-stage sampling across the three senatorial districts of Rivers State were used. Participants were assigned into four groups: Peer Mediation (n=120), School Counselling (n=120), Combined Intervention (n=120), and Control (n=120). Data were collected using the “Relationship Skills Assessment Scale (RSAS)”, a validated and reliable instrument with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87. Interventions lasted six weeks, after which post-tests were conducted. Data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests, ANCOVA, multiple regression, and two-way ANOVA. Results revealed a significant improvement in conflict resolution skills for the peer mediation group (t(119) = -10.85, p < 0.001), and communication skills for the school counselling group (t(119) = -11.72, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that peer mediation and counselling significantly predicted empathy and cooperation (R² = 0.45, F(2, 477) = 194.56, p < 0.001). ANCOVA indicated significant group differences in relationship skills (F(3, 475) = 52.63, p < 0.001), while gender had no moderating effect (F(3, 472) = 0.87, p= 0.46). The study concluded that both interventions were effective in enhancing students’ relationship skills. It was recommended that schools should integrate peer mediation training and professional counselling services into student support frameworks.