Adaptability Challenges of Students Resettled in New Shelters in Post-Boko Haram Attacks on Educational Facilities in Gulani Local Government Area, Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the adaptability challenges of students resettled in new shelters following Boko Haram attacks on educational facilities in Gulani Local Government Area, Yobe State, Nigeria. Anchored on Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the study adopted a descriptive survey design guided by two objectives: to examine the adaptability challenges experienced by resettled students, and to determine the psychological effects of displacement on their learning. From a population of 500 resettled students, a sample of 150 was selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a validated structured instrument, the Adaptability Challenges of Resettled Students Questionnaire (ACRSQ), and analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, and mean scores. Findings showed that resettled students experienced considerable adaptability challenges, particularly fear and insecurity, difficulty adjusting to new schools, separation from family, and emotional stress (grand mean = 3.37). Displacement also had significant psychological effects, including fear of future attacks, poor concentration, anxiety, and depression (grand mean = 3.36). The study concludes that resettled students require sustained psychosocial and academic support to adapt successfully, and recommends the provision of adequate educational facilities, trauma-informed teacher training, professional counselling services, and continued humanitarian assistance in resettlement communities.