Description
ABSTRACT
The unabated incidence and unrelenting activities of secret cults in the Nigerian educational institutions have wrought incalculable havoc on the lives and psyche of Nigerians. This research was designed to investigate the influence of cultism activities and its effect on academic performance of secondary school students in Uyo Akwa Ibom state. The investigation was carried out based on some research questions formulated by the researcher to elicit the necessary information from the despondence. The respondents were required to give other opinion about the appropriate measures put in place to check and curtail cult activities in secondary schools in the local government area and possibly, the wide spread of cultism. In carrying out the research, questionnaires were used to gather information from respondents, which cut across secondary students in Uyo Akwa Ibom state. The data collected was tabulated and analyzed appropriately. The statistical procedure used in this research work to analyze the data collected was the simple percentage.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS PAGE
TITLE PAGE
CERTIFICATION
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Research Questions
Research Hypotheses
Significance of the Study
Delimitation of the Study
Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Overview of the Study
Cultism – A Historical Background
Cultism in Nigerian Educational Institutions: Incidence, Causes, Effects And Solutions
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Research Design
Population of the Study
Sample and Sampling Techniques
Instrumentation
Validity of the Instrument
Reliability of the Instrument
Administration of the Instrument
Method Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results
Hypotheses Testing
Discussion of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
Conclusion
Implications of the Study
Recommendations
Limitations of the Study
Suggestions for Further Study
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Cultism is a secret organization formed by students while in the school, most especially in the tertiary institution.
Molagun (2003) defined cultism as a religious group often based on immediate emotional experience rather than on a throughout ideology of most world religions Beth (1982). Advanced Oxford Dictionary defines cultism as a term coined out of the word cult, and that cultism is an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religions.
The issue of cultism has in spite of many efforts at reducing it, soared up in the Uyo Akwa Ibom state secondary schools. Cultism has cast gloom over the educational sector. It is repeatedly said that the youths are the future leaders but it is a little wonder what the future holds for the youth of this country which has a good proportion of her youth as secret cult member. It therefore became imperative to carefully redress the issue of cultism in our secondary schools where reason should rule over emotion. Undoubtedly, the issue has assumed horrifying proportion as cultic violence thrives even more.
Cultism has become one of the major problems confronting most of our secondary schools in Nigeria. It is not an over statement to say that Nigeria’s educational system is on the verge of collapse if nothing is done by the government, school authorities, students and the society in general to stop cultism in our secondary schools.
Cultism have been known to have caused many havocs in our secondary schools as members engage themselves in brutal killing of other fellow students, harassing of teachers, raping, destruction of school properties and causing violence in the school premises thus, making the school environment unconducive for learning.
The effects of secret cults in schools are numerous. Such cult had newer dimension to the educational problems we already have. The rate at which cults are causing disruptions in the smooth running of various environment of learning is assuming an alarming proportion. To help us appreciate the negative effects of cults in our secondary schools, we examine a well documented newspaper report and other eye witness accounts as recorded in Olaoye (1996), five occult members were shot dead by members of rival secret cult at the university of Benin, one was shot dead while thirty got drowned in an attempt to escape arrest at the University of Calabar. More so, four were shot dead at the University of Ibadan.
Musgrave (1996) has emphasized that the claims which schools make concerning their impact upon children characters are probably both extravagant and unfounded that they are in general of negligible influence. The real prime and lasting influence is in home and if there is a deprivation here (i.e. materially, mentally or spiritually there will be some form of deprivation in the personality of the child Bowlby (1995) described that observation of several deprived children demonstrated that their conscience and potentialities were not developed. The family moulds the personality of a child throughout his school life. The question now arises, what are the factors responsible for the causes of cultism in our secondary schools and how has cultism influence the students in our secondary schools?
People differ in their opinions some blame the cause on the parents while some blame the cause on school authorities while others are of the views that the students themselves and even the government are not helping matters as regards the issue of cultism in our secondary schools.
Our assumption in this study therefore are many factors, on why students join cultism such as students socio-economics background, search for self-image or self-esteem and student desire to belong. It is also assumed that inferiority complex on the part of the students has a lot to do with cultism in tertiary institutions. It is assumed also that the influence of home environment, peer group pressures and many other factors are all contributory factors that cause cultism in our secondary schools, now that the research is out to find out the influence of cultism on students academic performance in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. It is assumed that at the end, the result of this study will bring awareness not only to the school authorities and the parent but to the population at large, thereby giving enlightenment on how influence of cultism on students’ academic performance in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State can be curbed in our secondary schools.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
It is often said that education is the greatest legacy any parent can bestow on his child. We all know that youth of today are the future leaders of tomorrow. If this being the case, there is need for youths to be properly guided and adequately educated to desist from cultism in Secondary schools for them to be responsible leaders and citizens of Nigeria. Cultic activities could disturb serious academic programme, because of its fear and terror, there is need to find out why students joint it and its effect on the academic performance of its members, thus, the problem of the study.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of cultism on students’ academic performance in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. It also sought to find out if:
- There is any difference in the influence of cultism on the male and female students’ performance.
- There is any difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of young and old students.
- There is any difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of Christian and Muslim students.
- There is any difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of students from literate and illiterate parents.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research question guided the study:
- Is there any difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of male and female students?
- Is there any difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of young and adolescents?
- Is there any difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of Christian and Muslim students?
- Is there any difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of students from literate and illiterate parents?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses were tested in the study.
Ho: There is no significant difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of male and female students.
H1: There is a significant difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of male and female students.
H0 : There is no significant difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of young and old students.
H2: There is a significant difference in the influence of cultism on the academic performance of young and old students.
H0: There is no significant difference on the influence of cultism on the academic performance of Christian and Muslim students.
H3: There is significant difference on the influence of cultism on the academic performance of Christian and Muslim students.
H0: There is no significant difference on the influence of cultism in the academic performance of students from literate and illiterate parents.
H4: There is significant difference on the influence of cultism in the academic performance of students from literate and illiterate parents.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The result of this study will help to fore-see what is likely to happen to our academic performance in future if cultism is not put in control. It would also help to findout the other contributory factors that lead students to cultism in academic performances.
The study will enlighten the parents, the school authorities and the society at large about those factors that cause cultism and its impact. The research also offers a food for thought for the government, educationists, journalists and suggestion for improvement.
Further still, the research could serve as spring board for other investigations.
1.6 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study investigated the influence of cultism on the academic performance of students in Uyo. It involves all selected students in the selected schools. It is however limited to the only students responded to the items of the questionnaire.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
From the oxford advance learner’s dictionary the following terms were briefly defined as it was stated in the passages
Plaging: it means an action done deliberately for no good reason
Exasperation: it means getting extremely annoyed or irritated of solution that one can do nothing to improve
Incessant closure: it means to process of closing or an act of continuing without stopping
Curb the Menace: it means to restrain word of threatening or action
Canker worm: it means contemptible evil or dangerous influence that spreads and affects the human behaviors
Confession: Admitting that are is guilty of a crime.
Cult: Refers to a small group of people who have extreme religious belief and who are not parts of any established religion. It is also define as associations whose existence, membership, purpose or ritual is not revealed to non-members. Macbel (2003).
Curb: To control or limit.
Frustrated: Refers to someone being annoyed and impatience because such a person cannot achieve what he wanted.
Impart: Refers to the power to affect somebody’s actions, character or belief especially by providing and example for them to follow and winning their admiration or making them afraid to disagree.
Inferiority complex: Feeling less important, less clever or less admired than other people.
Intimidate: To frighten or threaten to compel a person to do things against his/her will.
Peer group: Refers to group of people of approximately the same age or status.
Rape: To force someone to have sex when such a person is not interested.
Social: Refers to the organization and relationship between people and communities.
1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), statement of problem, objectives of the study, research question, significance or the study, research methodology, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlight the theoretical framework on which the study its based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion and also recommendations made of the study.
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