CHAPTER
ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Adedoyin in (2012) defined and observed
moral decadence as extreme delinquent, disorderly, irregularity, destructive
unjust and non-conforming behaviors characteristics of stratified people or
individuals which continues to spread intra and inter-institutions campuses.
Those problem reduce the value of education and destroy the human capacity for
leadership and good citizenship its lowers the academic integrity of the
institutions and destroy peace, security progress and real development of the
society, collectively, indiscipline lead to anti-human behaviors that have
failed all tests of decency and civilized living conditions.
Different societies have their own
moral values which are considered normal, ideal and morally acceptable. Hence,
the conduct of the people of a society is regulated and controlled by the moral
values. The tendency and ability to identity what is right instead of the wrong
ones and as well practice it, give it the moral virtue. According to Aristotle,
moral virtue is the habit that is consciously acquired through practice. Thus,
good moral conduct had been emphasized and echoed in the society right from the
era of Socrates to Plato and through the Aristotelian philosophy. Perhaps, that
makes Fredrick Herbert to say that the aim and indeed the total aim of
education should be summed up under morality. Within the context of education
therefore, public holds the schools and the teachers more accountable for
students’ learning and behaviors.
Students’ indiscipline is global
phenomenon. It permeates all educational set- ups. Statistics of student
indiscipline is abound across all educational institutions globally. For
instance, in the United States as reported by Larson (2008), the National Center
for Educational Statistics reveals that in 2006, thirty six (36) percent of
students in grade 9-12 reported that they had been in a physical fight within
the last year. The reports add that, four percent (4%) of inner city teachers
and three percent (3%) of suburban and rural school teachers were physically
assaulted by students. According to Kuntz (2000), day after day primary and
secondary school teachers both private and state school are confronted with
examples of bad behaviors- destruction of school equipment and furniture,
pupils lack of respect for each other or for adults which impede normal school
routine.
In Ghana, Danso (2010), lamented over
the high rate of indiscipline and lawlessness in educational institutions. He
observed that not a day passes without a report of an act of indiscipline
perpetrated by teenager of primary and secondary schools. He lamented over the
causes of drug abuse, rape, armed robbery, and even murder in the educational
institutions. According to him, meaningful teaching and learning geared towards
the attainment of school goals is unattainable if teachers and students are not
discipline Despite the efforts by stakeholders to curb the situation, recent
trends depict rising rate of incidence of violence and deviate behavior among a
section of students in public school, thereby creating a feeling of insecurity
among teachers and students alike. The declining rate of discipline in many
schools has contributed to the erosion of high academic attainments,
demoralized teaching staff and has brought sorrow and disappointment to many
parents (Frimpong 2008). Morongwa (2010) observed three type of misbehaviors
which are regarded as disciplinary problems for the educator in the classroom
;misbehavior that inhabit learner’s own learning, misbehavior by one learner
which is destructive to the learning of another and misbehaviors which is
disrespectful, deviate or abusive to the educator. He added that this
misbehavior can be committed intentionally or unintentionally. Chukwuka (2013),
students were not born with the problem of indiscipline, they did not inherit
it from anybody, neither is it genetic. Everybody is born pure without spots or
wrinkles. Children become hard when they start socializing with their peer
groups. Hence the home and environment of the school may influence them. The
system of our education centered on the child and what the child will become in
the community. So the home, the school and the community must join hands and
interact with the child in such a manner that they should inculcate discipline
in children. The causes of student’s indiscipline are varied and many. However
they can be classify into three main factors, namely; the bad home factor, poor
school administration and the pervading bad influence in a corrupt society.
(Information Nigeria, 2013) According to Amado &Freire(2009) the causes of
student’s indiscipline can be distinguished among others, those related to
student’s idiosyncrasies, his or her family context, external influences and of
social, economic, cultural, generational nature etc, those related to
personality and professionalism of teachers, and those associated with the
school as an organization or the educational system as a whole.
Students in Nigerian higher
institutions engage in moral misconduct ranging from robbery, cheating,
cultism, forgery; corruption, fraud, indecent dressing and disrespect to
constituted authority. It is in this regard that this research looks into the
moral misconduct among students of higher institutions in Nigeria.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The research that induces the reason to
embark upon writing this project is that modernization and the western
technology which are encroaching into the youths which they consider as
civilization.
If left unchecked, such force will
erode completely. The cherish values and customs of the youth will make it
parts and force of their life, especially in the learning strategies. Some
youths feels proud to be recognized, because their mode of dressing and order
activities that where adopted, had conformed them with western values, such
values involves mal-adjusted behavior like, cultism, smoking, prostitution,
examination mal-practices drug abuse alcoholism stealing etc.
Something effective must be done to
improve the condition of Nigeria youths. The youth situation can be described
as one of the worst in the world. There is an urgent need to instill in youths,
not only in knowledge and skills but also in motivation and values, to enhance
their physical and mental health. Homes, schools, health care institution,
community groups peer groups and the media must to more in the realm of health
promotion, emphasizing health education building life skills and enhancing
knowledge of human psychological system, so that youths can have good
intrapersonal and interpersonal behaviors and through understanding of the
state of their health so that they can avoid risking behaviors.
Laxity on the part of parents: in the
sense that when they see their wards at home during school hours, they fail to
send them back to school. Also school administration and teachers fail to be
strict on student with regard to obeying school rules and regulations. When
students’ releases that school administration and teachers are not strict on
school rules and regulations, they turn to display all manners of indiscipline
acts. Dialogue is very important for smooth and effective running of any
institution. Students are given rules and regulation, if in one way or the
other these rules and regulations are not adhered to and there is no dialogue
between teachers and students, the consequences would be indiscipline acts.
Issues of indiscipline has translated into poor academic performance as
teachers spend more time in controlling indiscipline students behavior, reducing
teaching contact hours.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of this study is to
find out the factors that influence moral decadence among the tertiary
institution students and the effect it has on their performance in school,
specifically the objective of this study is:
1. To find out the causes of moral
decadence among students of higher institution
2. To discover if there is any
relationship between moral decadence and poor performance of students in school
3. To discover strategies that can be used
to curb moral decadence and restore morality and good moral conduct among the
students of higher institutions
1.4
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions guides
the researcher to achieve the objectives of this study:
1. What are the causes of moral misconduct
among the students of higher institutions?
2. Is there any relationship between moral
decadence and poor performance of students in school?
3. What strategies can be used to stop
moral decadence and restore morality and good moral conduct among the students
of higher institutions?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Conducting research into the influence
and effect of moral decadence is an important exercise for both academicians
and policy makers. Learning cannot take place in an environment of chaos. The findings
of the study will assist academicians, policy maker, administrators and
teachers to know the causes of student indiscipline and therefore be in a
better place to create conducive environment devoid of high level of student
immorality. The finding will also assist the government to identify the
weaknesses of the existing strategies and also lead to the development of new
strategies for addressing moral decadence in school. Also, the study will
enlighten parents on the need to train their children at home so that they can
be good mannered and behave well at school, the community and the society as a
whole. It will result in the community producing acceptable members of the
society who aren’t threats to social stability and peace. That why the saying goes,’
charity begins at home’. The study will also contribute to existing literature
and stimulate further research on the topic and guide further research work.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study initially was aimed to cover
all tertiary institution in Enugu state but due to time and some other
unforeseen constraint, samples was taken only from University of Nigeria,
Nsukka.
1.7 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The major constraint
that affected this research is limited time and insufficient fund to finance
the project, due to this the research is limited to one tertiary institution in
Enugu state.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERM
Influence:
ability to have effect on something or someone
Morality:
principles
concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.
Moral
decadence: the failure to uphold sound moralityin the society
Tertiary
Institution: referred to as third stage, third level,
and postsecondary education, is the educational level following the completion
of a school providing a secondary education
Students:
a person
who is studying at a university or other place of higher education.