CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education plays the vital role of leadership in the society. In our dispensation education plays important role in transforming the society. The role of Nigerian University in shaping the society is particularly critical because it grooms virtually all the people who are meant for leadership in our society from all walks of life. Its main role is to prepare leadership via sound liberal learning not only during the period of formal education but also throughout their lives. So the tertiary institution is responsible to turnout well-informed population for the leadership of the nation. All over the world higher institution are educating and co-operating with the industrial and agricultural development organizations and they are developing their economics speedily and meaningfully Students getting into Nigerian universities come from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds that provides them very different life experiences, different educational opportunities and a great variety of expectations, needs and academic potential .This situation also occurs in other countries that have shifted the focus of higher education from exclusiveness to mass opportunity (McKenzie and Schweitzer, 2010). When students are admitted to a higher education institution there is a understood assumption that they will be capable of successfully completing the course in which they are permitted to enroll or not. Hence, it is important to have entry specifications that allow valid student selection decisions to be made. However, there can be no certainty that these students will actually satisfy the requirements for graduation. There are many factors that can contribute to the academic indiscipline and failure rates such as low commitment with study, drug use, the lack of motivation or interest or the lack of parental involvement and supervision. However, these individual reasons are not the only factors that can lead teens to fail. University was primarily considered a ladder out of poverty for working class youths. According to Peters (2009) academic indiscipline and failure from classes is an old thing. He asserted that one quarter to one third of registered students left the university as Bachelors, rarely one twentieth to one sixteenth as Masters. There are various reasons that made them exit, that are majorly personal characteristics, environmental characteristics and academic factors. He further observes that students fail because of lack of motivation, lack of interest, boredom, apathy, rejection of the teaching programmed, the feeling of not receiving anything from the course, lack of goal and instability in the occupational orientation. The fact that so many factors can be vital is probably the major reason that single measures based on former academic success, mainly at school, are not capable predictors of success at university. Killen (2010) suggested that no matter how carefully students are constructed school matriculation examinations or special university entrance examinations are not likely to be capable predictors of exploits at university because they do not ascertain any intellective factors that are associated to many of the vital influences on success that students acquire after they are admitted at university. Given the complexity of the issue, it seems unlikely that there is high value in trying to find simple pre-enrolment predictors of success at university. Rather, it might be more necessary to focus on post-enrolment factors. Studies that have adopted this approach have ascertained a limited number of factors that seems to have a great influence on academic success. One of the most vital tools available to the Nigerian Universities in evaluating students’ performance is examination, be it written, oral or practical. This has been generally used by several examining bodies to test students’ understanding about the learnt material. The standard of examination questions used a tool to determine the status or standards of students’ attainment with respect to expected results is one of the criteria for measuring university standards. In university system, which is the focus of this study, there are changes in standard maintained by each school. While some universities posses the vital and sufficient facilities that assures sound education, others are struggling to meet up with the minimum National Universities Commission’s recommended standards. However, obtaining the necessary and adequate learning facilities do not in themselves mean graduates from such schools are better off than those not adequately equipped. It all lies on quality of staff and the candidates in question. In universities where staffs are well motivated, students’ performance is expected to improve if such students are putting special effort to learn. Generally, the better the school, the more the academic performance means in terms of overall ability. Normally, one expects to see good results in the less demanding schools than in group of ancient schools and honored universities. However, when searching for ideal candidates, the seeking should not be restricted to top universities. While students who attended old universities (generally known as first generation universities in Nigeria) do assume they are the best compared with other ones in private and state universities, it has been evidence that there are some candidates in private universities in Nigeria who do better than those who privileged to attend prestigious universities. Unfortunately, the current universities system of evaluation which lacks the merit of exposing all students in the same field of studies to the same examination as being practiced in professional bodies like Society of Actuaries, Institute of Actuaries, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Law school, etc., makes it difficult to easily identify which candidate is more intelligent. Therefore the study examines academic indiscipline and failure in University of Jos.

1.2      STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Academic indiscipline and failure has been experienced for time in memorial, but the magnitude in which it is manifesting itself in today’s schools is alarming creating great concern among education administrators, teachers and stakeholders. It is important to note that, indiscipline affect the learner than anybody else. This situation has been a major concern to parents and those in the school community who suggest that disciplinary strategies be applied by teachers and the rapport be created between students and teachers as a systematic way to solving the problem. The examinations of the academic indiscipline and failure enable stakeholders achieve the best educational outcomes for students in schools. Many stakeholders including parents, teachers, and circuit supervisors are complaining about the poor academic performance of students as a result of their indiscipline acts. This has prompted research into examining academic indiscipline and failure in University of Jos.

1.3      AIMS OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to examine academic indiscipline and failure in University of Jos. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1.  To examine the meaning and nature of academic indiscipline and failure in University of Jos.

2.  To examine the causes of academic indiscipline and failure in University of Jos.

3.  To examine the impact of academic indiscipline and failure on academic performance of students in University of Jos.

4.  To examine the possible ways by which indiscipline acts can be reduced or eradicated.

5.  To examine the relationship between academic indiscipline and failure of students in University of Jos.

6.  To examine the strategies employed for controlling indiscipline acts among students.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.   What is the meaning and nature of academic indiscipline and failure in University of Jos?

2.  What are the causes of academic indiscipline and failure in University of Jos?

3.  What is the impact of academic indiscipline and failure on academic performance of students in University of Jos?

4.  What is the possible ways by which indiscipline acts can be reduced or eradicated?

5.  What is the relationship between academic indiscipline and failure of students in University of Jos?

6.  What are the strategies employed for controlling indiscipline acts among students?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

Hypothesis 1

H0: There are is no significant impact of academic indiscipline and failure on academic performance of students in University of Jos.

H1: There is a significant impact of academic indiscipline and failure on academic performance of students in University of Jos.

Hypothesis 2

H0: There is no significant relationship between academic indiscipline and failure of students in University of Jos

H1: There is a significant relationship between academic indiscipline and failure of students in University of Jos

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be of profound benefits to enlighten the people on the academic indiscipline and failure of students in University of Jos and proffer solution to the problem. This study would also be of immense benefit to students and scholars who are interested in developing further studies on the subject matter.

1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to academic indiscipline and failure in University of Jos.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview)

Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Academic Indiscipline: constitutes non-conformity to institutions’ rules and regulations in respect of, noise making, punctuality, homework, class shirking, playing the truant, consuming alcoholic drinks, smoking cigarettes, being verbally and physically aggressive towards their peers.