Perceived Influence of Social Vices on the Study of Business Education Courses in Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba

Perceived Influence of Social Vices on the Study of Business Education Courses in Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to ascertain the perceived influence of social vices on the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba.

Four (4) research questions guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised of all the 200 Business Education Degree students (Year 2-4) in 2022/2023 session and the 73 Business Educators in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, Delta State while a total one hundred (100) Education students and 37 Business Educators in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, Delta State were selected through simple random sampling technique to represent the entire population.  The instrument that was used for data collection was a structured questionnaire, tiled: Perceived Influence of social vices on the Study of Business Education Courses Questionnaire (PISVSBECQ). The instrument was validated by two experts; one in School of Secondary Education (Business) and the other in Educational Measurement and Evaluation Unit, all of Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba. One hundred and thirty-seven (137) copies of the validated questionnaire were administered on the respondents personally by the researcher and 129 were retrieved and analyzed using frequency count, mean and standard deviation statistics.

On the basis of the analysis, it was found that sexual perversion, drug abuse, alcoholism and cultism negatively influence the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba. It was recommended among others that moral education should be taught so that students can be educated on the effects of homosexuality, lesbianism and other related social vices in the college for effective study of Business Education courses.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Education remains the strongest force that gives rise to the development in every nation. No nation can ever reach the level of development without standard educational system which can only be achieved under safe and peaceful atmosphere. Objectives of education can best be achieved in an atmosphere devoid of any form of violent behaviour both internally and related.

Several subjects are taught especially in higher institutions and colleges of education in particular. One of the area of studies in colleges of education, Polytechnics and University; one of which is Business Education.

Business education is a course that prepares students for entry into and advancement in jobs within business and it is equally important because it prepares students to handle their own business affairs and to function intelligently as consumers and citizens in a business economy. Osuala (2019), defined Business education as an essential part of the preparation of youths for live and living. Osuala, in another, definition, define business education as a programme of instruction which consists of two parts: firstly, as office education – a vocational programme of office careers through initial, refresher and upgrading education and secondly as general business education: – a programme to provide students with information and competences which are needed by all in managing personal business affairs and in using the services of the business. Njoku (2020) defined business education as that facet of educational training that helps the individual to acquire relevant skills needed for living. Njoku further defined business education as an educational programme that equips an individual with functional and suitable skills, knowledge, attitude and value that would enable him/her operates in the environment he/she finds himself/herself. It is essential that business education be a useful and vital component of transformation agenda if the curriculum of business programme across the country is to continue to meet the needs of its students.

The effective teaching and learning of Business education can only be achieved in a peaceful learning environment. This is because when there is breakdown of law and order due to different kinds of social vices perpetrated by students, the objectives of teaching the courses cannot be achieved.

Social vices are actions prohibited by law or a failure to act as required by law. It has to do with violation of rule and regulations of an institution. The violation or failure to do what is required which turn to affect the person can also be seen as social vices (Austin, 2020). The term vices are a Latin word “vitium” meaning defect or failing. It is defined as a bad habit or immoral activities. Vices are common among young males and females, example include prostitution, indecent dressing, robbery, cultism, pocket picking, drug addiction, examination malpractice, hooliganism, thuggery, gambling, smoking, pre-marital sexual activities, rape, alcoholism, taking of illegal substances among others. Social vices are bad traits, unhealthy and frowned at by members of the society. Social vices simply put are behaviors which are at variance with societal expectations based on established moral codes. According to Igwe (2019) social vices are anti-social actions which breach societal norms, values and more and they range from obscene dressing to sexual harassment and promiscuity, cultism, kidnapping, examination malpractice, hooliganism, character assassination, impersonation, financial fraud, and among others. According to Robertson (2018) social vices are any actions exhibited either by omission or commission on negligence which contravenes cultural values and established codes of conduct of a particular community or in a given situation or location. Social vices arise from behaviours or maladjusted people in the society. In this paper, social vices would mean misbehaviours, wrong attitudes, unacceptable characters that have bedeviled the development of Nigeria educational system. According to Ayodele (2019) social vices reflect the character of a people. It exposes their capacity to injure one another to cover and destroy; their ability to control themselves, their cunning, insensitivity and want of love. Crime and society’s violence reaction to it are the raw outcroppings of a peoples hate, lust, greed, fear, vengefulness, selfishness and sickness.

Oganwu (2018) noted that impunity and pervasive moral decadence was high in the country. She reiterated that characters of hard work, honesty, integrity, dedication, fairness, accountability and justice have been jettisoned.  Parents send their children to institutions of higher learning with the hope that they will receive more knowledge, skills and competences and develop desirable attitudes needed for useful citizenship. It is also hoped that through their education and training in institutions of higher learning they will be turned into better individuals who can conveniently face the challenges of life after graduation. Social vices include all acts of breaking laws or rules governed by both college authorities and law enforcement authorities. The most rampant social vices committed by college students are alcoholism, underage drinking, and drug abuse. Other extreme social vices committed within the campuses are murder, burglary, robbery, vehicle theft, sexual assaults, examination malpractice, cultism, homosexuality, lesbianism vandalism, and carting away with college properties (Justin, 2019). According to Robertson (2018), peer pressure is a major cause of theft and burglary social vices in campus. On the contrary, some researchers believe that the major cause of theft and burglary social vices in college campus is still uncertain (Justin 2019). Other types of social vices in college campus are attributed to students’ behaviors. Among these social vices are drug abuse, students’ molestation and sexual assault. In the last decade, cases of sexual assault have increased immensely in most of college campuses (Walter, 2018). Other kinds social vices common in colleges of education includes sexual pervasion, drug abuse, alcoholism and cultism.

Sexual perversion is an old-fashioned diagnostic term that served as a label for sexual activities considered outside the norm of heterosexual sexual desire and activity (Roy, 2021). This norm was defined as coitus with a person of the opposite sex with the aim of achieving orgasm through genital penetration. Any other type of sexual activity, regardless of the sex of the participants, was traditionally considered perverse. Sexual perversions are conditions in which sexual excitement or orgasm is associated with acts or imagery that are considered unusual within the culture. The term “sexual perversion,” which is a concept that has been used historically to describe sexual behaviors or preferences that deviate from what is considered conventional or normative within a given society (Robertson, 2018). It’s important to note that the term “sexual perversion” is somewhat outdated and can be considered pejorative and judgmental. Many professionals and experts in the fields of psychology and sexology prefer to use more neutral and descriptive terms to discuss non-standard sexual behaviors.

In contemporary discussions, behaviors that were once labeled as “sexual perversions” are often understood in the context of human sexuality, diversity, and individual preferences. Different cultures and societies have varying norms and taboos related to sexual behaviors, and what is considered a perversion in one culture may be completely acceptable in another.

Drugs include what are commonly called medicine and not only substances which alter mood, perception or normal awareness as some people erroneously believe. A drug, according to Yusuf (2014) and Igwe (2019) is a substance of biological or chemical origin which when applied to a living tissue produces an effect. Yusuf and Igwe further stresses that thousands of substances have been employed as drugs and about one thousand are in regular use. Drug abuse refers to the use, especially by self-administration, of any drug in a manner that deviates from approved medical or social patterns within a given culture. Government agencies refer to any use of an illicit substance as drug abuse for example heroin, marijuana (Indian hemp). The causes of drug abuse among students are not too different from those of adults. Igbo (2019) notes that drug abuse has many causes via: cultural, social, economical, psychological and family pathology. These causes include drug abuse through ignorance; deliberate drug abuse, drug abuse for pleasure; drug abuse for curiosity; incorrect drug dosage; drug habit and addiction; home, school or work environment; personal feeling of inadequacy; and membership of group/peer pressure. Some of the above causes are of particular interest to the educationist.

Additionally, students are addicted to alcoholism. Alcoholism is often viewed as a chronic disease characterized by an inability to control one’s alcohol consumption, preoccupation with alcohol, continued use despite adverse consequences, and increased tolerance and withdrawal symptoms (Robertson, 2018). Robertson added that alcoholism is a form of substance use disorder where individuals experience problematic patterns of alcohol consumption that can lead to physical and psychological harm. It can be described as an addiction to alcohol, where an individual becomes dependent on it both physically and psychologically, making it difficult to quit or control their drinking. Alcoholism can be defined as a state in which a person engages in compulsive drinking, often losing the ability to choose whether or when to drink. It is considered as a disease of the brain, as chronic alcohol use can lead to structural and functional changes in the brain. It’s characterized by a loss of control over alcohol intake, meaning that individuals with alcoholism may have difficulty limiting the amount they consume. Alcoholism can be defined as a condition where alcohol consumption significantly interferes with an individual’s daily life, relationships, and responsibilities. John (2017) described alcoholism as a progressive condition, where the negative consequences of drinking increase over time, and the individual’s ability to quit or moderate their alcohol intake diminishes. Alcohol abuse and other substance abuse have contributed hugely to the increase in social vices rates. Most students, who have been involved in sexual assault cases, have reported that they were influenced by alcohol and substance abuse to perpetuate these social vices (John, 2017). This has negatively affected the learning and retention level of students especially at the college of education level.

Another social vice common among students is cultism. The word ‘cultism’ originated from the Latin word ‘Occukre’ which denotes something hidden, occulted, concealed, enigmatical, mysterious, mystical, etc. Orukpe (2018) notes that “Cults are a group of people who share and propagate peculiar secret beliefs divulged only to members.  Robertson (2018) defined “cult” as the group of people believing in a particular system of religious worship with the special customs and ceremonies, worship of or loyalty to a person, principle or idea. Ogunbameru (2017) defined a secret cult as an organization whose activities are kept away from the knowledge of others. These activities are essentially covert, disguised and are usually carried out behind closed doors (Aguda, 2017). The word cultism may be referred to as the formation of a group of initiates or adherent round the figure of a god, a saint or even a living being. It may involve the practice of a particular doctrine within the body of religious belief (Pemede and Viavonu, 2019). Ogunbameru and Daodu (2018) defined Secret Cult to be any form of organization whose activities are not only exclusively kept away from the knowledge of others but such activities are carried out at odd hours of the day and they often clash with accepted norms and values of everyday life. From the above different definitions, cultism can be seen as a group or association in the schools whose membership, admission policy and initiation formalities as well as its mode of operation are done in secret and kept secret. This does not mean that every group in our schools whose business is conducted in at most secrecy is campus cult. Campus cults are usually nocturnal in their operations. Members are under spell and bound never to reveal the indents or business of the group and carry out any duty that might be assigned to them by the group. These activities seem to have negatively affected students’ academic activities.

Hence the need to ascertain perceived influence of social vices on the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba

Statement of the Problem

Effective teaching and learning take place in an environment free from any form of social vices and violent activities. When the school environment is free from social vices and students obey rules and regulations of the school, they will surely perform excellently in their academic activities. But the reverse is the case when there is any form of social vices and breakdown of law and other in the school. Nigeria has recorded several cases of social vices including killings and victimization by cult groups, assassination, murder, and other violent acts. Worried about unethical practices and increasing criminal activities in Nigeria. The high incidence of social vices and violent acts have become so rampant in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. More worrisome is the acts of victimization, assault, sexual harassment, and armed robbery which have posed serious problems (Chirasha, 2017).

Over the years, it has been observed that many students’ performance has been below expectation. This has been attributed to their level of retention of what they have learnt during lectures. Many are of the opinion that students’ level of retention of learnt contents has been affected by the rate of social vices committed by the students. It is against the light of the above that this study is intended to ascertain the perceived influence of social vices on the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to ascertain the perceived influence of social vices on the study of Business Education Courses in Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba. Specifically, the study sought to:

1. ascertain the extent to which sexual perversion influences the study of Business Education Courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba.
2. examine the extent to which drug abuse influences the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba.
3. examine the extent to which alcoholism influences the study of Business Courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba.
4. ascertain the extent to which cultism influences the study of Business Courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba.

Research Questions

The following questions were raised to guide the study:

1. To what extent does sexual perversion influence the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba?
2. To what extent does drug abuse influence the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba?
3. To what extent does alcoholism influence the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba?
4. To what extent does cultism influence the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba?

Significance of the Study

This study would be of benefit to students, lecturers, school management, and researchers and the field of business education.

To the students; the study would enable the students to know the kinds of social vices they commit and the way in which those social vices affect their learning.  This could enable them modify their behaviour for effective learning.

To the lecturers; the findings of the study would help them to understand the effect of social vices committed by students on their learning so that they can help them by way of advice and value reorientation for effective learning.

To the management; it could go a long way in calling their attention to the social vices committed by business education students and the way it affects their learning so that the management would device a means of controlling these vices.

To the researchers; the study would be of use to the researchers who may which to carry out further study in this field because it would serve as a reference material.

Finally, the study would contribute to the body of knowledge by adding to the literature in the field of business education.

Scope of the Study

The study investigated the perceived influence of social vices on the study of Business Education courses in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, Variables of interest are sexual perversion, drug abuse, alcoholism and cultism. The respondents of the study are Business educators and Business Education Students in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba.

Pages:  68

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF         

Chapters: 1-5                                 

Source: Imsuinfo

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.