Students’ Civic Knowledge and Attitude as Correlates of Civic Engagement in Secondary Schools in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated civic knowledge and attitudes as correlates of civic engagement among secondary students in Oyo State, Nigeria.  The population for the study were all public secondary school students in Oyo State and sample consisted of 600 Senior Secondary II students.  Multistage sampling procedure was used to select the sample. The research instrument was a questionnaire designed by the researchers titled “Students Civic Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ)â€. The validity of the instrument was ascertained by specialists in Social Studies and experts in Test and Measurement and Evaluation.  The reliability of the instrument was ensured through cronbach Alpha and the reliability coefficient 0.72 was obtained.  The data collected were analyses using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis.The study revealed that there is no significant relationship between secondary school students’ civic knowledge and civic engagement. Also, there is no positive and significant relationship between secondary school students’ attitude towards civic engagement. The study further revealed that, there is no significant relationship between secondary school students’ knowledge of civic duties and civic attitude. Based on the findings of this study it was recommended that students should be enlightened and encouraged to participate in civic obligations such as community services and others in order to develop positive attitudes towards civic engagement. Non- governmental organizations should intensify efforts in campaigning and promoting civic activities and duties for better awareness among students and the citizens of the nation in general.

Keywords: Civic Education, Civic Knowledge, Civic Duties, Civic Attitude, Civic Engagement.