Disposition to Democratic Values and Civic Engagement among Undergraduate Students in Southwest, Nigeria (Published)
This study examined the disposition of undergraduates towards democratic values and civic engagements in Southwest, Nigeria. Descriptive research design of the survey type was used in this study. The population of this study consisted of 872,100 undergraduate students, universities in Southwest, Nigeria. The sample for this study consisted of 1555 university undergraduates selected using multistage sampling procedure that include simple random, stratified and purposive sampling techniques. “Undergraduate Attitude towards Democratic Values and Civic Engagement Questionnaire” (UADVCEQ) was used to collect data. Face and content validity of the instrument, were ensured by experts in the fields of Social Studies Education, and Tests and Measurement in the Faculty of education, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. Reliability of the instrument was ensured through test-retest method and a reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained. Data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency counts, means, standard deviations, and percentages; and PPMC and multiple regression. It was reported that undergraduate have positive attitude towards democratic values but their level of engagement was high. A significant positive relationship existed between attitude toward democratic values and civic engagement among others. It was inferred that there was a general appreciation for the principles of democracy among undergraduate students Southwest, Nigeria Universities. It was recommended others that the positive attitudes toward democratic values should be strengthened by putting programmes focusing on bridging the gap between positive attitudes and practical civic engagement.
Keywords: Democracy, Democratic Values, Undergraduate Students, civic engagement
Academic Goal Orientation and Possible Selves of African Undergraduate Students Living In the United States (Published)
There is a large gap in literature about the many Africans increasingly arriving in the United States (US) either by sheer ignorance or because of their racial homogenization with African Americans. Indeed, this conflation ignores the vast socio-cultural and historical differences in literature. This paper examines possible selves and goal orientations of African Undergraduate students in the United States. A study that adopted multiple regression was undertaken. The author sought to understand this relationship by collecting data in the Spring Semester of 2007 from undergraduate students registered in any of the semesters in the Spring semester, 2007 and the year 2006, and whose both parents were born in Africa. A significant relationship was found between students’ balanced possible selves and their mastery goal orientations. This suggested that students with more balanced possible selves had higher academic goal orientation. Additional analyses also indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between length of stay in the United States and possible selves which would be indicative of the students’ continued enculturation into an individualist society which in effect increases the number of balanced possible selves.
Keywords: Goal Orientation, Immigrants, Possible Selves, Undergraduate Students, enculturation