ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VALUES EDUCATION PEDAGOGY AND STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD CORRUPTION IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Corruption is a multifaceted hydra that manifests in various forms, transcends political regimes, crosses national boundaries and affects multiple sectors of the economy. This study investigated the relationship between values education pedagogy and students’ attitudes toward corruption in public universities in Nigeria. A correlational survey research design was adopted, targeting a population of 72,621 undergraduate students from 12 selected public universities. Using a multistage sampling procedure involving purposive, proportionate stratified, and simple random sampling techniques, a sample of 382 students was drawn for the study. Data were collected using a researcher-designed instrument: Values Education Pedagogy Questionnaire (VEPQ) and Students’ Attitudes Toward Corruption Questionnaire (SATCQ). The instrument was validated by three experts, and a trial test was conducted to establish reliability, yielding coefficients of 0.78 and 0.84. The data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC) to answer the research questions, while simple linear regression was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there is significant relationship between lecturers’ content delivery methods and students’ attitudes toward corruption in public universities in Nigeria. It also found out that there is a significant relationship between lecturers’ attitudes and level of engagement and students’ attitudes toward corruption in public universities in Nigeria. The study concluded that, this is a dangerous situation that, if not urgently addressed, the academic environment may continue to breed a new generation that normalizes and perpetuates corrupt practices, threatening the integrity and future of the nation’s higher education system. The study therefore recommends that university management should organize regular capacity-building workshops on ethical content delivery, student-centered teaching methods, and the integration of anti-corruption themes into course materials. This will help lecturers model integrity and promote critical thinking among students.