Influence of Students’ Indiscipline on Administration of Secondary Schools in North-East Zone, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of indiscipline on both academic and extracurricular activities in administering secondary schools in the North East Zone of Nigeria. The research set seven objectives, including examining the effects of late coming to class and bullying on students' academic and extracurricular engagements. Research questions and hypotheses were formulated based on these objectives. A descriptive survey research design was employed, utilizing self-constructed questionnaires validated by experts in test and measurement and Educational Administration and Planning. The study's population consisted of 38,003 teachers, 1,620 principals, and 1,185 Ministry of Education officials. Stratification was applied to the 1,620 schools across the six states of the North East Zone, with three states purposively selected. The sample size of 869 stakeholders, including 331 teachers, 297 principals, and 241 Ministry of Education officials, was determined using the research advisor table. Reliability testing yielded a coefficient of 0.79 through the Test-Re-Test Method via SPSS. Data collected were analyzed through frequency counts, simple percentages, and standard deviation. Hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Variance at a significance level of 0.05. The findings revealed that students' drug abuse and involvement in cultism negatively impact their academic and extracurricular activities in secondary schools in the North-East Zone of Nigeria. The study recommends proactive measures, such as mobilization efforts by governmental and non-governmental authorities to prompt parents and stakeholders to send their children promptly to secondary schools in the North-East Zone. Additionally, students should be educated about the risks associated with misconduct, including cultism, emphasizing the impact on their participation in academic and extracurricular activities in these schools.