Students' Attitudes, Indiscipline and Their Effects on Teachers' Instructional Effectiveness in Senior Secondary Schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between students' attitudes toward indiscipline and teachers' instructional effectiveness in senior secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The study was guided by four research questions. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised Senior Secondary School students (SS1–SS3) and their teachers in senior secondary schools in FCT, Abuja. A sampled of 150 students and 50 teachers was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique involving simple random and stratified sampling techniques. Data were collected using two structured questionnaire items on: the Students' Attitudes toward Indiscipline Questionnaire (SAIQ) and the Teachers' Instructional Effectiveness Rating Scale (TIERS). The instruments were validated through expert review and tested for reliability using the Cronbach Alpha method. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson Product Moment Correlation and simple linear regression) at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students exhibited a moderate attitude toward indiscipline, while teachers demonstrated a high level of instructional effectiveness. A significant negative relationship was found between students' attitudes toward indiscipline and teachers' instructional effectiveness (r = -0.58, p < 0.05). Furthermore, students' attitudes significantly predicted teachers' instructional effectiveness, accounting for 34% of the variation (R² = 0.34). The study concluded that students' attitudes toward indiscipline significantly affect teachers' instructional effectiveness. It was recommended that schools should implement attitudinal reorientation programs, strengthen classroom management strategies, and promote positive student behavior to enhance instructional effectiveness.