EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION MODEL IN CHANGING STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCIENCE ENROLMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
| Main Author: | Professor JOEL OBO ERIBA, PhD, MLRN, MNACT, FIHNR |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article eJournal |
| Bahasa: | eng |
| Terbitan: |
, 2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://zenodo.org/record/3520407 |
Daftar Isi:
- Earlier researches had documented the massive decline of Nigerian Students from the study of science at all levels. This ugly trend was attributed to the fact that the students possessed negative attitudes towards science. The purpose of this research was to assess the effectiveness of the Persuasive Communication Model (PCM) as a tool for changing students’ attitude towards science enrolment in Benue State Secondary Schools. Two research questions were formulated and eight hypotheses tested for the study. The study employed the survey, true-experimental and ex-post facto research designs to obtain solutions to the problem. Data were gathered from1840 JS3 students with ages between 13 and 15 years from Benue State, Nigeria by means of three instruments namely, Science Attitude Survey (SAS), the Science Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) and the PCM message. The SAQ had a reliability coefficient of 0.73 using Cronbach Alpha method. Three probability sampling techniques were used to select the sample for the study in three stages. Data were analyzed using frequencies, means, t-test and the factorial ANOVA at P < .05 significance level. The study found that 35 modal salient beliefs determined JS3 students’ attitudes towards enrolment in science. It was also found that students who were exposed to the PCM message (treatment) changed their attitude towards science enrolment significantly. The location, type and ownership of school, which the students attended, as well as gender, did not act as significant barriers to the effectiveness of the PCM. PCM was therefore, recommended as an effective strategy for changing attitude of students towards science enrolment in secondary schools.