International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
CULTISM-ASSOCIATED INSECURITY AND THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF
THE NIGERIAN STUDENT CROSS RIVER STATE EXPERIENCE
Onete U. Onete (Ph.D)
Cross River University of Technology
Calabar-Nigeria
ABSTRACT: This study investigated the relationship between cultism-associated insecurity and
the academic achievement of the Nigerian students. The study employed the expost-facto research
design. Two research hypotheses were formulated to give direction to the study. A total of 748
students sampled from a population of 37,416 senior secondary three (SSIII) students were
selected for this study. Cultism-Associated Insecurity and the Learning of the Nigerian Students
Questionnaire (CAILNSQ) were administered on the selected respondents for the purpose of data
gathering. The instrument has a reliability coefficient of 0.81. The two hypotheses were tested with
the regression and ANOVA statistical techniques at 0.05 significance level. At the end of data
analysis it was revealed that there is significant relationship between cultism-induced emotion and
academic achievement of the Nigerian secondary school students, and also, cultism-associated
insecurity significantly predict the academic achievement of students.Based on the revelations
made in this study, it was recommended among others that novelty or carnival days should be
introduced and observed occasionally as days of relaxation, fun and enjoyment. Those days will
among other things create a placebo effect and diffuse academic tension, bringing staff and
students under a common denominator of merry-making to reduce fear of the unknown.
KEYWORDS: insecurity, cultism; emotion, academic achievement , student learning
INTRODUCTION
According to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs security comes in after the physiological
needs in order of importance. Human beings can strive to satisfy other higher needs including the
need to learn or acquire higher education only if they feel secured. For the attainment of effective
teaching and learning, it is important for students and staff to feel safe and secure in the school
environment. A situation where an individual in an environment including school environment is
not sure of safety of his/her life or property amounts to insecurity in that environment. The school
is where the child spends reasonable amount of his/her time, and where he/she explores
independence without the intervention of his/her parents. As a result there is a tendency to develop
and exhibit behaviours which are never displayed at home. Such behaviours may include
1
International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
disrespect to constituted authority or outright disregard to school rules and regulations. Over the
years, it has been observed that severe disciplinary problems occur in different levels of Nigerian
educational institutions (Onete, Akpama, Egong & Okey, 2012). Some of the learning institutions
have been turned into battle fields where learners bring weapons of various shades, sizes and forms
into school, and in most cases used same against themselves as individuals or in groups. This
situation poses serious security challenge to the institution experiencing it, disruption of learning
activities and students missing classes for fear of being attacked by other students. Insecurity, the
bane to the stability and growth of our educational system with devastating effect on learning is
the antithesis of security. Belend (2015) defined insecurity as the state of fear and anxiety
stemming from concrete or alleged lack of protection. The anxiety experienced when one feels
insecure induces negative emotional development which affects behaviour including learning.
Emotions exert high influence in guiding and directing learners’ behaviour. Many a time students
are seen or noted behaving along emotional dictate. However, sometimes, if a learner has no
emotional current (an emotion that is sustained throughout some period) in him/her, then, he/she
becomes cripple in terms of living his/her life in a normal way (Onete et al., 2012). Thus, emotion
such as anxiety or fear plays a vital role in providing a particular direction to learners’ behaviour,
hence, shaping the personality according to his/her developmental trait (Mangal, 2009). Rockebury
and Hockenbury (2007) saw emotion as a complex psychological state that involves three distinct
components; a subjective experience, a physiological response and a behavioural response.
Emotions are specific reactions to a particular event that are usually of fairly short duration.
Emotions are often called feelings which include experiences such as love, hate, anger, trust, joy,
panic, fear or anxiety and grief (Mangal, 2009). The concern of this paper is on negative emotions
of fear and anxiety.
No doubt, our learning institutions are today faced with the challenge of insecurity, much of which
results from the consistent activities of rival cult groups. In Nigeria, according to Denga (1998)
cultism has led to the destruction of human, infrastructural and economic resources. He further
asserted that cultism has also posed a serious challenge to human and material resources
development, including school achievement across the country. In schools where cultist activities
prevail, student’s graduation is prolonged because of disruption of academic calendar. This means
that the business of learning on the part of the Nigerian child is negatively affected. Apparently,
cultism promotes calamity of human and development as thousands of students lost their lives and
property worth millions of naira are destroyed (Dominic, 2018). Incessant cultists activities in our
various institutions of learning in Nigeria have been a cancer that breeds fear, panic and
psychological disequilibrium which in turn affects the learning of the Nigerian child resulting in
low academic achievement (Denga, 1998). The continuous activities of cultists in nigeria is
threatening the unity, peace and love among students in various institutions of learning, paving the
way for conflicts of varying degree and magnitude.
2
International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
Cultism induces a feeling of insecurity which causes psycho-pathology concerns (fear or anxiety)
in educational institutions today (Onete et al., 2012). The activities of these secret cults have sent
hundreds of students out of school and to early grave. Unfortunately, these secret cults have spread
to the nation’s secondary schools. They have signs and symbols that may not make any meaning
to outsiders. Their activities have negative effects on both members and non-members as well as
the entire school (Umanah, 2018).
Members of secret cults are recruited through application, invitation or by force (Denga, 1998).
Some of them are lured into it on the pretext of holding a party especially for new students in
undisclosed venues. Such activities are usually nocturnal. The members behave in ways that are
not acceptable in the society. They are involved in special rituals in order for them to be initiated
and promoted from one level to another, make use of dangerous tools like guns, axes, cutlasses,
charms, black juju, daggers, swords among others to carry out their evil activities on their fellow
human beings, thereby causing public panic and fear, and sometimes anxiety among learners in
the schools environment (Adebayo, 2013).
Cultism causes breakdown of law and order since members who may be students usually disregard
their school rules and regulation as well as their teachers who may not be members. Their activities
in most cases lead to loss of lives of loved ones like father, mother, brother, sister and other
relations as rival cult groups may descend on them if they cannot find the cultists they are in search
of. All well-meaning members of the society are against all forms of cultism and their activities as
they contradict generally acceptable values and impede on the learning of the Nigerian child.
In the tertiary institutions, the Governing Boards have been given the mandate to expel any
student(s) found to belong to a cult group within the school campus. Also, the school authorities
of our secondary schools whether public or private are on the watch as any student(s) found to
belong to any cult group could be expelled and such person(s) handed over to the police for
prosecution in the court of law. More so, responsible parents whose children or wards are known
to belong to any cult group are usually not happy and this may sometimes make them to reject or
denounce the child. However, these measures seem to yield little or no satisfactory results as
learners in most schools continue to learn under emotionally charged school environment
occasioned by insecurity arising from cultist activities.
The fundamental problem of cultism is the insecure, unsafe and emotional tension that it brings
about across the society including educational institutions thereby leading to poor learning and
falling standards in academic achievement. Emotion and learning are closely related. Emotion is a
consequence of behaviour while learning is a process that brings about the formation of new
behaviours. Though emotion is a consequence of behaviour, it nevertheless influences and gives
direction to learning and academic achievement. A fundamental message of the Skinnerian
3
International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
psychology is that all organisms are to a great extent influenced by consequences of their own
behaviour (Isangedighi in Asagwara, 1994). Isangedighi further opined that any act is naturally
followed by an experience which is consequence of the act. Emotion is generated by happenings
in the environment, for example, if a student hears a gunshot near his/her classroom block, such
encounter if not well managed could induce emotional tension or panic which in turn may affect
learning. In most parts of the country including Cross River State the area of study, there are
prevailing issues of cultist activities as reported in both the electronic and print media which may
have affected the learning effectiveness of the learners. A situation such as this call for some
fundamental questions about how cultism associated insecurity affects the academic achievement
of the Nigerian child. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the relationship between cultism
associated insecurity and the academic achievement of the Nigerian child. The question then is,
how does cultism associated insecurity relate to learning or academic achievement of the Nigerian
child?
To answer the above question, the following hypotheses are formulated for testing:
1. Cultism associated insecurity and emotion do not significantly predict academic
achievement of the Nigerian child.
2. There is no significant relationship between emotion and academic achievement of the
Nigerian student.
The significance of this study lies in the fact that if Nigerians become aware of the devastating
effects of emotion of fear or anxiety by-products of insecurity on learners, then every effort would
be made by members of the society to ensure that every emotion inducing activity(ies) e.g. cultism
are checked and put under control.
METHODOLOGY
The research design adopted for this study was expost-facto. Expost-facto was considered
appropriate for use in this study because variables under study have already occurred, and the
researcher has no direct control of the independent variables because they are not manipulable.
The population for the study comprised all senior secondary school (SSIII) students in Cross River
State Central Education Zone (CEZ). The population was thirty-seven thousand, four hundred and
sixteen (37,416) SSIII students as at 2018/2019 academic year (State Secondary Education Board,
2019). Two basic sampling techniques were adopted, namely, stratified random sampling and
simple random sampling respectively. The researcher used stratified random sampling because of
the definite subsets in the population. Also, random sampling was used to give each an every
student equal and independent chance of being selected. Two percent (2%) was used to determine
4
International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
the sample size of seven hundred and forty eight (748) students from the population of thirty-seven
thousand, four hundred and sixteen (37,416) SSIII students.
The instrument used for data collection was researcher designed questionnaire titled “Cultism-
Associated Insecurity and the Learning of the Nigerian Students Questionnaire (CAILNSQ)”. The
instrument had a reliability coefficient of 0.81 determined through a test retest correlational
method. The instrument was configured on the likert modified rating scale of SA; A; D; and SD.
RESULTS
Hypothesis 1: Cultism associated insecurity and emotions do not significantly predict academic
achievement of the Nigerian child. To test this hypothesis, the data were extracted from the data
bank and summarized into mean (X) and standard deviations (SD), as well as sums (∑X∑Y), sum
of squares testing (∑X2∑Y2), sum of cross product (∑XY), and subjected to analysis using multiple
regression statistics procedure. See results in tables 1, 2 and 3.
Table 1: Model summary analysis of relationship of academic achievement due to emotion
and cultism associated insecurity. N=748
Model R R2 Adjusted R2 Standard Error
of Estimate
1 .908α .825 .825 1.82973
a. Predictors (constant) cultism, insecurity.
Table 1 shows a R-calculated value of 0.908a, aR2-value of 0.825, and an adjusted R2-value of
0.825. This means that of the total weight predicting academic achievement, 82.5 percent was
asserted to be occasioned by cultism and insecurity emotion among Nigerian students.
Table 2: Model summary of ANOVA for the Regression analysis.
Model Sum of Squares Df Mean Squares F-cal Sign
(SS) (MS)
Regression 11,781.920 2 5890.960
Residual 2,494.191 745 3.348 1759.595 .0000
Total 14,276.111 747
a. Dep. Var. academic achievement
b. Predictors (constant) cultism and insecurity
From table 2, the result of analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistics for the regression model
portrayed F-calculated value of 1759.595 which was found to be far higher than the critical F-
5
International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
value of 3.002 needed for significance at 0.05 alpha levels with 2 and 745 degrees of freedom.
With this result, the null hypothesis was rejected. This means that cultism associated insecurity
significantly predict the academic achievement of the Nigerian students.
To determine the line of “best” for the model, table 3 was developed and presented as follows:
Table 3: Summary of B-coefficient for regression model of the estimate.
Model Unstandardized coefficient Standardized t-values Sign.
coefficient
B Std. Error of Beta
Est.
Constant .078 .254 _ .308 .758
Insecurity .0381 .065 .374 5.840* .000
Emotion .587 .070 .541 8.435* .000
a. Dep. Var. Academic achievement
*Result significant at p<0.5; df =745, crit-t =1.968
From table 3, the regression constance of 0.078 was given off, with B-coefficients (or calculated
t-value) of 5.840* (for insecurity) and 8.435* (for cultism induced emotion), these were all greater
than the critical t-value of 1.968 needed for significance at 0.05 alpha level with 745 degrees of
freedom.
Based on these results, the final regression line of “best fit” for the model was given as:
𝑌 = 𝐾 + 𝑎𝑥, +𝑏𝑥2 , where Y= Criterion or Dep. Variables, K= Regression constant, a and b =
regression coefficient, and X1 and X2 = predictor factors insecurity and emotion i.e. academic
achievement is predicted by 0.078 constance + 5.84 insecurity + 8.35 cultism induced emotion
among Nigerian secondary school students.
Hypothesis 2: There is no significant relationship between cultism induced emotion and academic
achievement of the Nigerian student.
To test this hypothesis, data was extracted from the data bank and summarized into sums (∑X∑Y),
sum of squares testing (∑X2∑Y2), and sums of product (∑XY). The summarized data were subject
to analysis using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r) statistics. The result of the analysis is
presented in table 4.
6
International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
Table 4: Pearson Product Moment Coefficient Analysis of the relationship between cultism
induced emotion and academic achievement of SS Students. N=748
Cultism induced Academic
emotion achievement
Cultism induced Pearson correlation 1 -.433
emotion sign. (2-tailed) .000
Sum of squares and 12793979 6170706
cross product
Covariance 17127 -8261
N 748 748
Academic Pearson correlation -0.433** 1
achievement sign. (2-tailed) .000
Sum of squares and -6170706 15888.956
cross product
Covariance
N 748 748
*Correlation significant at P <.01 level (2-tailed).
From table 4, the calculated correlation (r) value of -).433* was found to be significant because the
p-value of 0.00 associated with the correlation coefficient was found to be lower than 0.05 alpha
level with 746 degrees of freedom. With this result the null hypothesis was rejected. This implies
that there is significant relationship between cultism induced emotion and the academic
achievement of the Nigerian secondary school students.
DISCUSSION
The statistical analysis of hypothesis one revealed that academic achievement of Nigerian
secondary school students is predicted by 0.078 constance, 5.84 insecurity and 8.35 cultism
induced emotion. These findings corroborate Adebayo (2013) assertion that cultist activities on
our learning institutions today have made so many innocent and serious minded students to become
afraid of the unknown since both the guilty and innocent ones are affected during cult clashes of
rival groups in schools thus making school environment emotionally charged, insecure and
unconducive for learning with its attendant effect on academic underachievement. Again, Denga
(1998) has revealed that incessant cultist activities in our various institutions of learning in Nigeria
have been a cancer that breeds fear, panic, and psychological disequilibrium which in turn affects
negatively the learning of the Nigerian child resulting in low academic attainment. As a matter of
common knowledge, it is established that no meaningful teaching and learning can ever take place
7
International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
in an atmosphere of insecurity and when this happens, the end result is low academic productivity
on the part of the students.
Similarly, the statistical analysis of hypothesis two showed that there is a significant relationship
between cultism induced emotion and the academic achievement of Nigerian students. This
revelation is in congruent with Denga (1998) who observed that cultism generates or induces
negative emotions like fear and anxiety which pose serious challenge to human and material
resources development including poor school enrolment, school attendance and academic
achievement. In the same vein, Onete et al. (2012) have asserted that cultist activities remain one
emotion induced psychopathological challenge confronting Nigerian learning institutions today,
and that these activities especially when they come in form of violent clashes have sent hundreds
of students out of school and in most cases to early grave. It is for this reason that cultist activities
are dreaded with morbid fears and anxiety, and so no serious academic work is likely to take place
in an atmosphere of fight and insecurity.
CONCLUSION
It is evident from the beginning of this paper that cultism associated insecurity has permeated and
adversely affected the operations in our school system, resulting in poor/low academic outcomes.
If the level of cultist activities in Nigerian schools today is not scaled down or appropriate measures
not taken to eradicate it completely, then Cross River State will continue to be listed as
educationally disadvantaged state. This will impede manpower development of drive the current
administration of Governor Ben Ayade in the state.
Recommendations
On account of the findings of this study the following recommendations were volunteered:
Sporting activities should be organized at appropriate times but brief not to disrupt time
and school calendar, but to divert students attention from behaviour that can cause panic,
fear or emotion on other students. This could also be a vehicle for youths to vent out the
vast energies bottled up in them through engaging in acceptable satisfactory and rewarding
activities.
The security department of secondary schools should be armed with plastic bullets enough
to blast cultists. The use of fire arms should be partially legitimized to make the internal
security effective.
Effective security in schools; school administrations should ensure they provide effective
security measures in school environments to protect students from harassment and
intimidation from others, when this happens students will not feel the need to seek
protection by forming or joining cult groups.
8
International Journal of Education, Learning and Development
Vol.8, No.1, pp.1-9, January 2020
Published by ECRTD-UK
Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online)
Encouragement of academic excellence by all in the society by providing conducive
learning environment for students as well as supporting activities that encourage effective
and meaningful learning, this will make students focus more on their education and be less
distracted by other things like cultism and drug abuse.
Novelty or carnival days should be introduced and observed occasionally as days of
relaxation, fun or enjoyment. These days will among other things create a placebo effect
and diffuse academic tension, bringing staff and students under a common denominator of
merry-making to reduce fear of the unknown.
Government at all levels should seriously confront cultism. The details should according
to Denga (1998) include adequate funding so that facilities such as police posts and even
police stations can be erected near schools for prompt dispatch of armed police to campuses
when cult eruptions are reported, occasional surveillance of school premises to warn
members of secret cults about the presence of armed police is equally herein recommended.
REFERENCES
Adebayo, R.(2013). Indiscipline in Nigerian secondary schools; Types, causes and possible
solutions. African Journal of Education and Technology 2(1), 39-47.
Asagwara, C.G. (1994). Applied Psychology in Education. Calabar BON Universal limited.
Belend,(2015). The political construction of collective insecurity: From moral panic to blame
avoidance and organized irresponsibility, Centre for European Studies Working Papers Series
126. Lagos, Nigeria.
Denga, D.I. & Denga, H.M.(1998). Educational malpractice and cultism in Nigeria. Calabar:
Rapid Educational Publishers.
Dominic, J.(2018). Cultists on rampage in Bayelsa. TNN March 5, 2018 pg3.
Igbuzor, O.(2011). Peace and security Education: A critical factor for sustainable peace and
national development. Journal of Peace and Development Studies, 2, 59-71.
Mangal, S.K.(2009). Advanced educational Psychology (2nd ed). New Delhi; Rajkamal Electric
Press.
Olabanji, O. E. & Ese, U. (2014). Insecurity and socio-economic development in Nigeria. Journal
of Sustainable Development Studies 5(1), 40-63.
Onete, O. U.; Akpama, E.G; Egong A. I. & Okey, S. A. (2012). Cultism: As a socially related
cause of violence among students in tertiary institutions in Cross River State, Nigeria.
Counselling implications. Journal of the Nigerian Society for Educational Psychologists, 10
(1), 155-161.
Rockebury, H. & Hockenbury, A. (2007). Emotions and leadership: The role of emotional
intelligence. Human Relations 53 (8), 1027-1055.
Umanah, O. (2018) Militants overwhelmed Udom, sack schools in Akwa Ibom villages. TNN
March 19, 2018 pp 5 & 8.
