Assessing the Effect of Economic Recession on Academic Activities in Nigeria. A Case Study of Higher Institutions in Kwara State.

Abstract

This study focused on assessing the effect of economic recession on academic activities in selected higher institution of learning in Kwara State, Nigeria. Specifically, three demographic variables- name of current Institution, gender and school type were explored to detect items that function differently among respondents. This study made use of descriptive survey design. To achieve the stated objectives, Descriptive Survey Design was employed and the research hypotheses were analyzed using inferential statistics. The concerned population comprised all higher institutions (private and public) in Kwara State, Nigeria. However, due to certain economic constraint and the avoidance of biasness in administering the questionnaire to all the higher institutions of learning in the State, Simple random sampling techniques is assumed in selecting six higher institution of learning across the eleven higher institutions in Kwara State. Using the split-half method, the reliability result which was piloted on fifty students was 0.71. percentages and frequency were used in analyzing the demographic information of the respondents. Consequently, the result suggests that the impact of economic recession on the public and private institutions in the State is felt differently as indicated by the t-test value of 2.44 as against the table value of 1.965 with degree of freedom 298 at 0.05 level of significance. However, it is crystal clear from the finding that economic recession negatively impacted on academic activities of students in higher institutions in Kwara state. Hence, the need for upward review of the worker’s salary by the government so as to enable them to remain on their original consumption pattern after the astronomic increment in the general price level in the country because the sudden increment in prices did not enable students to engage in their academic activities as before which may affect their academic performance.

This study focused on assessing the effect of economic recession on academic activities in selected higher institution of learning in Kwara State, Nigeria. Specifically, three demographic variables- name of current Institution, gender and school type were explored to detect items that function differently among respondents. This study made use of descriptive survey design. To achieve the stated objectives, Descriptive Survey Design was employed and the research hypotheses were analyzed using inferential statistics. The concerned population comprised all higher institutions (private and public) in Kwara State, Nigeria. However, due to certain economic constraint and the avoidance of biasness in administering the questionnaire to all the higher institutions of learning in the State, Simple random sampling techniques is assumed in selecting six higher institution of learning across the eleven higher institutions in Kwara State. Using the split-half method, the reliability result which was piloted on fifty students was 0.71. percentages and frequency were used in analyzing the demographic information of the respondents. Consequently, the result suggests that the impact of economic recession on the public and private institutions in the State is felt differently as indicated by the t-test value of 2.44 as against the table value of 1.965 with degree of freedom 298 at 0.05 level of significance. However, it is crystal clear from the finding that economic recession negatively impacted on academic activities of students in higher institutions in Kwara state. Hence, the need for upward review of the worker’s salary by the government so as to enable them to remain on their original consumption pattern after the astronomic increment in the general price level in the country because the sudden increment in prices did not enable students to engage in their academic activities as before which may affect their academic performance.