Correlates of Behaviour Modification and Truancy among Senior Secondary School Students in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State

Abstract

The research investigated factors associated with changes in behavior and truancy tendencies in senior secondary school students within Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State. Four research questions and four corresponding null hypotheses guided the study. Utilizing a correlational research design, the study targeted all 47,297 public senior secondary school students (21,714 male and 25,583 female) across 37 schools within Port Harcourt Metropolis during the 2022/2023 academic session. A sample of 400 students (176 males and 224 females) was selected using Taro Yamane’s sample formula and cluster sampling technique. Two researcher-developed instruments, the "Questionnaire on Students’ Behaviour Modification" and the "Questionnaire on Students’ Truancy Behaviour," were employed for data collection after validation by three experts. Reliability coefficient was determined through Cronbach Alpha which yielded a coefficient of 0.73 indicating satisfactory consistency of the instruments. Data analysis involved Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and t-transformation method using SPSS version 24. The findings revealed that positive reinforcement and negative punishment were negatively correlated with truancy behavior, while negative reinforcement and positive punishment were positively correlated with truancy behavior among senior secondary school students in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State. Recommendations included the effective use of positive reinforcement strategies for students exhibiting truancy tendencies to enhance school attendance and cautioned against the use of positive punishment due to its potential harm to truants.