Influence of Scholarship and Entrepreneurship Training Interventions on Widows’Children Educational Attainment in Secondary Schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study sought to determine the influence of scholarship facilities and entrepreneurial
training intervention on educational attainment of widows’ children in secondary schools in
Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used for this study. The
population of the study was 180 widows’ children who were supported by the Children and
Youths Emancipation Network (CYEN) in Akwa Ibom State in the 2021/2022 school year. A
sample size of 150 widow’s children aged 10 to 18 was used for the study. The instrument for
data generation was a questionnaire which had three sections. Section A captured the bio data
of the respondents indicating their status; section B consisted of 15 items under scholarship
provision, and entrepreneurial training, while Section C was made up of 10 items on
educational attainment of widows’ children. The instrument, validated by three lecturers in the
University of Uyo, was structured using a four-point rating scale of Very Strong Influence
(VSI=4points), Strong Influence (SI-3points), Weak Influence (WI=2points), and Very Weak
Influence (VWI=1point). The reliability of the instrument was determined using the Cronbach
alpha statistical tool to analyse data obtained from 30 students who did not participate in the
study but possessed similar characteristics with the respondents. The analysis yielded a
reliability co-efficient of 0.85 which was considered high enough to be used in the study. The
instrument was administered to 150 students. out of this number, 138 copies were correctly
filled and retrieved, thus giving a (92%) return rate. Mean and standard deviation scores were
used in answering the research questions while related t-test was used to test the hypotheses
at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that scholarship provision and
entrepreneurial training offered by CYEN significantly assisted widow’s children in their
educational attainment in Akwa Ibom State. It was therefore concluded that this assistance
would lead to better academic performance, higher educational achievements and reduction
of dropout rates among children of widows.