Christian Academic Staff and the Promotion of Ethical Conducts among Lecturers in Colleges of Education in North West Zone Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the role of Christian academic staff in fostering ethical conduct among lecturers in Colleges of Education in the North West Zone of Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted, allowing for the collection of data through a structured questionnaire titled Ethical Conduct and Professionalism Questionnaire (ECPQ), designed on a four-point response scale. The population of the study was 1,384 lecturers, and a proportional sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 710 respondents. The instruments validity was established through face and content validity, while its reliability coefficient index was determined to be 0.81, indicating a high level of consistency. The results revealed a significant role of Christian academic staff in addressing the negative attitude of lecturers towards teaching, Christian academic staff significantly contributed to mitigating extortion among students and enhancing ethical conduct among lecturers. It was concluded that as the presence of Christian academic staff has positive impact on fostering ethical behaviors and professional standards among lecturers, there arose the need to recommend among others that: ethical and moral training should be integrated into the professional development programmes for lecturers, implementation  a strict monitoring and accountability system to address unethical practices, and promotion of mentorship programmes led by Christian academic staff to reinforce professionalism and academic integrity should be the order of the day.