Socio-Economic Variables and Students' Interest in Christian Religious Studies in Secondary Schools in Uyo Local Government Area

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the relationship between Socio-economic Variables and Students' Interest in learning Christian Religious Studies in Secondary School in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The objectives of this study were to: examine the relationship between parents' religious background, provision of instructional resources, peer group influence and students' interest in Christian Religious Studies. The study also examined the extent to which school ownership influenced students' interest in Christian Religious Studies. Four hypotheses and four research questions were developed in this study. The study adopted survey research design. The sample for the study was five hundred and twenty nine (529) students in selected Secondary Schools using random sampling technique. Socio-economic Variables and Students' Interest Questionnaire (SEVSIQ) was used as validated by experts. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was analyzed using PPMC and a reliability index of 0.65 was obtained. The data collected were analyzed based on the research questions and hypotheses. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC) and mean were used to answer research questions, and PPMC and t-test were used to test the null hypotheses. The findings revealed that there is a positive relationship between parents' religious background and students' interest in Christian Religious Studies. Also, that there is a positive relationship between provision of instructional resources and students' interest in Christian Religious Studies. The findings also revealed that there is moderate relationship between peer group influence and students' interest Christian Religious Studies. In addition, the findings showed that the extent to which school ownership influences students' interest in Christian Religious Studies is slightly high. The study concluded that the interest of learners does not develop in isolation but through interaction with certain variables, such as the Socio-economic variables. The relationship between these variables has great influence on determining the interest of students towards a particular subject. The study recommends that educational institutions should invest in up-to-date textbooks, multimedia resources, and relevant teaching aids. This ensures that students have access to comprehensive materials that support their learning and stimulate their interest in the subject.