IMPACT OF POLITICAL EDUCATION ON STUDENTS’ POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN ENUGU STATE

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the impact of political education on students’ political participation in Colleges of Education in Enugu state. A survey design was adopted for the study. Two research questions were used to guide the study. Structured questionnaire tagged; “Political Education Impact and Students Political Participations in Colleges of Education” (PEISPPCE), was constructed to seek opinions of respondents (Teachers and Students). The study has population of 500 teachers and students in six (6) Colleges of Education in Enugu state. The teachers were 100 and students were 400. Enumerated census of population of 500 respondents was adopted as the sample. Reliability coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. The findings indicated that Enugu State College of Education (Technical) with (teachers 20% and students 25%) and Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu with (teachers 24% and students 20%) have the highest participation in political programmes in the Colleges of Education. Female students (58.8%) participate more in political activities than male (41.2%). It also showed that political education in Colleges of Education to a high extent influences students’ political participation in Enugu State. However, there are challenges like: political tension, conflict in the society, poverty, family background and belief system, etc. The study recommended that the political programmes in the Colleges of Education should be taken with utmost importance to help improve students’ political participation in schools and beyond.