Lecturers’ Behavior and Students’ Drive to Learn: A Survey of Students’ Perception in Selected Nigerian Universities

Abstract

This study examined students’ perceptions regarding lecturers’ behavior and drive to learn, specifically focusing on the educational interactions within Nigerian universities. It explored the intricacies of the lectures—student rapport, lecturers’ teaching style, authoritative behavior, supportive style, and lecturer feedback styles—and students’ motivation and overall educational experience. A quantitative approach was implemented in the study, and it employed a survey research methodology. Purposive sampling was utilized to select the area of interest as part of a multistage sampling methodology. Consequently, Nigeria was selected, and all higher institutions within the six geopolitical zones were considered, culminating in the selection of more than 200 universities. Stratified sampling was implemented to select 80 universities from the population, which included private, state, and federal institutions. Furthermore, a random sampling procedure led to selecting 30 universities, which included ten private, ten state, and ten federal universities. In the same vein, 300 students from each stratum were selected through simple random sampling, resulting in a population size of 9,000. Taro Yamane’s formula (1967) was employed to ascertain the sample size, which was 383, and a closed-ended questionnaire was carefully devised and distributed to gather data from the participants. Consequently, the study recommended that universities encourage positive interactions between lecturers and students, emphasize student-centered learning, avoid authoritarian approaches by advocating inclusive practices, provide students with meaningful feedback, and cultivate an environment where students are encouraged to improve themselves continuously.stratum were selected through simple random sampling, resulting in a population size of 9,000. Taro Yamane’s formula (1967) was employed to ascertain the sample size, which was 383, and a closed-ended questionnaire was carefully devised and distributed to gather participant data. Consequently, the study recommended that universities encourage positive interactions between lecturers and students, emphasize student-centered learning, and avoid authoritarian approaches by advocating inclusive practices, providing students with meaningful feedback, and cultivating an environment where students are encouraged to improve themselves continuously.