INFLUENCE OF INSTITUTIONAL ETHICS AND VALUE EDUCATION RE-ENGINEERING ON STAFF AND STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN RIVERS STATE OWNED UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of institutional ethics and value education re-engineering on staff and student 
behaviour in Rivers State owned universities, specifically Rivers State University (RSU) and Ignatius Ajuru 
University of Education (IAUE). The study was guided by three research purpose as three research questions. 
Employing a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of all academic staff in RSU 
and IAUE, estimated at 1,742 lecturers, with approximately 1,050 lecturers in RSU and 692 lecturers in IAUE, 
based on recent staff records. The data were collected from 322 academic staff selected through stratified random 
sampling. The instrument was validated by experts in test and measurement. A reliability index of 0.86 was 
determined using Cronbach’s alpha and a structured questionnaire was used to gather data.  A total of 322 
questionnaires were administered and 266 was successfully retrieved. The research questions were analyzed using 
descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests at a 0.05 significance level to test the hypotheses. Findings 
revealed that all three dimensions were perceived to influence ethical behaviour and compliance to a high extent in 
both universities; however, no statistically significant differences were found between RSU and IAUE lecturers’ 
perceptions. The results underscore the critical role of ethical leadership, clear policy enforcement, and effective 
accountability systems in fostering and sustaining ethical standards in higher education institutions. The study 
recommends strengthening leadership capacity, enhancing policy enforcement and awareness, and improving 
monitoring mechanisms to promote a robust ethical culture within Rivers State universities. These findings 
contribute to the growing body of knowledge on ethics and value education in Nigerian higher education and 
provide evidence-based guidance for policy and institutional reform.