Factors motivating female adult learners enrolment in Nigeria tertiary institution - A study of Lagos State University, Nigeria

Oct 15, 2026

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Education is framed as a process of critical awareness that enables effective action, yet women’s educational prospects face added barriers from negative parental attitudes toward female education. The study investigates factors motivating female adult learners’ enrolment in Nigerian tertiary institutions, with emphasis on women education and enrolment patterns by gender. Guided by formulated research questions, data from 100 randomly selected respondents were analyzed using frequency tables, percentages, and chi-square.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

Need for women education

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 3(4), pp. 238-245, November 2015 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Factors motivating female adult learners enrolment in Nigeria tertiary institution: A study of Lagos State University, Nigeria Saula Ayinla Shamsideen School of Education, Department of Foundation and Administration, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education OttoIjanikin, Lagos State, Nigeria. Accepted 3 November, 2015 | ABSTRACT
Education is the process of becoming critically aware of one’s reality in a manner that leads to effective action upon it. The plight of women, in terms of education is further compounded by the negative attitude of parents toward female education. Some parents are usually reluctant to send their girl child for formal education especially to higher levels like their male counterpart. The writer examined factors motivating female adult learners’ enrolment in Nigeria tertiary institution. The purpose of the study was to examine the concept of tertiary education in Nigeria, assess women education, find out the rate of enrolment between male and female students and highlight the problems facing tertiary institutions considering enrolment of female adult learners in Nigeria. Research questions were formulated for the study and the instrument used for the study was questionnaire. One hundred respondents comprising of female adult learners were randomly selected from Lagos State University in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State for data collection. Data were analyzed using frequency tables, percentages and Chi-square. It was suggested in the paper that for optimal national development, women who are the first teachers in the family set up should be provided with adequate and functional education (or literacy) . It was argued that provision of functional education to the women folk would enable them to make additional contributions towards public life, social, economic, and moral development of the family and by extension the nation.
Keywords: Motivation, female education, adult learners, enrolment. | | --- | | E-mail: [saula5050@yahoo.com. Tel:](saula5050@yahoo.com. Tel:) +2348028389464. | INTRODUCTION Education is the process of becoming critically aware of one’s reality in a manner that leads to effective action upon it. An educated man or woman understands his or her world well enough to deal with it effectively. Such men or women if they existed in sufficient numbers would not leave the absurdities of the present world unchanged. In the opinion of Edukugho (2002) cited in Imogie (2002), the prosperity of a country depends not on the abundance of its revenue, nor the strength of its fortifications, but on the number of its cultivated citizens, men and women of education, enlightenment and character. The Federal Government of Nigeria has adopted education as an instrument per excellence for effecting national development (NPE, 1998) . The implication is that government realizes the importance of education as a veritable tool for national development. Thus, the policy guidance of the NPE asserts that: Education will continue to be highly rated in the national development plans, because education is the most important instrument of change, as any fundamental change in the intellectual social outlook of any society has to be preceded by an educational revolution (NPE, 1998:8) . Specifically, the national policy on women section 6.1.3 submits that: For (the) Nigerian women to enjoy the full benefits of contemporary living, they require basic education to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country. Government shall in this regard increase girls and women’s participation in education irrespective of their location and circumstances (p. 17) . It can be said therefore that the main focus of government education agenda is to bring about optimal development of its human resources, which, put in another word, is a viable source of human capital. This

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

To examine the concept of tertiary education in Nigeria, assess women education, determine enrolment rates between male and female students, and highlight problems facing tertiary institutions regarding female adult learners.

How were data collected and analyzed?

The study used a questionnaire. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected female adult learners and analyzed using frequency tables, percentages, and chi-square.

Why does the paper emphasize women education?

Functional and adequate education for women is presented as essential for enabling them to contribute to public life and the social, economic, and moral development of families and the nation.

Oct 15, 2026

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