INFLUENCE OF EDUCATIONAL COST ON THE ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION OF ECONOMICS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITY OF JOS

Abstract

This study examined the influence of educational cost on lecture attendance and class participation of Economics Education students at the University of Jos. The study was motivated by the increasing cost of tertiary education and concerns about its effect on students‘ academic engagement. Two research questions and two corresponding hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population consisted of 173 Economics Education students from 100 to 400 level, and the entire population was used as the sample through the census sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Educational Cost, Class Participation and Attendance Questionnaire (ECCPAQ) developed by the researchers. The instrument was validated by experts in Economics Education and Measurement and Evaluation. Data were collected using Google Forms with the assistance of class representatives and level coordinators. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS Statistics package. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while chi-square (χ²) statistics were used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that educational cost significantly influenced students‘ lecture attendance and class participation. Specifically, high tuition fees, transportation expenses, and the cost of learning materials created financial pressures that affected students‘ ability to attend lectures regularly and participate actively in class activities. Based on the findings, the study recommended that the university management should strengthen financial support mechanisms and improve access to affordable learning resources to enhance students‘ attendance and participation in academic activities