RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NIGERIAN STUDENTS' VALUES AND EDUCATIONAL GOALS IN SCIENCE AND NON-SCIENCE MAJORS WITHIN THE CONSORTIUM OF UNIVERSITIES OF WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA

This study was conducted to determine any relationship which may exist between Nigerian students' values and educational goals in science and non-science majors within the Consortium of Universities of Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. Methodology. Nigerian Students' Values and Educational Goals Survey was administered to 485 Nigerian undergraduates in six institutions within the Consortium during the fall semester of 1982. A parallel survey was conducted among seventy randomly selected American undergraduate students at The American University, Washington, D.C. Sample populations for both groups consisted of all four classes of undergraduate students. The Nigerian student sample consisted of 166 Science and Non-Science majors drawn randomly from all survey respondents in the six institutions within the Consortium. The American students' sample consisted of fifty-six students out of seventy randomly selected domestic students. Survey responses were coded and analyzed through the application of percentage, frequency distribution, rank-order, Spearman rank correlation coefficient, and Chi Square test. All hypotheses were tested at 0.01 level of significance. Findings and Conclusions. All Nigerian students responding endorsed (1) being Ambitious, Honest and Intellectual as their principal instrumental values, (2) Vocational Training, Basic General Education, and Knowledge in Community Problems as the principal educational goals, and (3) Economic Security, Career, and Personal Identity as their principal life satisfactions. There was no sufficient evidence to conclude that Nigerian Science and Non-Science majors differed significantly on values, educational goals and life satisfactions. A considerable agreement was found for both groups in all three categories (values, educational goals and life satisfactions). Significant differences existed between Nigerian Freshmen and Seniors on instrumental values, educational goals and life satisfactions. Freshmen were more concerned than Seniors with Cleanliness, Honesty, Obedience, Politeness, Knowledge in Community Problems, Religion and Home Improvement. They were less concerned than Seniors with being Broadminded, Imaginative and Intellectual. They assigned lesser priorities than Seniors to Basic General Education and Art/Intellectual activities. The investigator postulated that these differences might have occurred because of some aspects of college life. American students like their Nigerian counterparts valued Economic Security, Career, and Personal Identity as their primary sources of life satisfactions. However, Career and Family were more popular among Domestic students.