African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
AFRICAN JOURNAL
EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
ISSN: 1116-0382
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2, SEPTEMBER, 2006
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
ATTITUDES AND REACTIONS OF STUDENTS TO THE
OPPOSITE SEX IN SELECTED COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
IN OYO, EKITI AND ONDO STATES OF NIGERIA
Oyesegun O. Oyerinde, Ph.D.
Abstract
The study investigated the attitudes and reactions of students in selected Colleges of Education in Oyo, Ekiti and
Ondo States of Nigeria to sex and cohabitation with the opposite sex. In all, 300 subjects who volunteered
were used from three of such institutions. The data for the study were collected through a questionnaire
designed to elicit responses on how students felt about sex and cohabitation with the opposite sex. The
percentage mean and standard deviation of the scores were used to analyze all data collected. The results of
the study showed that the attitudes of college students in the selected colleges towards cohabitation with the
opposite sex was positive. A 59.70%positive mean score revealed this fact. Also, the 85%positive response
level of the subjects showed that they saw sex as a means of recreation. Based on the findings, it was
concluded that college students' attitude towards sex and cohabitation was that of permissiveness and
cordiality. To a large extent their attitude towards members of the opposite sex are those of friendliness,
modesty and tolerance. It was therefore suggested that the involvement of psycho-counsellors in the students'
affairs department of colleges of Education will help to improve further their attitudes toward sex and
members of the opposite sex. Frequent research to help determine the fluctuations in the habits of students
was also suggested. It was further recommended that aspects of sex education that will equip college students
with tools of meeting the rigours of complex marriage life should be introduced into the students' course
curriculum.
Introduction and Statement of the Problem
Recent events in the society have shown that there is increasing awareness for sex education.
Parliaments, churches, departments of government, and professional bodies like the Nigeria
School Health Association are alive to the debate on the significance of the vital aspects of human
sexuality to the total education of the individual.
Loud calls are being made for legalized abortion all over the world. Also, arguments are
thriving for the protection of the female species against their male counterparts because the
later lack respect, responsibility and understanding for the former (Anderson 1987, and
Bearinger 1990). Both male and female species of homo-sapiens are in the wonderful work of
reproducing their kind, but what one finds is the male trying to shun his responsibilities, thus
giving rise to numerous unmarried mothers, abandoned children, unmarried fathers and illegal
abortions. This lack of responsibility on the part of the male is often traced to selfish disposition
towards the female. The trend above results in a high incidence of cold war between the male and the
female humans. Besides, the renowned women liberation movement is directly connected
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
with this fact. This attitude of women movement liberation and other situations mentioned are
known to be pronounced in schools and colleges.
Trained observation and previous works show that some people have some undesirable
traits. Coles & Stokes (1985), Thomas, Paul and Walton (2001) and Hocking, Turkk and Ellinger
(1999) confirm certain personality characteristics manifest themselves as indicators of socially
unacceptable behaviour. Some people have pronounced short-comings that constitute discernible
attitudes towards people of the opposite sex. These attitudes are displayed when both sexes mix
together as in educational institutions. There are instances of sex abuse, selfishness and
withdrawal Burt and Brower 1975 and Friedman (1992) maintained that while some displaced
people demonstrate gross undesirable traits, others are felt confident and comfortable with the
opposite sex. The study tried to identify the sexual behaviour of both male and female student
teachers in the Colleges selected and what types of interpersonal relationships exist between them.
The study used six variables that include confidence, anxiety, withdrawal, sex abuse, sexual
feelings and ideals about the sex act.
Moreover, the study ascertained the attitude types and how these are related to the
subjects' background such as family type, education,, exposure, sex and ethnic group.
Review of Literature
Behavioural Patterns: Surveys conducted by Anderson (1994) showed desirable traits
cherished by both male and female students. The females are normally attracted by masculinity
while the males are attracted by femininity. Other traits that are common to both sexes are
friendliness, honesty, indulgence, dependability, tolerance, hunour, and modesty. He stressed that
although direct indexes are not available to predict male-female compatibility, there is a great
assurance that college students with good qualities have a great deal in their favour.
As far as undesirable traits are concerned, every individual has some imperfections. Some
have such that are generally not good habits or attitudes for cohabitation both in single and
mixed colleges. These unfavourable traits may manifest themselves in varying forms and
degrees. Common in the Colleges as proved by evidence from major surveys carried out by
Anderson (1987), Anderson (1994) and Kinsey (1948), (1953) are cases of aversion,
tactlessness, unrestrained impulsiveness, emotional instability, boisterousness and
hypersensitivity. However, no single person experiences all the above, but several of these may
appear in a man.
Socio-Economic Influences on Sexual Behaviour and Cohabitation
There is an awareness that campus students are a plurality of persons with different socio-
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
economic statuses. These statuses have their effects on individual behaviours towards members of
the opposite sex.
Research has shown that male children from illiterate, Muslim and other non-Christian
homes alike look on members of the opposite sex as instruments for proliferation of children and
servants who should be seen and not heard. Also, it has been proved that children, especially
females that live in government reservation areas, exhibit initial reservations in their attitudes
towards members of the opposite sex. This attitude is however quickly replaced by overt
behaviour towards sex and members of the opposite sex because of the sudden freedom and
distance from home and parents on admission into college. The case is reported worse with
children that have lived their lives in the central business districts (CBD) of cities. They find an
atmosphere in the college that encourage their permissiveness (Elias 1969, National College
Health Risk Behaviour Survey 1996 and Mervat, Nasr and Ahmed 1998).
There are many such studies pointing to differences in behaviours of people as a result of
their socio-economic status. However, Kinsey (1948) found that female attitudes towards
members of the opposite sex do not vary significantly with social class in terms of coital
experience though differences may occur as regards time of first coital experience and that females
of lower socio-economic class begins coitus earlier in life than females in the high class. Reiss
(1970) in his own study stated that there is no significant difference between social class levels and
sexual permissiveness. A point of agreement in these studies is in the male, where socio-economic
status leads to a significant difference in sex behaviour. This is true in view of the fact that male
children experience less control from their parents. This difference in family ties has different
influences on coital behaviours amongst male and female children. Moreover, males do engage in
sex before marriage without strong parental disproval but the female is expected to be chaste.
Kinsey's data showed 42% male experience to 20% female experience of sex.
Educational Influences on Sexual Behaviour and Cohabitation
Attitude towards sex and members of the opposite sex is greatly influenced by
educational level. Ease of interaction is improved, females are seen as equals and their personalities
are better understood. Also, time of first coitus is greatly affected by education especially among
females where it has been found that low educated females enjoy coitus earlier than their female
counterparts from highly educated homes (Kinsey 1948, Elias 1969 and Reiss 1970).
Cultural Influences on sexual Behaviour and Cohabitation
Much has been written about the role of the church on living together by members of both
sexes. According to Thomas, Paul & Walton (2001) writers and researchers have also found that the
contextual ethics centre on abstinence. It is their consensus that it is a sin to taste of sex before
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
marriage. Evidences are available to show that there is a close positive relationships between piety
and sex habits. Kinsey (1953) discovered that arduous males and females especially, experience
coitus later in life than inactive peers in religion. When involved in sex, their experiences are
fewer.
Ethnicity is another cultural factor that influences sexual habits and behaviours. Nasr,
Hamed and Mervat (1998) confirms that all over the world, attraction to one's ethic group in the
choice of partners is significant. He added that a relationship between sex desire and ethnicity
exists. Blacks were found to have more and earlier sex than whites. There is the rush for
members of the same town or state or creed to the extent that sex are seriously affected by this
factor especially in the choice of friends and marital partners.
In the same study, it was found that black were found to have more and earlier sex than
whites on the percentile analysis made. A ratio of 49% of blacks to 20% of whites who are involved
in early sex was found. Another premise for this inference is the fact that most homes are
matriarchal in nature. The above clearly indicated that there exists a relationship between sex
habits and cohabitation with members of the opposite sex and ethnicity.
Methods and Procedure
The target population of 300 students were randomly selected from the Colleges of
Education in Ondo; Adeyemi College of Education (A.C.E.), Ekiti State College of Education
(ODSCE) and Osun State College of Education (O.S.C.E.) These colleges were selected on the
grounds that they are major colleges of education with established campuses in the areas under
study. Also the colleges have mixed population of male and female students living within the
same campus premises. This factor is a major parameter for the study.
The sample population was made up of randomly selected students who were at the
premises of the academic block areas getting ready for lectures in education which are core courses
in the chosen institutions for all students. This made it possible for the author to capture the
gross population of interest from which the target sample was selected. At A.C.E. and O.S.C.E.,
the 100 sample each comprised parts II and III students resident at the Adeyemi College and
O.S.C.E. campuses respectively. While the 100 sample at E.S.C.E. comprised 100 part III
students. This was necessary because E.S.C.E. runs a whole year teaching practice for the part
II students which made it difficult to reach the students. The emphasis on parts II and III
students of the chosen colleges was based on the thinking that this class of student can duely be
considered to have "passed through their institutions" i.e. imbibed some of the social culture of
their campuses.
A questionnaire with 10 items developed by the researcher and validated by three
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
other professional colleagues in Health education was utilized in collecting data for the study.
Items on the questionnaire were designed to elicit responses especially on how the respondent
felt about cohabitation with the opposite sex.
The development of the questionnaire and the investigation were guided by some
underlying assumptions. It was assumed that student in the selected colleges have certain
attitudes. That these attitude could pose social problems when negative or facilitate social
interaction when positive. That the attitudes are influenced by certain factors and that college of
education students engage in sex freely and before marriage.
All data and information gathered were scored, analyzed and discussed in percentage mean
scores and standard deviation (S.D.). It was implied from the percentage positive mean score of
59.7% with a S.D. of 291 that the normal score contributing to positive attitude should be four.
within (59.7-29.6) to (59.7 + 29.6) range i.e. 30.10% to 89.30% while abnormal scores
contributing to negative attitude should be four. within (22.66 - 22.2) to (22.66 + 22.2) range
where 22.66 = percentage Negative mean and 22.2 = S.D. of percentage Negative mean.
Findings and Discussion
Table 1: Shows the demographic factors that may influence the attitudes of college
students towards sex and cohabitation with member of the opposite sex.
Table 1:
ITEM
FAMILY TYPE
DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS THAT MAY INFLUENCE STUDENTS' ATTITUDE
TOWARDS SEX AND MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX ON CAMPUS
Monogamy
Polygamy
Pseudo monogamy
No response
Literate home
FREQUENCY
24
180
90
162
PERCENTAGE
8.00
60.0
30.00
LDI ICATIONAL
Illiterate home
Semi literate home
No response
108
30
"
36.00
BACKGROUND
EXPOSURE
Mixed School
240
80.0
60 186
48
20.00
02.00
16.00
SEX
Single Sex School
Large Families
Early Sex
No early Sex
Male
192
64.00
Female
Yoruba
Others
108
256
42
36.00
86.00
14.00
FAMILY
TRIBE
54.00
10.00
64% of the target group are males while 36% are females. All the samples are mainly Nigerians
with only 14% of them being non-Yoruba speaking indigenes.
64% of the target group are males while 36% are females. All the samples are mainly Nigerians with
14% of them being non-Yoruba speaking indigenes.
The different home backgrounds of the population of interest is typical of Nigerian
indigenous homes. Sixty percentage hail from polygamous homes, thirty percent from monogamous
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
but with extra-marital affairs on the part of the fathers, while eight percent of the subjects hail from
purely monogamous homes.
The table also shows that the sample have ample exposure to enable them interact and
relate with members of the opposite sex. 80% of them attended mixed secondary schools and 62%
are from large families comprising children of mixed sexes. Also, 162 subjects (54%) come from
literate homes, 108 (36%) are offspring's of semiliterate homes.
An interesting finding is that only 16% of the sample as shown in Table 1 believed in early
sex and actually experienced early sex. This may be related to the findings of Kinsey, (1940) that
portions of the lower educational group accept premarital and early sex as natural". The
correspondingly low percentage of students from illiterate homes to those of literate homes agree
with the 16% of early sex to the 68% of not having sex early. This finding is interesting because the
low figure of 16% early sex contradicts the initial assumption that students from polygamous
homes and who are greatly exposed to interaction and intermingling with members of the
opposite sex, will support early sex. It also does not corroborate the discovery of the United
States National Health Risk Behaviour Survey (1996 where a 31°oof regular and early sex was
found on campus probably because of cultural difference and students' type differences.
Table 2:
COLLEGE STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEX AND
COHABITATION WITH MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX ON
CAMPUS
X
ITEM
Feel
self
confident
Feel
Comfortable
Feel Anxious
Feel Uneasy
Feel sex is
mutual
Feel Sex is
Recreation
Feel Selfish
about sex
Support Sex
before marriage
Feel the Male
is stronger
Experienced
Sex
before
marriage
EXYZ
Mean XYZ
S.D.X.Y.Z.
Frequency % "A, of
of ' +
attitude
attitude
192
64
+
v
Frequency of % nf
attitude
-attitude
attitude
54
18.0'
54
Z
%
of
Neutral
attitude
18.00
* Frequency
Neutral
226
75.33
60
20.00
14
4.66
63
48
255
21.00
16.00
85.00
198
192
45
66.00
64
39
60
13.00
20.00
255
85.00
-
45
15.00
45
174
58.00
60
264
88.00
271
90.00
597
59.70
29.6
15. on
-s
45
15
15.00
210
70.00
20.00
88
22.00
:-r
29
12.00
9.66
277.66
22.66
22.22
174.66
19.00
+ = — Positive % = percentage
Y = Negative Response
—Negative
X = Positive Response Z = Neutral Response
The fact that attitudes of colleges of education students in the selected institutions towards
members of the opposite sex is positive is shown in Table 2. This finding is similar with what
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
was found among college students in a release of the department of Education (1995) where a
45% satisfaction among boys and 60% satisfaction among girls was reported. This finding may have
been influenced by the significant others. Most of the sample, infact 62% come from large families
with both sexes present and 80% of them had their post primary education in mixed schools. This
means that a majority of them have the occasions to interact with members of the opposite sex early
in life and so have no problem when they become college students. The response pattern reflects
positive attitudes towards their counterparts when asked how they feel in the midst of members
of the opposite sex. 64% stated confidence, 75% said the felt comfortable while only 21% and
16% expressed the negative feelings of anxiety and unease respectively. Equally, the findings
reflect that college students' attitudes and reactions toward sex and members of the opposite sex
are influenced by the significant others. As to the College students' reaction to sexual
relationship, 85% feel that sex should be free, mutual and enjoyed by members of both sexes with
none being exploited, while 15% felt selfish about sex. This contradicts the finding of Starke and
Friedrich (1984) in West Germany that girls were afraid of sex because of the terrible stories told
to them about sex. This may mean that rape stories are not common to College students in the
selected colleges of education. However, it upholds the assumption that College of Education
Students participate in sex as a recreation especially if the 85% of agreed opinion on sex before
marriage is anything to go by. In a similar survey of 1,752 students, 79% had sex daily, 31% 2-3
times a week and 13 once a month. This shows a free sporty involvement in sex. Of course, it
was found that a pious group of 20% feel that sex should be delayed until after marriage while
22% expressed opinions of neutrality. 88% of the sample agreed that the male sex is the stronger
sex. Only 12% of all females felt that all are equal. It is clear through these data that women
liberation is not popular in the Colleges of education in Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo States of Nigeria.
Summary and Conclusion
The author looked at various works that have been done on habits of' campus students as
they relate to sex and cohabitation. It was revealed that liberal sex is practiced because most
campuses are permissive and the students have the feeling of freedom from home and they suffer no
adulthood obligations to anybody. The fact that college authorities seem not bother themselves
by what goes on among the students appears to encourage them to cultivate this attitude. College
deans are the last to turn to or be involved in problems dealing with sexual behaviours of
Campus students except it has grown to the extent of requiring disciplinary action (Kinsey
1948,1953, Kirkendel 1965, Reiss 1970).
The views expressed above tally with what obtains at the Colleges of education selected
for the study. Though, some groups shy away from liberal sex and uncontrolled interaction between
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
the two sexes, a larger group thinks that there is nothing wrong in this habit. Also, it was
discovered that the significant others affect and influence attitudes of students towards sex habits
and cohabitation with members of the opposite sex. The factors relevant to the study include:
The home, the school and religion.
The study concludes that college students' attitudes towards sex and cohabitation is that
of permissiveness and cordiality and to a large extent, their attitudes towards members of the
opposite sex are positive rather than negative. Friedman (1992) had also found a substantial
level of maturity and sexual behaviour among adolescent subjects.
Recommendations:
Based on the findings, the following recommendations are named:
1.
Students'
could
the
be
attitudes
further
services
individual
towards
improved
of
sexual
members
if
Health
the
of
College
the
opposite
heads
could
employ
Through
this.]
Counsellors.
Problems
of
students
can
be
sex
discussed
and solved.
2.
Frequent
flunctuations
research
in
should
the
habits
be
encouraged
of
students
to
determine
and
results
the
made
known to student, staff and authority.
3.
4.
College
student
deans
'should
develop
machinery's
to
detect
sex
problems
among
college
students
and
come
up with strategies for assuaging them.
A study into the
sex
life
of
the
Nigerian
people
to
match
those
carried
out in USA and East Germany is recommended.
Aspects
of
sex
education
that
will
equip
College
students
with
tools
of
meeting
the
rigours
of
complex
marriage
life
should
be
introduced
into
the
students'
course
curriculum.
African Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 Sept., 2006
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