Godswill Alhassan Moses

  Objective: Corruption in higher education institutions poses a significant threat to students' ethical standards and spiritual well-being. In Taraba State, Nigeria, concerns have been raised about increasing incidences of unethical behaviors among academic staff and students. The study aimed to examine the influence of corrupt practices on the moral and spiritual development of students in tertiary institutions in Taraba State. Methods: A descriptive survey research design was employed. The study population consisted of approximately 17,000 students. Using purposeful sampling, 200 students were selected based on their accessibility, willingness to participate, and relevance to the study’s focus. Data were collected using a structured instrument titled Corrupt Practices, Students’ Moral and Spiritual Development Questionnaire (CPSMDQ) , which demonstrated a reliability coefficient of 0.69 based on the Cronbach alpha method. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to address the research questions, and the Chi-square test was applied to test the hypothesis at the 0.05 level of significance. Results: Findings indicated a high prevalence of corrupt practices such as examination malpractice and sexual harassment. These behaviors significantly compromised students’ moral and spiritual development, contributing to the erosion of traditional values, reduced appreciation for diligence and creativity, and increased involvement in prostitution and sexual exploitation. Conclusion: Corruption has a detrimental impact on the moral and spiritual growth of students in higher institutions. The study recommends that SERVICOM and institutional anti-corruption units be empowered and supported to investigate, monitor, and sanction corrupt practices within academic environments

  Objective : The increasing demands of the teaching profession, especially in private schools, have made work-related stress a major contributor to the decline of mental well-being among teachers. Understanding the relationship between work stress and mental well-being is crucial in order to help teachers deal with this overwhelming problem. This study examined work stress as a correlate of mental well-being among private secondary school teachers, and to assess whether gender, marital status, and teaching experience moderate this relationship. Methods : A descriptive correlational research design was adopted for this study. The target population of the study was 1,253 private school teachers and a sample of size of 424 private school teachers was utilised using stratified random sampling method. The instruments utilised for data collection are the School Teachers Job Stressor Scale (STJSS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed a significant negative correlation between work stress and mental well-being (r = -0.767, p < 0.001). Gender significantly moderated the relationship (β = .187, p < 0.001), with male teachers showing greater susceptibility. Marital status (β = -0.191, p < 0.001) and teaching experience (β = .187, p < 0.001) also significantly moderated the relationship, indicating that married and less experienced teachers were more negatively affected by work stress. Conclusion : The study concludes that high work stress significantly diminishes the mental well-being of private school teachers, with the magnitude of this impact varying significantly across demographic variables such as gender, marital status, and years of teaching experience.