Comparative Effectiveness of Non-Formal Education Strategies in Reducing Social Vices among Nigerian Adolescents: Jingle, Movie and Crusade Initiatives

Abstract

Social vices and restiveness among adolescents pose increasing risks to national security and social stability in Nigeria. non-formal educational strategies, which include the use of jingles, films, and crusades, represent possible behavioural strategies against social vices. However, there is no comparative assessment of the effectiveness of such programmes, especially considering the influence of gender and geographical locations on their efficacy. Therefore, this study aims to compare the effectiveness of jingle, film, and crusade programmes in preventing social vices among adolescents in Nigeria while accounting for the moderating effects of gender and geopolitical locations. The research adopted a mixed methods approach and used a pre-test-post-test quasi-experiment. A sample size of 1,200 adolescents (67% males and 33% females) who had dropped out of school was drawn from all six geopolitical regions of Nigeria. The participants were assigned nonrandomly to three different treatment groups based on the type of intervention: jingles, movies, and crusades. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (α= 0.05), post hoc (Bonferroni) corrections, and partial η². The most common economic survival activities were casual labour (73.9%), vocational skills development (65.9%), and street vending (52.0%). The major perceived cause of youth restiveness were corruption (77.0%), failure of economic policies (76.0%) and poverty (72.0%). The three non-formal education programmes resulted in the significant decrease of social vices in the sample, with the largest effect seen in vices reduction (F(2,1197)=14,451.93, p<0.001, η²=0.969). The jingles intervention had the highest mean post-intervention scores compared to movies and crusades in all categories tested: survival activities (M=74.82), restiveness reduction (M=83.48) and vices curbing (M=64.75). Significant differences were found between all groups (p<0.001). The moderating effect of gender was detected on the variable restiveness reduction (F=4.20, p=0.041), but not on survival activities or vices reduction. Geopolitical location was another moderator for vices reduction (F=4.03, p=0.001); the biggest reduction was noted for North Central. It can be concluded that non-formal education strategies, especially jingles, are effective in preventing social vices. However, gender and geographical location were moderators of specific variables. Therefore, targeted approaches are recommended. For policymakers, it means investing in NFES programmes (mainly jingles), establishing centers for skill development, anti-corruption measures, etc.

Keywords: Non-formal education; adolescent social vices; jingles; Nigeria; quasi- experimental; restiveness