MADURAI KAMARAJ UNIVERSITY P.MAJHI... · 2020. 7. 13. · DEBENDRA P. MAJHI (Reg. No.P4621) GUIDE Co-GUIDE Dr. S. JENEFA Dr. A. MUTHUMANICKAM Head & Chairperson Dean, Faculty of Humanities

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF THE HIGHER

EDUCATION STUDENTS TOWARDS ANTI-CORRUPTION

Thesis submitted to Madurai Kamaraj University

in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the

award of the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

By

DEBENDRA P. MAJHI

(Reg. No.P4621)

GUIDE Co-GUIDE

Dr. S. JENEFA Dr. A. MUTHUMANICKAM Head & Chairperson Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Languages Department of Journalism & Professor & Head Mass Communication Department of Education Madurai Kamaraj University Madurai Kamaraj University

DEPARTMENT JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATION

MADURAI KAMARAJ UNIVERSITY

MADURAI – 625 021.

AUGUST – 2019

1

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF THE HIGHER

EDUCATION STUDENTS TOWARDS ANTI-CORRUPTION

SYNOPSIS

NEED FOR THE STUDY

Education develops our personality, shapes our character. It makes

us mannered and cultured. It expands the intellect of mind. It helps us to

stand on our own feet. It develops a feeling of self-reliance and self-

confidence. It inculcates the quality of leadership. It makes us gregarious

and co-operative. It promotes team spirit. It generates patience and leads

us to perfection. It controls our mind and heart leading to overall self-

control. It takes us from dark to light, from untruth to truth and from wrong

to right. It is the cornerstone of democracy and the soul of an egalitarian

society. Further, it motivates the right kind of attitudes and values in the

individuals to fulfill their social obligations.

Any observable and measurable incidence has direct bearing

with the complex cognitive process of understanding, reasoning,

perception building and the process of knowledge acquisition. The

incremental development of the process forms the psychology of meta-

epistemology. Therefore, knowledge is used in everyday activities through

inference of facts determined by experimentations. The situated

knowledge is, in contrast, is specific to a particular situation or context.

2

Knowledge formed through such means and the attitude developed in the

process is manifested in practice due to such situational knowledge.

Understanding and critically thinking about the attitude and situational

knowledge of the students in the learning and practicing framework can

reveal manifestations of such situational knowledge in the actual activities.

Corruption is considered a major disadvantage to development.

Corruption generally means a misuse of public office for personal gain.

Corruption is a misconduct and is one form of social ills. In fact corruption

has to do with matters of morality, rudeness and circumstances, positions

in government agencies or apparatuses, abuses of power in office for

granting, economic and political factors, and the placement of families or

classes into official service under the authority his position. Institutions also

have a strong impact and impact on the development process, as well as

affecting economic growth. Various institutions such as law, media,

corruption control and effective government are the prerequisites for

developing the economy. So the weakness of the law and inconsistent in

committing to lead to poor institutions and corruption. Yet an active society

can seek to protest the abuse of corrupt power. To reduce the level of

corruption, the government has made a lot of effort by developing

regulations such as government institutions.

3

In the recent past, anti-corruption initiatives have broadened to

directly involve the private sector, which plays a central role in the supply

of corruption; and civil society, because of the importance of

whistleblowing in exposing this largely covert phenomenon.

The role of education and academia in the fight against corruption is

multidimensional. The academic community, being the best informed and

well perceived lot, has academic as well as societal duty to assimilate,

disseminate, share, inform and educate the society through their day to

day interaction. Teachers and students are the role models and the society

look upon them with trust and respect. The academic community should

avail this opportunity for the above mentioned purpose. They prescribe

curriculum, set teaching-learning pedagogy, device co-curricular activities

and take affirmative actions in the field of education which is the perfect

breeding ground to create an anticorruption perspective in the minds of the

participating students community. Instead of confinement within that

particular community, such perspectives are transmitted to their peer

groups and neighborhoods resulting an anticorruption mood and

atmosphere in the society. Public education and creation of awareness is

one of the pivotal tools that may be part of most powerful anti-corruption

strategies attempting to establish new institutions and measures relying on

public trust and inputs. Access to information and dissemination of the

4

same through education and awareness training is therefore a powerful

tool to mobilize civil society through public education.

The issue of fight against corruption has become center stage which

the teacher unions have increasingly started addressing these days. The

main agenda is how to fight corruption in education and how to equip the

students through education to fight against corruption in and outside the

fields of education. Many teacher organisations make different in-service

programmes available for their members. Some of these programmes are

on trade union matters and others on professional issues. Issues to

address corruption through education could be integrated in both these

types of programmes. There are also other ways in which teacher

organisations can deal with these issues. Many organisations have, in

recent years, been involved in discussions on professional standards and

professional ethics. Fighting corruption is certainly a part of that

discussion. It is important for teacher organisations to explore different

types of actions, given as under, which can be taken in order to fight

corruption (“The global programme against corruption”, (2004, UN Anti-

Corruption Tool Kit).

(i) Promoting professional ethics;

(ii) Organizing and supporting training activities; and

(iii) Pressing for the inclusion of anti-corruption education in the

curriculum.

5

In this context, higher education institutions can play a major role in

fighting corruption, both in their capacity as institutions of higher education

that touch the lives of future leaders and as large organizations with

substantial economic footprints. . In this context the researcher wants to

know the level of knowledge, attitude and practice about anti-corruption.

Hence the need for the present study which is entitled “Knowledge,

Attitude and Practice of the Higher Education Students towards

Anti-Corruption”

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Globally, the World Economic Forum has estimated that the cost of

corruption is about US$2.6 trillion a year. The impacts of corruption

disproportionately affect the most vulnerable people in society.

Widespread corruption deters investment, weakens economic growth and

undermines the rule of law.

Corruption has traditionally been treated as a legal issue and

consequently as a problem for the public sector to solve through law

making and law enforcement. This approach has failed. It has proved both

ineffective, because public officials are typically on the receiving end of

corruption and therefore less likely to effectively oppose it the more corrupt

the country is; and inadequate, because corruption doesn‟t boil down to

law enforcement, but profoundly undermines economic and human

development. The present researcher has been working in the Central

6

Government office for the last two decades. As a citizen of India, the

researcher wants to know the level of knowledge, attitude and practice

about anti-corruption among the higher education students, particularly.

Hence the need for the present study, which is entitled “Knowledge,

Attitude and Practice of the Higher Education Students towards

Anti-Corruption”

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Knowledge on Anti-

corruption

: refers to the facts, information, and skills

acquired through experience or

education on anti-corruption among the

higher education students.

Attitude towards Anti-

corruption

: refers to mental disposition of positive or

negative opinion towards anti-corruption

among the higher education students

Practice towards Anti-

corruption

: refers to the getting opinion towards anti-

corruption on the basis of given life

oriented situations among the higher

education students

Higher Education

Students

: refer to those who are studying UG/PG

programmes in Arts and Science

Colleges in Madurai District affiliated to

Madurai Kamaraj University.

7

VARIABLES OF THE STUDY

The study has been designed with the following variables:

Dependent Variables

Knowledge on anti-corruption

Attitude towards anti-corruption

Practice towards anti-corruption

Independent Variables

1. Gender : Male / Female

2. Types of Institution : Autonomous / Non-autonomous

3. Course of study : UG Degree / PG Degree

4. Subject of study : Arts Group / Science Group

5. Institution locality : Rural / Urban

6. Institution Type : Government & Aided / Private

7. Institution kind : Unisex colleges / Mixed colleges

8. Type of Family : Nuclear family / Joint family

9. Nativity of the student : Rural / Urban

10. Volunteers in NCC/NSS : Yes / No

11. Participation in social

Awareness Programme : Yes / No

12. Participation in relief

Activities during Natural disaster : Yes / No

13. Membership in Political Parties : Yes / No

8

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The specific objectives of the present study are as follows:

1. To construct and standardize a scale on Knowledge on Anti-

corruption among higher education students.

2. To measure the level of Knowledge on Anti-corruption among


3. To find out whether there is a significant difference in

Knowledge on anti-corruption in terms of select independent

variables among higher education students.

4. To construct and standardize a scale on Attitude towards Anti-

corruption among higher education students.

5. To measure the level of Attitude towards Anti-corruption

among higher education students.

6. To find out whether there is a significant difference in Attitude

towards anti-corruption in terms of select independent


7. To construct and standardize a scale on Practice towards

Anti-corruption among higher education students.

8. To measure the level of Practice towards Anti-corruption

among higher education students.

9

9. To find out whether there is a significant difference in Practice

towards anti-corruption in terms of select independent


10. To find out the relationship between Knowledge on anti-

corruption, attitude towards anti-corruption and practice

towards anti-corruption among higher education students.

HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

The following hypotheses were formulated for the present study:

1. Higher education students possess average level of

Knowledge on anti-corruption.

2. Each of the independent variables exerts a significant

influence on Knowledge on anti-corruption among higher

education students.

3. Higher education students possess average level of attitude

towards anti-corruption.


influence on attitude towards anti-corruption among higher

education students.

5. Higher education students possess average level of practice


10


influence on practice towards anti-corruption among higher

education students.

7. There is a significant positive relationship between Knowledge

on anti-corruption, attitude towards anti-corruption and

practice towards anti-corruption among higher education

students.

METHODOLOGY- IN -BRIEF

Design : Descriptive

Method : Normative

Technique : Survey

Sample

A stratified representative sample of 1360 higher education students

who are studying UG/PG in Arts and Science Colleges in Madurai District.

Tools

1) Scale on Knowledge on Anti-corruption constructed and

Standardized by Debendra P.Majhi and Jenefa, S &

Muthumanickam, A. (2018).

2) Scale on Attitude towards Anti-corruption constructed and

standardized by Debendra P.Majhi and Jenefa, S &


11

3) Inventory on Practice towards Anti-corruption constructed and

Standardized by Debendra P.Majhi and Jenefa, S &


4) General Information Schedule.

Statistical treatments

The statistical treatments employed in the study are listed below.

a) Test of significance of difference between the means of large

independent samples („t‟-test).

b) Pearson‟s Product Moment correlation („r‟)

DELIMITATION AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY

There may be more number of variables influencing the knowledge,

attitude and practice towards anti-corruption among higher education

students. But only thirteen variables are taken for the present study. This is

delimitation of the present study.

The population of the present study is Higher education students.

Since higher education students of Madurai District could be considered

as a mini replica of the State of Tamil Nadu in terms of socio-economic-

cultural and educational contexts. Hence the researcher selected only

fifteen Arts & Science Colleges in Madurai District affiliated to Madurai

Kamaraj University. There are other college students like Engineering,

12

Medical, Law, Colleges of Education etc. This is yet another delimitation of

the present study

It is expected that the present study would throw light on the

knowledge, attitude and practice towards anti-corruption among the higher

education students and also would be enlighten the future research

scholars to carry out more studies in this area.

The next chapter deals with the Review of Related Literature.

HYPOTHESES VERIFICATION

1. Higher education students possess average level of Knowledge

on anti-corruption.

The empirical average score of Knowledge on anti-corruption among

higher education students is found to be 11.80, while the theoretical

average is 12. This shows that Knowledge on anti-corruption among higher

education students is below the average level. In other way it may stated

that the higher education students do not have adequate knowledge on

anti-corruption.

Hence Hypothesis is Rejected.

2. Each of the independent variables exerts a significant influence

on Knowledge on anti-corruption among higher education

students.

13

Out of 13 variables involved in this study, 11 variables exert a

significant influence on Knowledge on anti-corruption among higher

education students.

Hence Hypothesis is Substantially Accepted.

3. Higher education students possess average level of attitude


The empirical average score of attitude towards anti-corruption

among higher education students is found to be 50.90, while the

theoretical average is 48. This shows that attitude towards anti-

corruption among higher education students is above the average level.

It may be stated that the higher education students have positive

attitude towards anti-corruption.

Hence Hypothesis is Accepted


on attitude towards anti-corruption among higher education

students.

Out of 13 variables involved in this study, 11 variables exerts

a significant influence on Attitude towards anti-corruption among


Hence Hypothesis is Substantially Accepted

14

5. Higher education students possess average level of practice


The empirical average score of practice towards anti-corruption

among higher education students is found to be 20.37, while the

theoretical average is 24. This shows that practice towards anti-

corruption among higher education students is below the average level.

In other words it may be stated that higher education students have

less level of practice towards anti-corruption.

Hence Hypothesis is Rejected.


on practice towards anti-corruption among higher education

students.

Out of 13 variables involved in this study, 11 variables exert a

significant influence on practice towards anti-corruption among


Hence Hypothesis is Substantially Accepted

7. There is a significant positive relationship between Knowledge

on anti-corruption, attitude towards anti-corruption and

Practice towards anti-corruption among higher education

students.

All the correlation values (r) between knowledge, attitude and

practice towards anti-corruption among college students are found to be

15

higher than the table value 0.027 at 0.05 level. Hence there is a

significant positive relationship between knowledge, attitude and

practice towards anti-corruption among college students.

Hence Hypothesis is Accepted

CONCLUSION

The specific conclusions emerged out the present investigations

are as follows:

1. Higher education students possess below the average level of

Knowledge on anti-corruption. In other way it may stated that the

higher education students do not have adequate knowledge on anti-

corruption.

2. Knowledge on anti-corruption among higher education students is

found dependent on

i. Gender

ii. Types of Institution

iii. Course of study

iv. Subject of study

v. Institution locality

vi. Institution type

vii. Institution kind

viii. Type of family

ix. Nativity of the students

16

x. Volunteers in NCC/NSS

xi. Participation in relief activities during natural disaster

3. Knowledge on anti-corruption among higher education students is

found independent of

i. Participation in social awareness programme

ii. Membership in Political Parties

4. Knowledge on anti-corruption is found higher among the students

i. who are male than female

ii. who are studying autonomous college than non-

autonomous colleges

iii. who are studying PG course than UG course

iv. who are studying science group than arts group

v. who are studying in rural colleges than urban colleges

vi. who are studying private colleges than government /

government Aided colleges

vii. who are studying in unisex type colleges than mixed

type colleges

viii. who belong to joint family than nuclear family

ix. who belong to rural area than urban area

x. who have volunteers in NCC/NSS than others

xi. who have participate in relief activities during natural

disaster than others

17

5. Higher education students possess above the average level of

Attitude towards anti-corruption. It may be stated that the higher

education students have positive attitude towards anti-corruption.

6. Attitude towards anti-corruption among higher education students is

found dependent on

i. Gender





vi. Institution type


viii. Types of family

ix. Nativity of the student


xi. Participation in relief activities during natural disaster



i. Participation in social awareness programme

ii. Membership in political parties


found higher among

18


ii. who are studying in autonomous college than non-

autonomous colleges

iii. who are studying in PG course than UG course

iv. who are studying Science group than Arts group

v. who are studying in Rural colleges than Urban colleges

vi. who are studying in government & government aided

colleges than private colleges

vii. who are studying in unisex type colleges than mixed

type colleges


ix. who belong to urban area than rural area

x. who are volunteers in NCC/NSS than others


disaster

9. Higher education students possess below the average level of

practice about anti-corruption In other words it may be stated that

higher education students have less level of practice towards anti-

corruption.

10. Practice about anti-corruption among higher education students is

found dependent on

i. Gender

19





vi. Institution Type


viii. Type of family

ix. Nativity of the students


xi. Participation in relief Activities during Natural disaster



i. Participation in social Awareness Programme

ii. Membership in Political Parties


found higher among


ii. who are studying in autonomous college than non-

autonomous colleges

iii. who are studying in PG course than UG course

iv. who are studying Science group than Arts group

v. who are studying in Rural colleges than Urban colleges

20

vi. who are studying in private colleges than government and

government aided colleges

vii. who are studying in unisex colleges than mixed type

colleges


ix. who belong to urban area than rural area

x. who are volunteers in NCC/NSS than others


disaster than others

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Higher education male students have more knowledge on anti-

corruption, having positive attitude towards anti-corruption and having

more practices towards anti-corruption than female students.

Autonomous college students have more knowledge on anti-


more practices towards anti-corruption than non-autonomous college

students.

PG course students have more knowledge on anti-corruption, having

positive attitude towards anti-corruption and having more practices towards

anti-corruption than UG course students.

21

Science group students have more knowledge on anti-corruption,

having positive attitude towards anti-corruption and having more practices

towards anti-corruption than Arts group students.

Rural college students have more knowledge on anti-corruption,

having positive attitude towards anti-corruption and having more practices

towards anti-corruption than Urban college students.

Unisex type of the college students have more knowledge on anti-


more practices towards anti-corruption than mixed type of the college

students.

Students who belong to joint family have more knowledge on anti-


more practices towards anti-corruption than the students those who

belongs to nuclear family.

Students who have volunteers in NCC/NSS have more knowledge

on anti-corruption, having positive attitude towards anti-corruption and

having more practices towards anti-corruption than the students those

who do not have volunteers in NCC/NSS.

Students who have participate in relief activities during natural

disaster have more knowledge on anti-corruption, having positive attitude

22

towards anti-corruption and having more practices towards anti-corruption

than the students who do not have participate in relief activities during

natural disaster.

The suggested activities may be arranged to increase knowledge on

anti-corruption, to raise positive attitude towards anti-corruption and also to

improve practices towards anti-corruption for the following group:

i. Higher education female students

ii. Non-autonomous college students

iii. UG programme college students

iv. Arts group of the college students

v. Urban college students

vi. Mixed type of the college students

vii. Nuclear family students

viii. The students those who have not participate in NCC/NSS

activities

ix. The students those who have not participate in relief activities

in natural disaster

The colleges and the college management councils may come

forward to purchase more number of books on anti-corruption,

evils on corruption etc., which may be place in the college

libraries for students‟ reference.

23

Higher education institution may include a portion on anti-

corruption in any one course of curriculum in UG and PG

programme.

A special lecture on the importance of anti-corruption may

organize by the colleges for the benefit of the college students.

The government organization may take necessary steps to put

many more sign boards in their offices to avoid practices on anti-

corruption.

The government department may come forward to put signboards

on anti-corruption in public sectors like bus, train, airports offices

etc.

The government may come forward to give advertise about

promote practices on anti-corruption in public places like railway

station, bus stand and other places.

The government may come forward to make severe act and

punishment against the persons those who practices in public

institutions.

Private college students have more knowledge on anti-corruption

than government and government aided college students. At the

same time private college students have negative attitude towards

anti-corruption and have less practice towards anti-corruption than

government and government aided colleges.

24

The government and Government aided colleges may take steps

to impart more knowledge on anti-corruption for their students by the

way of arranging special lectures, debate, essay and elocution

competitions. At the same time the private college management

may organize more activities (cultural programmes and

intercollegiate competitions on anti-corruption) to enhance positive

attitude towards anti-corruption and improve more practices towards

anti-corruption for their day-to-day activities of the students.

Rural nativity based college students have more knowledge on

anti-corruption than urban nativity based college students. At the

same time urban nativity based college students have positive

attitude towards anti-corruption and concentrate more practices

towards anti-corruption than rural nativity based college students.

The higher educational institutions may organize a variety of

programmes like group discussion forums, a special meeting on the

importance of anti-corruption for enhancing positive attitude and

more practices on anti-corruption among rural activity based college

students. The government and Government aided colleges may

provide an opportunity to enhance knowledge on anti-corruption by

way of purchasing books on anti-corruption, highlight the importance

for practicing anti-corruption in day-to-day life among the college

students.

25

Group discussions, debate, essay and elocution competition

may organize for the college students on „How to practice anti-

corruption‟ in their regular day-to-day life of the students.

Research funding agencies may come forward to provide

more grants for conducting the research work on anti-

corruption and „how to improve practices an anti-corruption.

Press agency may come forward to high light the corruption

practices done by the private and public sectors people.

Media agency may come forward to conduct regular

discussions on „how to prevent corruption practices in

government sectors and give a wide coverage on practices

towards anti-corruption‟.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Following are a few areas of research related to the present

investigations which deserve further explorations:

• Replica of the study may be conducted with Professional College

students

• Replica of the study may be conducted with Teachers of School and

Higher Education

• Replica of the study may be conducted with School students

26

• Replica of the study may be conducted with Medical, Engineering

and Law College students

• Replica of the study may be conducted with administrative staff of

school and higher education institutions

• Replica of the study may be conducted with the staff of public and

private service sectors.

Documents

MADURAI KAMARAJ UNIVERSITY P.MAJHI... · 2020. 7. 13. · DEBENDRA P. MAJHI (Reg. No.P4621) GUIDE Co-GUIDE Dr. S. JENEFA Dr. A. MUTHUMANICKAM Head & Chairperson Dean, Faculty of Humanities