ABSTRACT

In recent times, mass media has become very essential in every sphere of human endeavour which has necessitated the use of more media medium such as the internet in educational institutions, modern and effective media systems have replaced the existing traditional ways of gathering information, and getting entertained. The objectives of this study are; to ascertain the level of importance of mass media preference on students’ academic performance, to discover how the nature of the school determine accessibility to mass media content, to discover the significance of university values on media preferences, to discover the role of mass media in university students’ academic performance, and to ascertain the influence of mass media mediums on vices in schools.

The information presented in this work was gathered from the field using the survey research method whereby, questions were designed, and distributed using the purposive, availability and accidental sampling technique. A total of five hypotheses were tested in this research work, two were accepted and three rejected.

It was deduced from this research work that majority of university students’ spend between one to two hours surfing the internet, and the prevalence of internet users amongst university students’ is high. This has led to the gradual eradication of traditional forms of mass media.

The results of this study conclude that students have access to mass media, and the media plays significant role in the academic performance of University students in Kwara State. It was recommended that Information and Communication Technology inclined individuals should work together with university management in encouraging media usage for beneficial reasons while striving in controlling media abuse.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENT                                                                                                                  PAGE

TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………………………...i

CERTIFICATION PAGE…………………………………………………................ii

DEDICATION PAGE…………………………...…………………………..............iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PAGE…………….……………………………………..vi

ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………….………...............v

TABLE OF CONTENT ……………………………………………………..............vi-ix

LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………………………………..ix-xi

CHAPTER ONE-INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ………………………………….................1-4

1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM ……………………………...........4-5

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ………………………………………………..........5

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS …………………………………………………….5-6

1.5 RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES ……………………………....................6

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY…………………………………………………….6-7

1.7 JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY ……………………………………………………7

1.8 SCOPE OF STUDY……………………………………….………………….........7

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS ……………………………………………………….8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 CONCEPT OF MASS MEDIA…………………………………………………....9-11

2.2 FUNCTION OF THE MASS MEDIA………………………………………........12-13

2.3 MEDIA CONTENT ANDACADEMIC PERFORMANCE…………………….13-15

2.4MEDIA PREFERENCES, ACCESS AND MANAGEMENT MONITORING….15-17

2.5 MASS MEDIA AND RECENT CHANGES……………………...........................17-18

2.6 APPRAISAL OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………...18-20

CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ANDMETHODOLOGY

3.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK…………………………………........................21

3.1.1 THE USES AND GRATIFICATION THEORY………………………………..21-23

3.1.2 THE IMPLICATION OF THE USES AND GRATIFICATION……………….23-24

3.1.3 THE MEDIA SYSTEM DEPENDENCY THEORY…………………………...24-25

3.1.4 THE IMPLICATION OF THE MEDIA SYSTEM DEPENDENCY THEORY………………………………………………………………………………25-26

3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.2.1 STUDY DESIGN………………………………………………........................26-27

3.2.2 POPULATION SAMPLING……………….…………………………………..27-28

3.2.3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE…………………………………………………….28-29

3.2.4 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS…………………………………………………29-30

3.2.5 DATA ANALYTICAL PROCEDURE………………………………………....30

3.2.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY…………………….………………………….31

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

4.2 BIOGRAPHICAL DATA………………………………………….......................32-35

4.3MASS MEDIA AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE………………………….35-48

4.4EMPERICAL TEST OF HYPOTHESES...............................................................48-54

4.5 DISCUSSION OF MAJOR FINDINGS………………………………………….55-57

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 INTRODUCTION                                                                                             

5.2 SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS……………………………….….................58-62

5.3 CONCLUSION……………………………………………....................................62-63

5.4 RECOMMENDATION……………………………………………………………63

5.6 SUGESTION FOR FUTHER STUDIES…………………………………………...64

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………..65-72

APPENDIX I ……………………………………………………………………………73-76

APPENDIX II …………………………………………………………………………...77-83

LIST OF TABLES

 TABLE 4.1: Distribution of Respondents by Age

TABLE 4.2: Distribution of Respondents by Sex

TABLE 4.3: Distribution of Respondents by School

TABLE 4.4: Distribution of Respondents by Department

TABLE 4.5: Distribution of Respondents by level

TABLE 4.6: Distribution of Respondents by religious affiliation

TABLE 4.7: Distribution Based on access to mass media

TABLE 4.8: Distribution Based on mass media medium exposed to

TABLE 4.9: Distribution Based on funding for media usage

TABLE 4.10: Distribution Based on Purpose for media usage

TABLE 4.11: Distribution Based on print media usage

TABLE 4.12: Distribution Based on preferred time of visiting the print media section

TABLE 4.13: Distribution Based on time allocated to media usage

TABLE 4.14: Distribution Based on school values influences mass media preference

TABLE 4.15: Distribution Based on medium of mass media used often

TABLE 4.16: Distribution Based on Media preference

TABLE 4.17: Distribution Based on negative vices portrayed by media preferences

TABLE 4.18: Distribution Based on watching of X-rated movies on the internet

TABLE 4.19: Distribution Based on getting up to date and adequate information from the radio and newspaper/ magazine

TABLE 4.20: Distribution Based on limitation to media content by schools

TABLE 4.21: Distribution Based on eradication of usage and accessibility to mass media mediums

TABLE 4.22: Distribution Based on instigation of negative vices in school by the mass media

TABLE 4.23: Distribution Based on restriction to media usage

TABLE 4.24: Distribution Based on positive influence of media content on students

TABLE 4.25: Distribution Based on negative influence of media content on students

TABLE 4.26: Distribution Based on influence of mass media on students' academic performance

TABLE 4.27: Distribution Based on distraction in class by media prompt messages

 TABLE 4.28: Distribution Based on been walked out of lecture hall for surfing through media content

TABLE 4.29: Distribution Based on dependency on mass media lowers students' mental capacity

TABLE 4.30: Distribution Based on more positive impact of mass media on academic performance than negative

TABLE 4.31: Cross tabulation between media preference and academic performance

TABLE 4.32: cross tabulation between nature of school and access to mass media content

TABLE 4.33: cross tabulation between school values and media preferences

TABLE 4.34: cross tabulation between mass media and academic performance

TABLE 4.35: cross tabulation between media mediums and negative vices in school.