ISSN 2360-7963
Abstract
This study investigated the influence of campus Christianity on students' academic performance, academic engagement and time management, social relationships, and the moderating role of institutional and contextual factors among students in tertiary institutions in South-West Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised undergraduate students in selected tertiary institutions in Southwest Nigeria. A sample of 394 respondents was selected using a multistage sampling procedure involving stratified, purposive, and simple random sampling techniques to ensure adequate representation across institution types and levels of study. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Campus Christianity and Students' Development Questionnaire (CCSDQ). The instrument consisted of six sections covering demographic characteristics, participation in campus Christian activities, academic engagement and performance, social development, behavioural patterns and social relationships, and institutional and contextual factors. Face and content validity of the instrument were established by experts in Christian religious studies, educational management, and measurement and evaluation, while reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded coefficients above the acceptable benchmark of 0.70 for all the subscales. The data collected were analysed using frequency counts and percentages to describe respondents' demographic characteristics. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while independent-samples t-tests, Pearson product-moment correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression were employed to test the six null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students' participation in campus Christian activities was high. Campus Christianity exerted a significant positive influence on students' academic performance, social development, academic engagement, time management, social relationships, and behavioural patterns. Students who actively participated in campus Christian activities demonstrated higher academic motivation, better study habits, stronger interpersonal relationships, improved leadership abilities, enhanced time-management skills, and more positive behavioural dispositions than non-participants. In addition, institutional and contextual factors, including institutional policies, administrative support, availability of worship facilities, academic workload, peer influence, and campus environment, significantly moderated the influence of campus Christianity on students' academic and social outcomes. Consequently, all null hypotheses were rejected, indicating that campus Christianity significantly contributes to students' holistic development. The study recommends that university management should recognise and support responsible campus Christian organisations as strategic partners in students' holistic development while ensuring that their activities remain consistent with institutional regulations and academic priorities. Student Affairs Divisions, university chaplaincies, counsellors, and campus fellowship leaders should strengthen mentorship, leadership development, academic support, and value-based programmes that encourage students to balance their spiritual commitments with academic responsibilities.
Keywords: Campus Christianity, Academic Performance, Religious Participation Academic Engagement, Time Management, Tertiary Institutions