SURVEY OF BAT ROOSTS IN SOME PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND THE ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS TOWARDS BATS IN ZARIA, NIGERIA
SURVEY OF BAT ROOSTS IN SOME PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND THE ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS TOWARDS BATS IN ZARIA, NIGERIA
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Date
2015-10
Authors
ISMA’IL, Akilu
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Abstract
A survey on the presence of bat roosts, associated nuisances and the attitudes of students
towards bats in some public primary and secondary schools in Zaria metropolis was
conducted between Augusts and November, 2014. Bat roosts and the associated
damages/nuisances were identified through internal and external inspections. A total of
384 school children were self-administered with questionnaire to assess their knowledge
and attitudes toward bats. The questionnaire contained 13 questions on bat‟s factual
knowledge and 21 items based on Kellert‟s attitude typology. The overall survey
indicated that twenty one constituting 28% of the 75 schools within Zaria metropolis had
roosting bats during the time of the surveyed. The numbers of bats per school ranged
from 3 to 322+, and are found to emerge from their roosts at about of 20 minutes after
sunset. Schools with colony of roosting bats experienced nuisances such as distracting
noise, stains, droppings, odour and damage ceilings that could affect health, safety, and
learning opportunities of school children. Out of the 384 questionnaires administered to
participants, 376 (97.9%) were returned and filled. The results showed that respondents
were aware of bats potential to disease transmission but the factual knowledge percentage
scores on the biology and ecological roles of bats were low. The negativistic attitude type
ranked first, followed by aesthetic, ecoscientistic, moralistic, dominionistic, utilitarian
and naturalistic. Both the knowledge of, and attitudes toward bats were significantly
(P<0.05) influenced by gender and level of education among the school children in Zaria.
Girls lacked knowledge of bats than the boys, and showed more negativistic attitude. All
the attitudinal sub-measures significantly decreased with increased level of education,
with the exception of utilitarian sub-measure. The pre-test and post-test (n=180) revealed
significant change (P<0.05) in respondents‟ attitude in favour of bats conservation as a
result of knowledge gain. It is concluded that colony of roosting bats in schools caused aconsiderable nuisance, and that there was a link between factual knowledge of bats and
children attitudes towards them. It is recommended that environmental education
packages such as posters and handbills that contain bats factual knowledge be provided to
schools that still harbour bats.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE
STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD
OF A MASTERS DEGREE IN EDUCATIONAL BIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES,
FACULTY OF SCIENCE,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
NIGERIA
Keywords
SURVEY,, BAT ROOSTS,, PRIMARY,, SECONDARY SCHOOLS,, ATTITUDES,, STUDENTS TOWARDS BATS,, ZARIA,, NIGERIA