Exploring Kanuri Parents’ Knowledge, Attitude, Belief, and Practice on Girl-Child Education in Northern Borno
Keywords:
Girl-Child Education, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Knowledge, Attitude, BeliefAbstract
Purpose: This study examine the direct and indirect relationships among knowledge, belief, attitude, and practice of Kanuri parents regarding girl-child education in Northern Borno, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Specifically, the study seeks to determine how parental knowledge shapes beliefs and attitudes, and how these cognitive and affective factors translate into actual educational practices, with particular attention to the mediating roles of attitude and belief.
Methodology: Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data from 93 respondents. Structure questionnaire was employed a data collection instrument.
Findings: Parental knowledge significantly predicts both attitudes (β = 0.653) and beliefs (β = 0.859) toward girl-child education. Beliefs shape attitudes (β = 0.292) and influence practice (β = 0.331), while attitude strongly predicts practice (β = 0.401), demonstrating its central role in driving parental behavior. Knowledge has only a weak direct effect on practice (β = 0.213), indicating that its influence is largely indirect through belief and attitude. The structural model shows high explanatory strength, accounting for 84.0% of the variance in attitude (R² = 0.840), 73.8% in practice (R² = 0.738), and 81.6% in belief (R² = 0.816).
Novelty and Contribution: This study offers a culturally grounded SEM framework that integrates knowledge, belief, attitude, and practice, highlighting the mediating roles of belief and attitude in shaping parental educational decisions.
Practical and Social Implications: The results emphasize the need for holistic, culturally sensitive interventions that enhance parental knowledge, foster positive attitudes, and reshape beliefs through trusted community, cultural, and religious influencers. These insights can guide policymakers, educators, and NGOs in strengthening girl-child education and advancing gender equity in Northern Borno.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
