Title: Beyond Classroom Walls: The Crisis of Moral Disintegration and the Imperative for Attitudinal Transformation in Cameroonian Schools
Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius
Dr. Ariyo Gracious Kazaara
Volume: 10
Issue: 4
Pages: 107-114
Publication Date: 2026/04/28
Abstract:
Moral disintegration in Cameroonian secondary schools has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges confronting the national education system, manifesting in pervasive indiscipline, academic dishonesty, substance abuse, sexual misconduct, and the erosion of civic virtue among adolescent learners. Despite growing policy attention, empirical investigations that rigorously examine the structural and attitudinal determinants of this phenomenon remain sparse. This cross-sectional survey study investigated the relationship between attitudinal orientations, teacher role modelling, peer influence, school policy enforcement, family moral socialisation, and students' moral behaviour in Cameroonian secondary schools. A stratified random sample of 342 students drawn from six government and private secondary schools across the Centre Region of Cameroon participated in the study. Data were collected using a validated, five-point Likert scale instrument and analysed through a multi-level statistical framework encompassing univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate Pearson correlation analyses, multiple regression modelling, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Univariate findings revealed moderate levels of moral behaviour (Mean = 3.24, SD = 0.87), while bivariate analyses demonstrated significant positive correlations between moral behaviour and attitudinal orientation (r = 0.612, p < 0.01), teacher role modelling (r = 0.547, p < 0.01), and school policy enforcement (r = 0.503, p < 0.01), alongside a significant negative correlation with peer influence (r = ?0.431, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis identified attitudinal orientation as the strongest predictor of moral behaviour (? = 0.341, p < .001), followed by school policy enforcement (? = 0.276) and teacher role modelling (? = 0.245). SEM results confirmed a well-fitting structural model (CFI = 0.963; RMSEA = 0.048) in which attitudinal transformation partially mediated the effects of family socialisation, teacher modelling, and school policy on student moral behaviour. The study concludes that sustainable moral reformation in Cameroonian schools necessitates a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach that prioritises attitudinal transformation, strengthens teacher capacity for moral mentorship, and enforces coherent school disciplinary frameworks. Recommendations target curriculum developers, school administrators, and education policymakers.