Social Cognitive Theory and AI Literacy in Secondary Schools in Nigeria: A Quantitative Descriptive Survey

Matthew Taiwo Oni; Gbenga Julius Joseph; Nhlanhla Landa

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Published: 2026-08-21

Keywords:

Professional Development, Secondary School Teachers, Social Cognitive Theory, Teacher Demographics

Matthew Taiwo ONI

University of Ibadan

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4755-2462

Gbenga Julius Joseph

Department of Languages and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Fort Hare, South Africa

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8450-055X

Nhlanhla Landa

Department of Languages and Communication, University of Fort Hare, South Africa

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4267-8456

Abstract

The adoption of AI in Nigerian secondary schools is regarded as an expansion of the country's digital education initiatives and this underscores the need to examine teachers' willingness to use AI tools for effective teaching and learning. Thus, this study seeks to compare AI literacy in public and private secondary schools, find variations in institutional support, and investigate whether gender and teaching experience predict AI competence and integration in teaching. Using a stratified random sampling technique, a total of 414 teachers were analysed from the 7,484 teachers in secondary schools within the Ibadan metropolis. Of the 450 questionnaires distributed, 414 were returned and found valid for analysis, representing a response rate of 92%. Sample selection was based on resource availability in the selected schools. Data were collected using a self-designed quantitative instrument with closed-ended questions on a four-point Likert Scale: AI Literacy, Institutional Support and Teachers’ Demographic Assessment Questionnaire (AILISTDAQ). The reliability of the instrument was tested using Cronbach’s alpha with a coefficient of 0.76. Descriptive statistics of standard deviation, mean and inferential statistics (t-test and One-Way ANOVA) were used for data analysis. The study found that teachers in private schools exhibited greater levels of AI literacy and institutional support than their counterparts in public schools. With the use of Social Cognitive Theory as a guide, the study found that school type and teaching experience are more influential predictors of AI literacy than gender among Nigerian secondary school teachers. It is recommended that AI literacy should be enhanced to develop the self-efficacy of teachers and normalise the pedagogical application of AI.

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Regular Paper

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Matthew Taiwo ONI, University of Ibadan

Matthew Taiwo ONI is a Lecturer I in the Department of Early Childhood and Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. He has six years of professional experience in university teaching, research, and community service. Matthew Taiwo ONI holds a degree in Adult Education/Language Art and a Master's in Adult Education/Communication Arts from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His area of specialisation is Literacy and Adult Education, History of Education and Comparative Education. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Comparative Education. He has over fifteen publications in reputable journals. Email: mt.oni2008@gmail.com AND mt.oni@ui.edu.ng

Gbenga Julius Joseph, Department of Languages and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Fort Hare, South Africa

Gbenga Julius Joseph is a scholar and academic based in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, with a verified university email at ufh.ac.za. His research interests lie within linguistics, stylistics, discourse analysis, social linguistics and pragmatics, reflecting a strong engagement with language and communication studies in social contexts. His academic contributions are indexed in global scholarly databases, including Google Scholar, where his work is associated with stylistics and pragmatic analysis. He holds an appointment at Fort Hare, contributing to teaching and research within the university’s linguistics and literature disciplines

Nhlanhla Landa, Department of Languages and Communication, University of Fort Hare, South Africa

Dr Nhlanhla Landa is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Languages and Communication, which is within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Dr Landa’s research interests are expanse, namely multilingualism (including translanguaging), language and politics, language and the media, language and society, higher education reform, gender justice, as well as onomastics. He has published vastly on these and other sociolinguistics subjects in the past few years. Dr Landa also teaches several English Language courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

How to Cite

Social Cognitive Theory and AI Literacy in Secondary Schools in Nigeria: A Quantitative Descriptive Survey. (2026). International Journal of Management and Data Analytics (IJMADA), 6(1), 252-265. https://ijmada.com/index.php/ijmada/article/view/149

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