INFLUENCE OF RADIO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES ON ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR OF TEENAGE STUDENTS IN ABA METROPOLIS, DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The study explores the impact of radio broadcasts as an alternative educational tool during school closures in Aba Metropolis, Abia State, Nigeria. It examines how Magic 102.9 FM’s educational content shaped the attitudes, learning habits, and social behaviour of teenage students. The study relied on Uses and Gratifications and Social Learning Theories. With the aid of questionnaire and in-depth interview guide, a survey and in-depth interview was organized among 383 respondents selected from a population of 92,000 teenage students in Aba Metropolis. The results show that majority (91.2%) of respondents had high exposure to radio educational programmes. The hypothesis also indicates a strong positive significance that educational messages from Magic 102.9 FM influenced the attitudes and behaviour of teenage students in Aba Metropolis and it also show a significant difference in the level of exposure to radio educational messages among teenage students in Aba Metropolis during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The findings emphasize a notable positive influence, fostering resilience, encouraging academic engagement, and promoting new study habits. The study concludes that Magic 102.9 FM served as a vital educational supplement, offering a model for crisis learning, and recommends enhancing programme interactivity, adjusting schedules, integrating digital platforms, and securing policy support for sustainable media-education partnerships in urban Nigerian contexts.