Exploring the Role of Rewards and Management of Ethical Behaviour Among Secondary School Students in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between rewards and the management of ethical behaviour among secondary school students in Akwa Ibom State. A correlational research design was employed due to its effectiveness in gathering baseline information. The study population consisted of 7,870 JSS3 students from 248 public secondary schools during the 2024/2025 academic session. A sample of 788 students was selected from 27 schools using proportionate stratified random sampling to ensure adequate representation of all sub-groups. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire titled Exploring the Role of Rewards and Management of Ethical Behaviour among Secondary School Students Questionnaire(ERRMEBSSSQ). The test-retest reliability method and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC) yielded a reliability coefficient of .82. PPMC was also used to analyse the research questions and test the null hypotheses at a .05 significance level.The findings revealed a fairly strong positive relationship between the roles of praise, monetary incentives, and public recognition in managing ethical behaviour among students. Also, there were significant relationships between each reward type and ethical behaviour management. The study recommended that educational planners integrate rewards into school curricula and incorporate them into literature, social studies, and general education programmes to foster ethical development