Perceived Influence of Rising Inflation on Undergraduate Students' Learning Processes: Evidence From a Nigerian Public University

Inflation has become a significant macroeconomic problem and has cascaded into widespread impacts on household welfare and participation in education. This study investigated the perception of the effect of inflation on the learning process among Undergraduates of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used, based on Human Capital Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and Stress and Coping Theory. A researcher designed the Perceived Influence of Inflation on Learning Processes Questionnaire (PIILPQ), which was given to 300 undergraduates who were randomly selected in 10 departments of five faculties. Analysis of data was performed with the frequency count, percentage, mean, and standard deviations, with a criterion mean of 2.50. The results indicated that inflation was a significant barrier to learning resources (weighted mean = 2.72), and electronic gadgets (x̅ = 2.93), textbooks (x̅ = 2.87), food (x̅ = 2.82), and internet data (x̅ = 2.77) were the most affected. Other negative factors included concentration and participation (weighted mean = 2.59) and time management and academic engagement (weighted mean = 2.63). The most common coping strategies were budgeting (x̅ = 2.92), family financial support (x̅ = 2.89), and free online resources (x̅ = 2.81). The study finally concluded that inflation is a great non-pedagogical influence on the quality of learning in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and therefore, an effort to institutionalize and policy coordinated approach is required. Keywords: Inflation, Higher Education, Learning Processes, Academic engagement, Coping Strategies, Educational equity, and Nigeria.