Subtle Influences Shaping Students’ Beliefs, Thoughts, Attitudes and Behavior

Background and purpose: This research investigated impact of subtle influences shaping students‘ thoughts, attitudes, values and ultimately their behavior. The article first answers what the subtle influences in universities are-the hidden messages students pick unconsciously besides the official curriculum and how such messages affects their learning experiences and life in general. Methods: The research population included over a thousand regular undergraduate students in Christian universities in 2015-2018 academic years. Using Yamennes‘ sample size selection formula, 486 undergraduate students participated in the quantitative phase of the research. Out of the 486 students 417 filled and returned the questionnaire with 64 items. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was obtained through Cronbach alpha as 0.834. Experts in the education department in the University of Nairobi confirmed the content validity of the questionnaire. SPSS statistical software version 20 was used in data analysis. Results: The study results showed that various learning resources in universities, the instructive nature of the education environment, interrelationships, universities‘ instructional models and cultural orientation subtlety shape students‘ experiences, thoughts, attitudes,values and behavior, besides the formal curriculum. Strongest relationship was between rules and physical space with more than 90% of the respondents. This researcher recommends that the subtle messages needs attention to produce holistic transformation in undergraduate students‘ worldview. Conclusion: Since subtle messages in learning institutions can have both positive and negative influences on students‘ values, beliefs, attitudes and behavior, cautious attention should be paid to set rules, teacher-students interrelationships, physical space, teaching methods used and evaluation methods so as to positively influence students‘ worldview.