Assessment of the Utilization of Principal Components of Metalwork Programme Of Technical Colleges In South East, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
The of this study was to the utilization of components of the programme of technical colleges to ensure high skills acquisition of their students for gainful employment after graduation.
To conduct the study, five research questions and four hypotheses were formulated. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study.
The population for the study was 346, comprising 40 metalwork instructors, 11 heads of section and 295
products of Southeast technical colleges.
No sample was taken as the entire population of 346 was manageable. A structured questionnaire containing 82 items was used for data collection.
The instrument was face-validated, while the reliability test of the instrument was determined, using the Cronbach alpha reliability technique, which yielded 0.89.
Mean and standard deviation was used to answer research questions 1 to 4 while the percentage was used to answer research question 5.
Mean values ranging from 3.00-5.00 were accepted while the mean values from 1-2.99 were not accepted as being effective in the utilization of principal components of the metalwork programme. A t-test was used to test the four null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance.
Following the analysis, a t-test value with the associated probability value that exceeded 0.05 level of significance, under a relevant degree of freedom was not significant and therefore the Null Hypothesis (Ho1) was accepted whereas the Null Hypothesis was rejected if the t-test value with its associated probability value was below 0.05 level of significance.
The findings of the study were: the curriculum contents, workshop facilities, and engagement techniques of the metalwork program were utilized to a high level in technical colleges in Southeast, Nigeria.
There was a significant difference in the mean responses of heads of section and metalwork instructors on the level of quality exhibited by the personnel in the aspect of equity time-allotment to practical work and the theory and use of metalwork instructors holding a B.Ed. (Tech.) in the technical colleges in Southeast, Nigeria.
Steps in the practical exercises of students were not monitored and supervised by instructors; products of technical colleges under review recorded low performance of 59% at the 2013 National Technical Certificate (NTC) metalwork examinations.
It is recommended that the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) should review the time allotted to practical work aspects of the curriculum contents, to encourage equitable time distribution for workshop practice and general education subjects in technical colleges curriculum.
Greater incentives should be offered in the form of attractive salary packages for professionals who show interest in government employment in technical colleges, for the technology education cadre.
This measure would encourage easy employment of qualified technical instructors (with a B.Ed Tech.) degree certificate in the area of metalwork in technical colleges.
There should be effective monitoring and supervision of metalwork practice by heads of section and instructors of metalwork in the technical colleges.
These recommendations should be implemented to facilitate the achievement of the objectives of the metalwork program of technical colleges in Southeast, Nigeria.
TITLE PAGE i
APPROVAL PAGE ii
CERTIFICATION iii
DEDICATION iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vI
LIST OF TABLES ix
LIST OF FIGURES x
ABSTRACT xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of Study 1
Statement of the Problem 9
Purpose of Study 11
Significance of Study 11
Research Questions 12
Hypotheses 13
Delimitation of Study 13
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework 14
v Metalwork programme Assessment 14
v Curriculum Contents in Metalwork Programme 16
v Workshop Facilities in Metalwork programme 23
v Engagement Techniques in Metalwork Programme 31
v Quality of Personnel in Metalwork 41
Theoretical Framework 53
Related Empirical Studies 55
Summary of Review of Related Literature 63
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Design of Study 65
Area of the Study ` 65
Population for the Study 65
Sample and Sampling Technique 66
An instrument for Data Collection 66
Validation of the Instrument 67
Reliability of the Instrument 67
Method of Data Collection 68
Method of Data Analysis 68
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
Research Questions 70
Hypotheses 78
Findings 86
Discussion 90
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Re-statement of the Problem 95
Summary of procedures used 95
Major Findings 96
Implications of Study 97
Conclusion 98
Recommendations 99
Suggestions for Further Research 100
REFERENCES 101
APPENDICES
1.1 Background of the Study
Metalwork program is one of the vocational education programs offered in technical colleges in Southeast, Nigeria to produce craftsmen and technicians in the field.
The programme enables students to acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for self-reliance, company employment or furtherance of education at the tertiary level.
Invariably, the training at technical college qualifies people for jobs in both public and private sectors of the economy (Ndomi, 2005).
According to Abdulkadir (2011), the major goal of a technical college education is to produce efficient and relevant craftsmen and women that will promote industrial development in the area of maintenance, goods production and general services.
This is in line with Federal Government’s declaration in the National Policy on Education, FGN (2004) revised in (2013), charging the youths of this country to be involved in the study of technology and related sciences.
In pursuit of the objectives of technical education, numerous technical colleges have been established in the past three decades but no substantial breakthrough has yet been recorded as to the products’ high skills acquisition that could earn them gainful employment in their areas of specialization.
Some products of metalwork still roam the street jobless and in some cases, ill-equipped with requisite skills and competencies for the labour market.
REFERENCES
Abdulhamid, T.M. (2005). The multidimensional learning model: An Evaluation of its Effectiveness in Improving Learning and Memory. Auckland Journal, 7 (1), 79 – 81.
Abdulkadir, M. (2011). Assessment of teaching-learning practices in practical motor vehicle mechanic work at technical college level in Niger State, Nigeria. Unpublished M.Tech. Thesis. Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Abdullahi, S.M. (2003) Evaluation of Vocational Training Programme in Northern Nigeria Prison. Journal of League of Researchers in Nigeria (JOLORN), 8(1), 146 – 153.
Abdullahi, S.M. (2010) Repositioning the Facilities in Technical Colleges Workshops for Efficiency in North-Central Nigeria Journal of sTEm teacher education. 47 (3) 1 – 8.
Abubakar, A.H (2006). An appraisal of practical skills acquisition by technical college students in Kaduna State, Unpublished PGDE Project, Department of Education (Technical) College of Science and Technology Kaduna Polytechnic