Strategies for Improving Industrial Technology Education Programmes in Universities in South East Nigeria for Job Creation

Abstract

This study focused on identifying strategies for improving ITE programmes in Universities in South East Nigeria for job creation. Two specific objectives guided the study. Two research questions were raised and two hypotheses were tested in the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population for the study was 527 comprising 86 lecturers and 441 students in the universities offering ITE programmes in South East, Nigeria. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 265 respondents, comprising 42 lecturers and 233 students. A 24 item structured questionnaire was used to generate data for the study. Three experts validated the instrument. A reliability coefficient of .93 was obtained using the Cronbach Alpha formula. Mean was used to answer the research questions, while the t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The study found out that all the 24 items were agreed upon by the respondents as various strategies for improving ITE programmes in Universities. The study found out that there was no significant difference between the mean responses of lecturers and students on the instructional and funding strategies for improving ITE programmes in Universities in South East Nigeria. The study recommended among others that the Federal Government should demonstrate sincere political will and utmost commitment towards the development of ITE programmes through significant increase in her annual budgetary allocation to the education sector as well as adopt an effective framework for policy making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation so as to achieve the objectives of the programme and ensure job creation; ITE instructors should employ the use of modern instructional strategies like augmented reality, virtual reality, scaffolding, Artificial Intelligence, collaborative/cooperative learning, online learning, as effective strategies to effectively impart in the students as well as to improve ITE programmes for job creation.