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ASSESSMENT OF ADEQUACY OF BUSINESS EDUCATION CURRICULUM CONTENT ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ACQUISITION OF REQUISITE SKILLS FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study was intended to assess the adequacy of university students’ business education curriculum content for the acquisition of requisite job skills and job opportunities in Nigeria. Six research questions were used to guide the study, while six hypotheses were formulated and tested at level of 0.05 significance. The entire 602 final year students from nine federal universities offering business education as at 2011/2012 academic session formed the population and sample of the study. Mean and standard deviations were used to answer the stated research questions, using a benchmark of 2.5 as a criterion for agreement. Simple Regression (SR) was used to test null hypotheses one, two, three and four while ANOVA was used to test null hypotheses five and six. The findings of the study revealed, among others that business education curriculum content in Nigerian federal universities does not provide students with essential skills required for their employability after graduation. In view of the findings, one of the recommendations made was that, business education curriculum need’ an in-depth review that would enable the graduates respond to challenges in the labour market and field of work. This should be done by selecting contents that are consistent with emergent and anticipated needs, namely ICT competency, conflict resolution and economic survival and entrepreneurship.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Business education like many other subjects in the school system has been defined in several ways by several scholars, to suit different situations and purposes. Some scholars define it from the way it is practiced in the field, while others define it from the angle it is taught in schools and colleges. Jubril (2010) defines business education as a specialized area of vocational education that provides educational training, skills development, attitudes adjustment towards business orientation and academic challenges. Bilyaminu (2011) views business education as an aspect of total education programme that provides the knowledge, skills, attitudes and understanding needed to perform in the business world as a producer and/or consumer of goods and services. Professionally, business education can be defined as a programme designed to provide students with the basic processes of educational training; decision making; the philosophy, theory, and psychology of management; practical applications; business start-up and operational procedures (USLegal.com 2001).

Curriculum is cluttered by an array of definitions of the concept. It is defined as prescribed course of studies, which students must learn in order to reach a certain level of education. Coles (2003) defined curriculum as the sum of all the activities, experiences and learning opportunities that institution(s) and teacher(s) have responsibility for either deliberately or by default to make learning take place. This author expatiated that curriculum included the formal and the informal education, the overt and the covert, it recognised and overlooked, the intentional and the unintentional actions that take place in school. Thus, curriculum is plan activities of learning opportunities for a specific time frame guided towards changing learners’ behaviour.

Business education curriculum is part of continuous process of planning and development, that involves selection of learning experiences calculated to help in the attainment of goals and objectives of the programme. According to Coles (2003), Business Education curriculum was designed to educate students in the skills, processes, understandings and responsibilities necessary for success in the world of business. Dike (2009) viewed business education curriculum as an educational process of action about opportunities for engagement of students to be educated in business and educational related discipline. Business education curriculum in this context is responsible for equipping students with skills, attributes, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours required for teaching, entrepreneurship, administrative and clerical work.

Requisite job skills are those essential skills that are needed to get most jobs, help employee to stay in a job and facilitate their promotion. The skills are flexibly adapted, applied and transferred under different context necessary for gainful employment. According to Ahmed (2009), requisite job skills include a breadth and depth of specialized knowledge that are needed in the labour market profile. Framework, of requisite job skillsof Lapan, Tucker, Kim & Kosciulek (2000); Nabi (2003) and Senior (2009) indicated that, a good curriculum should provide students with skills on:- effective communication; supervision; coordinating; planning and think strategically; clear vision; Information and Communication Technology; creativity/self-confidence; good self-management and time-management which are consider as requisite skills for job opportunity.

Job opportunities can be defined as the ability to gain initial meaningful employment, or to become self-employed, to maintain employment, and to be able to move around within the labour market profile. Charles and David (2006) defined job opportunities as (1) the number of unfilled job openings whose labour requirements and wage rates are formally specified in firms that are actively recruiting, and (2) the number of men who would be hired that had the same skills and wage requirements to fill corresponding positions. Lee Harvey (2003) highlighted that the job opportunities of graduates come from a complex mix of skills; knowledge; aptitudes; abilities; selfconfidence; self-awareness; work and life experience of the candidates.

Bearing in mind that Business education being one of the vocational programmes in Nigeria was targeted at empowering students with skills for the world of life and creates for them employment opportunities. As attested by Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) that maintained that, business education is to among others impart skills, knowledge and abilities necessary for gainful employment or self-reliant economically. The curriculum focused on fostering student’s acquisition of skills in managerial, communication, ethics and human relations, scientific and 21^st century technological needs for teaching, administrative/clerical fieldwork and self-reliance. Strengthen this view, Chukwurah (2010) and Stephen (2010) maintained that business education curriculum was prepared to provide students with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values required for graduates gainful employment or self-reliance. Having gone through the variables that constitute the background of this study, it can be understood that curriculum is the roadmap to acquire essential working skills, career competency for employment opportunities in Nigeria. Considering this relationship between the variable, the researcher “Assessed the influence of Business Education Curriculum in Federal Universities on Students’ Acquisition of requisite Skills for job opportunities in Nigeria”

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In Nigeria, university education plays a crucial role in contributing to economic and human development. The nation’s professional and highly skilled personnel such as engineers, managers, technicians and teachers among others are products of universities. Curricula of universities in this context define the in-depth knowledge, skills, competency and attitudes to be achieved. As a result, the curricula are prepared towards integrating relevant skills with diversity in considerations to enable graduates gain job and enhance their performance in the fieldwork (Robert, 2006). As a result, curriculum of business education is geared towards equipping students with broader requisite knowledge and skills attributes, such as team-working, communication, leadership, critical thinking and problem solving for graduals employability has emphasized by philosophy of business education programme in Nigeria.

Despite the laudable philosophy of business education programme in Nigeria, recent studies have shown that business education graduates do suffer labour market discriminations in areas of administrative, banking and financial institutions in the country. Oduma (2010) reported that, most employers of labour continue to reject business education graduates arguing that their skill is only needed in the classroom. The situation is also found in teaching professions more especially in Polytechnics were graduates of the programme are not considered to be specialist in accounting, marketing, purchases and supply departments.

Beside the discriminations, graduates of business education programme have not adequate skills for life and services to society in various spheres of human endeavor. Indeed, most graduates of the programme lack adequate skill and knowledge for entrepreneurship in the country. In addition, this era of modern technology, business education graduates in Nigeria are ill-prepared for the full range of application of ICT skills required for job opportunity in the 21^st century. As a result of these, Okoro (2013) Adamu and Sani (2013) observed that, business education curriculum is inadequate and it has very little capacity to develop students’ skills for job opportunities and entrepreneurship consciousness in the country.

By implication, the possibility of securing job is becoming more difficult while number of unemployed graduates is always increasing. The situation triggers hundreds of unemployed university graduates (business education inclusive) to mount a demonstration as far back as October 18, 2000 in Abuja. However the outcry of labour market and other bodies have led to commendable changes in the procurement of more facilities and modern equipment, employment of more manpower, construction and renovation of structures and even partial review of curriculum as testified by Jibrin (2012). Considering that, these developments are anticipated to make robust changes in Nigeria tertiary institutions the researcher to assess the adequacy Business Education curriculum in federal universities on student’s acquisition of requisite skills for job opportunities in Nigeria.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The study assessed the extent to which Business Education Curriculum in Federal

Universities equip Students’ with Requisite Skills for Job Opportunities in Nigeria.

The specific objectives of this study is to:-

assess the influence of business education curriculum content on students acquisition of requisite job skills for teaching profession in Nigeria.
determine the influence of business education curriculum content on students

acquisition of requisite of requisite job skills for administrative work in Nigeria.

establish the influence of business education curriculum content on students

acquisition of requisite Job skills of 21^st century in Nigeria.

establish the influence of business education curriculum content on students acquisition of requisite of entrepreneurial and vocational skills for self-reliance in Nigeria.
determine difference in the students views based on their universities on influence of business education curriculum content on their acquisition of entrepreneurial and vocational skills for self reliance.
determine difference in the students views based on their universities on influence of business education curriculum content on their acquisition of skills for employability in 21^st in Nigeria.

1.4 Research Questions

The research work is expected to provide answers to the following specific research questions:-

What is the influence of business education curriculum content on students’

acquisition of requisite job skills for teaching profession in Nigeria?

What is the influence of business education curriculum content on students’

acquisition of requisite job skills for administrative work in Nigeria?

What is the influence of business education curriculum content on students’

acquisition of requisite Job skills of 21^st century in Nigeria?

What is the influence of business education curriculum content on students’

acquisition of entrepreneurial and vocational skills for self-reliance in Nigeria?

What is the difference in the mean views of students based on their universities on influence of business education curriculum content on their acquisition of

entrepreneurial and vocational skills for self reliance?

What is the difference in the mean views of students based on their universities on influence of business education curriculum content on their acquisition of skills for employability in 21^st in Nigeria?

1.5 Null hypotheses

In line with each of the research question, the following null hypotheses were formulated and tested at the significant level of 0.05%.

Business education curriculum content has no significant influence on students’ acquisition of requisite job skills for teaching profession in Nigeria.
Business education curriculum content has no significant influence on students’ acquisition of requisite job skills for administrative work in Nigeria.
Business education curriculum content has no significant influence on students’ acquisition of requisite Job skills of 21^st century in Nigeria.
Business education curriculum content has no significant influence on students’ acquisition of entrepreneurial and vocational skills for self-reliance in Nigeria.
There is no significant difference in the mean views of students based on their universities on influence of business education curriculum content on their acquisition of entrepreneurial and vocational skills for self reliance.
There is no significant difference in the mean views of students based on their universities on influence of business education curriculum content on their acquisition of skills for employability in 21^st in Nigeria.

1.6 Significance of the Study

In view of the central position of graduates of business education to the economic development of Nigeria, the study will be of significance to business education lecturers, students, curriculum planners, business education teachers, federal and state government, scholars and researchers

The findings of this study are expected to yield relevant data required for business education teachers that will strengthen, sustain and expand the skills and training provided to business education students in higher institutions in Nigeria.

The results of this study will serve as guide for business education curriculum planners to review curriculum contents of the programme in federal universities in Nigeria in order to meet the global requirements and the prevailing job/skills in the country. This will help to provide students with vital skills in addressing the problem of unemployment after graduation.

The results of the study will further provide business education teachers with appropriate knowledge of instructions and strategies that will enhance teaching and learning. This will help to develop the potentials and skills of learners’ for self employment.

Besides, the results of this study will help the curriculum planners in collecting usable and reliable data required to support advocacy by various interest groups for a better and practical education system that will meet the needs of the students and labour market. This would highlight the areas of inadequacy that the planners will intervene to address identified skills-gap.

Through this study, the federal and state government will be aware of inadequate level of facilities and equipment require for effective teaching and learning of business education programme. This will motivate them to provide these facilities and equipment which will help to improve students’ acquisition of requisite job skills.

The findings of this study will assist business education curriculum planners in Nigeria to in collaboration with Employers of Labour in the designing of curriculum that will meet the skill needs in the fieldwork. Finally, the findings will stimulate further research and expand the frontier of knowledge.

1.7 Assumptions of the Study

The following assumptions were made that:-

the curriculum of business education provides students with the opportunity to develop and understand current business concepts, practices, techniques, tools and skills needed in the labour market.
requisite job skills help employees to develop their talents and become more

skillful fieldwork.

there is relationship between the curriculum content of business education in

federal universities in Nigeria and labour market requirements.

1.8 Scope/Delimitation of the Study

The research work concentrates on the nine Federal universities offering business education in Nigeria. The work was delimited to business education lecturers and final year level students in the institutions. The adoption of this decision was borne out of the need to have students that had relevant level classroom training, and also generate job experience from the Students Industrial Working Experience Scheme (SIWES) and Teaching Practice (T.P). The research further delimited on requisite job skills required for job opportunities for teaching, office work and self employment.

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