ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCIES POSSESSED AND DEMONSTRATED BY TECHNICAL COLLEGE PRODUCTS EMPLOYED IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN ANAMBRA STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was carried out to assess competencies possessed and demonstrated by technical college products employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. The study adopted survey research design. The population for the study comprised 110 heads of academic departments and non academic heads of department in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. The instrument used for data collection was structured questionnaire. Three experts face validated the instrument. Cronbach alpha coefficient method  was  used  to  determine reliability coefficient of  the  instrument and  0.82 coefficient value was obtained. Four research questions guided the study and four null hypotheses were formulated. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data  for  answering research  questions  while  t-test  analysis  was  used  to  test  the hypotheses of no significant difference at 0.05 level of significance. The study found out  that  ten  technical/  occupational  competencies,  seven  communication competencies, five  attitudinal  competencies and  six  managerial competencies are possessed and demonstrated by the technical college graduates employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. The study also found out that there was no significant difference between the mean responses of the academic and non-academic supervisors on the adequacy of technical/occupational competencies, communication competencies, attitudinal competencies and managerial competencies demonstrated by the technical college graduates employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. The study recommended that relevant resource inputs for teaching technical courses should be provided by government, employers of technical college graduates and philanthropists in the society. It was also recommended that workshop, seminars and short time training should be organized for technical teachers in technical colleges by school administrators and government in order to improve their competencies for effective teaching.

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Every educational programme has specific goals and objectives which if actualized  will  result  to  changes  in  behaviours of  the  beneficiaries of  the programme. Technical college programmes are offered at the upper secondary education to provide the recipients with appropriate technical/occupational skills,   knowledge,   and   attitude   to   meet   job   requirements   in   deferent occupational areas. The programme train the bulk of craftsmen and women needed in industries, commerce and other social circumstances and thus meets the  manpower requirements needed for national technological development, personal emancipation and  self-reliance.  Technical college  programmes are education given at the upper secondary schools (FRN, 2004). If the technical college programmes are satisfactorily implemented, it will impart certain competencies in the beneficiaries of the training programme or the products. Products of the technical college programmes are the craftsmen and women. The terms craftsmen, technical college products and the beneficiaries of the programme will be used interchangeably in this study. The low level of technological,  economic  and  social  development of  the  nation  cast  doubts

concerning the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired by the students while

1

undergoing training. Technical college products who are the graduates of the training programme are the work force to ensure rapid technological, economic and social development of the states and the nation at large (Momoh.2010). It is necessary to assess and ascertain the extent the craftsmen, who are the products of the technical college programmes acquired the required occupational, attitudinal, communicative and managerial competencies required for employment and growth in the world of work in various occupations while undergoing training as required in the goals and objectives of the  national policy  on  education and  the  job  specifications  of  the  Federal Ministry of education.

The goals and objectives of the technical and vocational education are:

a.  to provide trained manpower in the applied sciences, technology and business particularly at craft, advanced craft and technicians levels;

b.  to provide the technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, commercial and economic development;

c.  to give training and impart the necessary skills to individuals who shall be self-reliant economically (FRN, 2004).

Although the trade areas of specialization are wide, the goals and objectives are similar. There are 37 trade areas listed in the National Policy (FRN, 2004) but the list is not limited to 37. The policy further stated that “Trainees completing technical college programmes shall have three options:-

1.  Secure employment either at the end of the whole course or after

Completing one or more modules of employable skills;

2.  Set up their own business and become self-employed and be able to employ others;

3.  Pursue further education in advance craft/technical programme in post- secondary (tertiary) technical institutions such as science and technical colleges, polytechnics or colleges of education (Technical), and the Universities”.

Ulinfun (1988) stated that whatever the trade areas of specialization of the technical college products may be, they should be able to :-

1.       Develop  and  manufacture  simple  (easy  to  use)  technologies  which majority of Nigerians can afford.

2.       Produce spare parts for industries , offices, equipment and effect repairs on basic house hold utilities, on mechanical and electrical components and equipment as the case may be. The study noted with interest that despite over 37 trade areas of specialization, the goals and objectives are the same. This means that the products perform similar operations but in different occupational areas of specialization. The Scheme of Service of the Federal Ministry of Education for the Federal Colleges of Education and the Federal Polythecnins (1989) specified the job roles of the craftsmen to include:

           Perform   lead   hand   duties   that   requires   fabrication,   processing, installation, maintenance or repairs of buildings, furniture, electrical – mechanical system, vehicles, mobile and stationery machines, and materials and equipment on a specific task and procedure basis.

           Checking and allocating materials for work to assistant craftsmen and preparing simple job reports.

        Performing routine individual trades jobs.

        Performing any other job as may be assigned.

This study summarized the expected outcome of the training programme and the expected job roles specifications of the Federal Ministry of Education for  the  craftsmen  to  imply  that  they  need  four  basic  competencies  to  be effective and productive in their duties. These competencies which agree with the   functions   and   definition   of   Technical   Vocational   Education   are occupational, attitudinal, commutative and managerial competencies.

Assessment   of   the   competencies   possessed  and   demonstrated  by technical college products is a process of getting an opinion for judgment, or ascertaining the worth or value of the skills acquired by the products while they were undergoing training. In asserting that assessment is  a pre-requisite to evaluation, Orji (2005) stated that assessment involves the process of investigating the status of an individual or group, usually with reference to

expected  out  come.  Expected  outcomes  in  this  study  are  the  goals  and objectives of the technical college programme as stated in the National policy on Education and consequently the job role specifications of the Federal Ministry of Education conditions of service for the tertiary institutions. Ascertaining the possession and demonstration of these competencies is very necessary to determine the extent of the achievement of the goals and objectives of the technical and vocational education programmes at the technical colleges which will serve as an up-to-date feedback to the stake holders.

Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) is used as a comprehensive term referring to those aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of economic and social life (FRN, 2004; UNESCO, 2010). Okoro (1999) refers to technical/vocational education as a form of education which aims at preparing learners for employment in various recognized occupations. Technical college programmes produce the workforce with the appropriate understanding, knowledge, skills and attitudes for self- reliance  and  technological development (Momoh,  2010;  Ezeabikwa, 2011). Technical college  products  (craftsmen and  technicians),  equipped  with  the appropriate  competencies  have  the  answers  to  the  national  technological,

economic and social underdevelopment; unemployment and poverty alleviation

(Orji, 2005).

The goals of each component of the trade area are structured to impart the required competencies to leave the products with the options of securing employment at  the  end of  the  programme or  after completing modules of employable skills; setting up own businesses and be entrepreneurs; be master craftsmen or technicians and have the academic ability to pursue further education (FRN, 2004).

FRN (2009) expresses the  fear that the  performance of the technical college products in the world of work might not measure up with the requirements of the Millennium Development Goals and Vision 20:2020 dreams, which would want Nigeria to be ranked with the first 20 developed nations of the world, thus the need to assess the competencies demonstrated by those products employed with the tertiary institutions in Anambra State. Determination of the competencies possessed and demonstrated by these craftsmen   and   technicians   will   provide   the   desired   feedback   on   the performances  of  their  work  roles  as  contained  in  the  Federal Ministry of Education conditions of services for Federal Polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education.

Competency is the characteristics of an individual that lead to the demonstration of  skills  and  abilities  which  result  in  effective  performance within an occupation or organizational area. Spencer Jr., McClelland, & Spencer,  (1964) refer  to  competencies as  skills  or  knowledge that  lead  to superior performance. From the contents of the goals and objectives of the technical college programmes and the Federal Ministry of Education job role, the  products should  of  necessity, possess  and  demonstrate occupational/technical competency to be employable after training; communicative competency to enable the products relate effectively with other workers; attitudinal competency to behave well in the world of work; and entrepreneurial/managerial competency to establish own business and be able to employ others and manage own and organizational resources. Possession of a trait and demonstration of a trait are related but definitely not the same. This is because one might have a skill but might not have the ability to demonstrate it. Possession of a competency comes first and it is followed by the ability to demonstrate it. One cannot definitely demonstrate a competency one does not possess.

Assessment of possession and demonstration of these competencies by the  craftsmen will  best  be  done  by  heads  of  academic  and  non-academic departments of tertiary institutions who are the immediate supervisors of the

products under their employment. In tertiary institutions, heads of academic and non-academic departments are the supervisors of the technical support staff and other staff under them on daily basis; they complete their Annual Performance Evaluation (APE) Forms, and are in the best position to ascertain the level of adequacy of the competencies demonstrated by the craftsmen and women who are the graduates of the programmes on their day-to-day performances of their duties (Okoro, 2005). Also by the positions they occupy in the society, feedbacks from supervisors in tertiary institutions on the performances of the craftsmen and women will be valued and respected by all concerned.

Federal Ministry of Education Road Map for Education Sector, (2009) blamed the training institutions for inability to produce quality workforce for technological and economic development of the  nation.  Challenges of  low enrolment, poor programme implementation, inadequate number of technical and vocational colleges, dearth of qualified and competent technical teachers, chronic under funding, poor infrastructural and facilities provisions were also identified by scholars like Olaitan, (1991); Eze, (1991); Oranu, (1991); Okafor, (1992); Okorie and Ezeji, (1988). Osinem, (2009) blamed the training institutions for poor implementation of the programmes and stressed the need for product quality assurance and to match the individual needs of the students with the demands of the labour market. Gana (2006) stressed the need for establishment

of cottage industries in cluster areas to provide adequate industrial training for the trainees and to adequately sponsor the programmes. UNESCO (2010) blamed the national technological and economic weakness of the nation on inadequate  curriculum and  poor  public  perception of  the  technical college programmes, poor funding and infrastructural decay and recommended 26% annual budgetary allocation to education.

Assessment of competencies possessed and demonstrated by technical college products employed in tertiary institution in Anambra State is imperative to give the required feedback to the Government and other stake holders in technical education on the state of the art of technical education programmes. The  feedback  resulting  from  the  study  will  help  the  Government and  the stakeholders to take appropriate remedial actions to bridge the gap between the competencies possessed and demonstrated by the graduates of the programme and the demands of the labour market to ensure rapid technological, economic and social development of the nation and economic emancipation of the people. Statement of the Problem

When educational programmes are mounted and run for some time, it is usual to  carry out  employer survey to  determine the  extent the  goals  and objectives of the programmes are met or achieved in the products. The main purpose of employer survey is to obtain from the employers an assessment of

+the  performance of former students in  the  world of work (Okoro, 2005). Effective implementation of the technical college programmes will equip the products with employable skills or occupational competencies to secure employment or be self-employed and be able to employ others. The fear among researchers like Olaitan (1991), Okafor (1992), Osinem (2009) and Okorie and Ezeji (1988) is that the technical college products are not adequately equipped with the expected competencies to match the individual needs of the students with the labour market demands or the competencies to establish and manage own business. To the best knowledge of this study, no assessment has been carried  out  to  get  the  status  quo  of  the  competencies  possessed  and demonstrated by these products,  more especially, those employed with the tertiary institutions in Anambra State. In other words, there is no empirical studies that detailed the extent the goals and objectives of the technical college programme are achieved in the products.

How can the government, training institutions, technical education programme planners, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and other sponsors of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) programmes receive the necessary feedback on the state of the art or up-to-date information on the performances of the products in the world of work? Assessment of the competencies possessed and demonstrated by the technical college products

employed in tertiary institutions in  Anambra state is  imperative for  it  will provide the required up-to-date information or feedback for programme improvement and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to assess the competencies possessed and demonstrated by the craftsmen employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. Specifically the study will;

1. Determine  the  adequacy  of  technical/occupational  competencies possessed and demonstrated by the technical college products employed in the tertiary institutions in Anambra State as they perform their job roles.

2. Ascertain the level of the attitudinal competencies possessed and demonstrated  by  the  technical college  products  employed  in  tertiary institutions in Anambra State.

3.  Find out the effectiveness of the communicative competencies possessed and demonstrated by the technical college products employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State.

4.  Ascertain the adequacy of the managerial competencies possessed and demonstrated  by  the  technical college  products  employed  in  tertiary institutions in Anambra State.

Significance of the Study

The findings of the study will be of immense benefit to the following groups as stakeholders: the government, both federal and state, the programme planners (the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)), the training institutions (technical colleges), the teachers and the students. All of them will benefit because if the goals and objectives of the technical college programme are actualized in the products, every stakeholder stands to benefit as follows:

The findings will be beneficial to the government in that the feedback will help in decision making in relation to the level of funding necessary for progrmame improvement and sustenance. Feedback on programme outcome will be beneficial to the programme planners (NBTE) in that up-to-date information will be available to enable appropriate programme innovations to be applied. The training institutions will benefit from the feedback which might come  in  form  of  suggestions  on  how  the  instructional activities  could  be improved to impart the required competencies in the products. The teachers will benefit from the findings in that the information on the programme outcome will help them determine the teaching methods to adopt or drop to impart the required competencies in the students. The students will find the information from the findings helpful in form of better counseling and knowledge of the

strategies they will adopt to acquire the competencies necessary for a member of a productive work force of the 21st century.

Research Questions

The  following  research  questions  were  put  forward  to  help  to  find solutions to the research problems.

1.       What is the level of technical/occupational competencies possessed and demonstrated  by  the  technical college  products  employed  in  tertiary institutions in Anambra State.

2.       What is the level of attitudinal competencies possessed and demonstrated by the technical college products employed in the tertiary institutions in Anambra State?

3.       What is the effect of the communicative competencies possessed and demonstrated by the technical college products employed in the tertiary institutions in Anambra State?

4.       How   adequate   are   the   managerial   competencies   possessed   and demonstrated by the technical college products employed in the tertiary institutions in Anambra State?

Research Hypothesis

The following four null hypotheses guided the study and were tested at

0.05 level of significance.

1.  There is no significant difference between the mean responses of the academic and non-academic supervisors on the adequacy of technical/occupational competencies demonstrated by the technical college products employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State.

2.  There is no significant difference between the mean responses of the academic and non-academic supervisors on the level of satisfaction of the attitudinal competencies demonstrated by the technical college products employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State.

3.  There is no significant difference between the mean responses of the academic and non-academic supervisors on the effect of communicative competencies demonstrated by the technical college products employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State.

4.  There is no significant difference between the mean responses of the academic and non-academic supervisors on the adequacy of the managerial competencies demonstrated by the technical college products employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State.

Scope of the Study

The study was focused on the assessment of competencies demonstrated by technical college products employed in tertiary institutions in Anambra State as rated by the academic and non-academic supervisors. The content area of the study focused on the following competencies: technical/occupational competency, communicative competency, attitudinal competency, and managerial competency. The study did not attempt to assess or determine the supervisors’ competency rating of technical college products employed in other establishments that are not tertiary institutions in Anambra State and other states.

₦5,000.00 – DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT Added to cart

---

---

---

---

---

Related Project Topics :