TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE EDUCATION GRADUATES’ RATING OF LEARNING RESOURCES IN MODIBBO ADAMA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, YOLA

Abstract

This study was necessitated out of the need for programme improvement. Informed feedback on how to improve technology education programmes provided by graduates of STSE would be helpful to the school in its programme improvement efforts. The study was carried out in Northern Nigeria where most of the graduates of the programme are working. The target population of the study comprised of all the graduates of Technology education. However, a purposive sample of 193 respondents made up of 86 prospective supervisors and 107 graduates of technology education programme (Electrical technology, Electronics technology, mechanical technology and construction technology) that graduated from 2008 through 2011 were used for the study.  A descriptive survey research design was adopted. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire designed by the researchers called Follow-up study instrument for data collection (FUSIDC) developed on a five-point rating scale. The instrument was validated by four specialists in STSE and five graduates from the department of technology education. It was trial tested on 30 respondents mainly graduates of STSE in 2007 in order to establish the reliability of the instrument. Cronbach alpha was used to compute a reliability index of 0.78. Descriptive statistics mainly, means and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions. The four hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using analysis of variance. Among the findings made were that teaching and learning facilities including classrooms, toilets and workshops were rated fair.  All the hypotheses tested were rejected, meaning significant differences existed in the mean responses of the respondents. Based on these findings, some recommendations were made amongst which is that, in order to position teaching and learning activities in line with the modern trends in technology, MAUTech and STSE in particular is encouraged to improve even those items that were rated in category ‘good’ and ‘very good’. Improvement is an on-going activity which education institutions and organizations should undertake.