BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMS CURRICULUM CONTENTS AND ACQUISITION OF EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS AMONG GRADUATES OF UNIVERSITIES IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined business education programs curriculum contents and acquisition of employability skills among graduates of universities in Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study, two research hypotheses were formulated as guide for the study. Literature was reviewed in line with the variables under study. Survey research design was adopted. The population for the study was 987 business education graduates between 2007/2008 and 2014/2015 academic sessions from the University of Calabar (UNICAL) and Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH). The sample of the study was 200 business education graduates drawn purposively using accidental and snowballing sampling techniques. A validated researcher made-four point scale questionnaire titled “Business Education Programs Curriculum Content and Acquisition of Employability Skills Questionnaire” (BEPCCAESQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by four research experts. A reliability estimate ranging of .82 was achieved for the instrument using Chronbach Alpha reliability coefficient after a pilot test. The data obtained from the field was converted into values and analyzed using population t-test and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). All the hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance. Findings revealed among others that the level of employability skills acquisition among universities business education graduates is significantly low. Consequently, it was recommended that the National Universities Commission (NUC) should urgently embarked on an inclusive curriculum reform that incorporate business education teachers/lecturers, curriculum planners and developers as well as industry experts. This if done will provide the opportunity of appraising the in-use business education programs curriculum with a view of spotting inherent weaknesses in terms of contents, pedagogy and relevance to the world of work. Article visualizations: