Problem-Solving and Self-Managemenr Skills Required for Effective Job Performance of Business Education Graduates as Perceived by Business Educators

Abstract

The study is a survey of problem-solving and self-management skills required for effective job performance of business education students in southeast Nigeria. Three research questions and three null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. A four point, structured questionnaire constructed by the researcher with a reliability coefficient of 0.69 was used to collect data. The entire population of eighty-eight (88) business educators in the public universities in southeast Nigeria was considered affordable by the researcher; therefore, no sampling was made. 88 copies of the questionnaire were administered on the respondents but only 62 were correctly filled and returned thereby stabilizing the number of respondents at 62. Mean and z-test statistics were used to analyze collected data. While mean was used to answer the research questions, z-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results identified nine problem-solving skills and nine self-management skills required for effective job performance of business education graduates. The study also found that setting good examples by the teacher, setting reachable goals with the students, activity based teaching, allowing students direct themselves, teamwork, learner centred approach and guiding students to solve problems are good strategies for teaching problem-solving and self-management skills. Integration of problem-solving and self-management skills into the business education curriculum and setting good examples by business educators were recommended among others.