Resource adequacy and utilization and teaching and learning effectiveness in Vocational Education Programmes in Nigerian universities

Abstract

This study has investigated the level of physical facilities adequacy and instructional resources utilization for teaching and learning effectiveness in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs. A mixed method design was adopted for the study. A stratified random sampling technique was adopted for the study. A sample of 703 participants, which comprised 85 lecturers and 615 undergraduate students while three Heads of Department were purposively selected from Department of Vocational Education cross Federal Universities in South-South, Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to TVET lecturers and undergraduate students, while Heads of Department were interviewed. Physical facilities, such as, workshops, laboratories, equipment/hand tools, ,entrepreneurship centers, departmental libraries, ICT centers, and lecture rooms, were found to be moderately adequate. Other physical facilities, such as, lecture halls/theater, career counseling centers, lecturers offices, and structures/buildings, were found to be inadequate. However, instructional resources, such as raw materials for practical training, reference books, and course textbooks, were found to be moderately utilized during teaching and learning in TVET program. Other instructional resources, such as general textbooks and academic journals, were found to be rarely utilized during teaching and learning in TVET program. Based on these findings, the authors concluded that the moderate availability and inadequacy of core physical facilities and the rare utilization of instructional resources were attributed to teaching and learning ineffectiveness in TVET programs across Federal Universities in Nigeria, which could further affect students’ self-confidence and self-determination to engage in entrepreneurial career and lifelong learning tasks on graduation. One of the recommendations proffered for the study is that managers of TVET should endeavor to collaborate with other major stakeholders for the provision of funds that would assist in ensuring adequate provision of physical facilities for effective teaching and learning process in TVET programs. Ensuring adequate provision of physical facilities will help in guaranteeing conducive learning environment, which could further help to equip students with requisite skills to engage in entrepreneurial career and lifelong learning on graduation.
 Keywords: Effective teaching and learning, instructional resources utilization, lecturers and students, physical facilities adequacy, technical and vocational education and training;