Strategies for Effective Utilization of Hybrid Approaches for Improve Instruction in Office Technology and Management (OTM) In Public Tertiary Institutions in South East, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate strategies for effective utilization of hybrid instructional approaches in Office Technology and Management (OTM) in public tertiary institutions in South East, Nigeria. The study answered two (2) research questions which were raised based on two (2) variables. Two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05level of significance. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and the study area was South East geo-political zone of Nigeria. The population of the study consisted of two hundred and sixty-eight (268) business educators employed under Business Education Department of public tertiary institutions in South-East Geopolitical zone, Nigeria. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “Strategies for effective utilization of hybrid instructional approaches in office technology and management questionnaire (SEUHIAOTMQ)” with 18 items. The instrument was validated by three experts, two in business education and one in science education. Reliability of the instrument was determined through pilot test using Cronbach Alpha Reliability Statistical Tool. The analysis yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.85. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while independent t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that utilization of flipped model and rotational teaching strategies can enhance effective teaching of Office Technology and Management (OTM) in public tertiary institutions. The study also revealed that gender and years of experiences did not affect the opinion of business educators’ opinion on strategies for effective utilization of hybrid or blended instructional approaches in Office Technology and Management (OTM) in public tertiary institutions in South East, Nigeria. The implication of the findings was that that every business educator should attend regular in-service education so as to keep abreast of current and future innovations in teaching. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that management of public tertiary institutions in South East, Nigeria should from time to time train business educators on emerging technologies which can be adopted for hybrid instructional approaches in public tertiary institutions.