Curriculum Improvement Needs of Electrical and Electronics Technology Education Programme for Sustainable Self-Employment of Graduates of Nigeria Universities

Abstract

This study investigated the curriculum improvement needs of Electrical and Electronics Technology Education Programme (EETEP) in Nigerian universities for graduates sustainable self-employment. Research questions and hypotheses were formulated based on the study objectives. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study and a sample of 80 respondents consisting of 20 lecturers, 28 industry workers, and 32 self-employed graduates was selected from the total population of 400. The instrument used in this study is questionnaire titled Curriculum Improvement Needs of Electrical and Electronics Technology Programmes in Nigerian Universities for Sustainable Self-employment (CINETP) and was validated. A reliability coefficient of 0.85 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha method to ensure the reliability of the instruments. The results from the findings of the research questions showed that all respondents have consensus on the need for curriculum enhancements in areas such as electrical installation, equipment maintenance, Radio and Television, and utilization of ICT integration which are crucial for equipping graduates with the expertise needed for sustainable self-employment. Statistical analysis, including one-way ANOVA, indicates no significant differences among the different respondent groups regarding the identified improvement needs. The study concludes that addressing these curriculum gaps is essential for equipping graduates with the necessary skills for sustainable self-employment, thereby contributing to economic development in Nigeria. Finally, it was recommended that skills relevant to the use of RCDs, home appliances, motor control centres, AFCIs, and smart gears to reduce power consumption, IoT, Autotronics, smart circuit boards of R & TV, Smart TV screen technologies maintenance skills, and SMDs should be included in the Electrical and Electronics Technology curriculum for graduates sustainable self-employment. Also, Digital marketing, online learning platform, AI, YouTube, ML and blockchain technologies should also be deployed in the teaching of Electrical and Electronics Technology Education.