Soft Skills and Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Job Performance in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria (Published)
This study investigated the relationship between soft skills and early childhood teachers’ job performance in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between communication skills, conflict management skills, stress management skills, time management skills, and early childhood teachers’ job performance. To achieve the purpose of this study, four specific objectives, four research questions and four null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were tested at.05 level of significance. Literatures pertinent to the study were reviewed under theoretical, conceptual and empirical frameworks. Correlational research design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 600 early childhood teachers and 390 head teachers were selected for the study using multistage sampling technique. Two instruments were used for data collection and they were; Soft Skill Instrument (SSI) and Early Childhood Teachers’ Job Performance Instrument (ECTJPI). Teachers responded to Soft Skill Instrument (SSI) while school head teachers responded to Early Childhood Teachers’ Job Performance Instrument (ECTJPI). R and R2 values of Simple Linear Regression Analysis were used for answering the research questions and for testing the hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between soft skills and early childhood teachers’ job performance in Akwa Ibom State. It was concluded that there is a significant positive relationship between communication skills, conflict management skills, stress management skills, time management skills and early childhood teachers’ job performance. It was recommended among others that early childhood teachers should seek personal development of their soft skills through workshops, seminars and conferences.
Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Job Performance, Soft Skills, Teachers
Vastness of Higher Education Development Programme on Enhancing Quality and Sustainable Service Delivery by University Graduates in the Northern Zone Tanzania (Published)
Quality, resilience, commitment and sustainable delivery of services has increasingly being a demand for every community in the world. The 21st century has identified the kind of skills that need to be embraced by every individual for one to deliver quality, sustainable and descent work. In response, Tanzania launched the Higher education Development Programme (HEDP) to ensure the attainment of this fundamental objective. This study therefore investigated the vastness of HEDP on enabling quality and sustainable service delivery among university graduates. The study tested two hypotheses. The CIP1P2I evaluation model guide this study. The study employed Convergent design under mixed research approach. The target population for this evaluation study was 18,601 respondents selected from eight (8) Universities in the Northern Zone Tanzania. The target population comprised of 5,118 final year bachelor degree students, 483 lecturers, 8 DVC-academics, 12,292 alumni and 100 employers. The sample was 697 which comprised of 511 final year Bachelor degree students; 48 lecturers; 4 DVC academics; 124 alumni and 10 employers. The sampling techniques included stratified random, purposive sampling techniques and automatic inclusion. Data was collected by using questionnaires, indepth interview guides and document analysis guides. Quantitative data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics where frequencies, percentages, and means were determined. Qualitative data was analyzed through transcription of the texts, generate themes, interpreting, discussion and making conclusions. The study found that, most alumni couldn’t deliver quality and sustainable service as needed by their community. The study concluded that, HEDP has not adequately brought about tangible implications on the quality and sustainability of graduates and thus quality of higher education system is questionable. It was recommended that, universities should reform curriculums that emphasize on acquisition of soft-skills that may enable graduates deliver quality and sustainable services rather than traditional emphasis on academic achievement.
Citation: Mbua F.M., Salema V., & Mandila T. (2022) Vastness of Higher Education Development Programme on Enhancing Quality and Sustainable Service Delivery by University Graduates in the Northern Zone Tanzania, British Journal of Education, Vol.10, Issue 14, 30-54
Keywords: 21st Century., HEDP, Soft Skills, decent work, quality and sustainable service
Extensiveness of Higher Education Development Programme on Enabling Institutional Linkage to Ensure Quality University Graduates in the Northern Zone Tanzania (Published)
Institutional linkages has been a demand for all universities in the world. Higher Education Development Programme (HEDP) was meant to cater for this fundamental purpose. This study therefore aimed at finding out the extensiveness of HEDP on enabling institutional linkages of universities in the Northern Zone Tanzania. The study was anchored to the Value-Added-Theory. Convergent design under the mixed research paradigm lead the study. The target population for the study was 18,601 respondents from eight (8) Universities in the Northern Zone of Tanzania. This comprised of 5,118 final year bachelor degree students, 483 lecturers, 8 DVC-academics, 12,292 alumni and 100 employers. The study sample comprised of 697 respondents from which 511 were final year bachelor degree students, 48 lecturers, 4 DVC academics, 124 alumni and 10 employers. Sampling techniques included stratified random, purposive and automatic inclusion. Data collected through questionnaires, indepth interview guides and document analysis guides. Validity of quantitative data collection instruments was ensured through content and face validity while for qualitative was ensured through explanation of the purpose of study and ensuring equal time for each interview. Internal consistency of Likert type items was estimated through Cronbach Alpha, while the dependability of qualitative items was ensured through triangulation. Quantitative data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics where frequencies, percentages, and means were determined. Qualitative data was analyzed through transcription of texts, generate themes, interpret, discuss and making conclusions. The study found that, HEDP is to some extent known to students and alumni for its purpose of establishing linkages. The study concluded that HEDP has to the lower extent achieved the goal of ensuring institutional linkages. The study recommended that universities should conduct periodic review and reform programmes to cater for the needs of the current demands of 21st century soft skills.
Citation: Fortunatus Michael Mbua, Victorini Salema & Timothy Mandila (2022) Extensiveness of Higher Education Development Programme on Enabling Institutional Linkage to Ensure Quality University Graduates in the Northern Zone Tanzania, British Journal of Education, Vol.10, Issue 11, pp.45-65
Keywords: Employability, Soft Skills, competitive job market, institutional linkages, quality graduates and 21st Century skills