Measuring Global Competence of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students (Published)
Twenty-first century students live in an interconnected, diverse and intensively changing world. Developing intercultural and global competences is of major importance. In such a context this study comes to investigate global competence of 336 undergraduate and postgraduate students through a quantitative methodology. Convenient and snowball sampling techniques were followed, whereas the data were analyzed with the statistical software SPSS 27.0 for Windows. According to the findings, most of the students demonstrate high levels of competence and some variables, such as gender, age, study program and level of ICT knowledge seem to affect some of the sub-scales.
Citation: Zoe Karanikola (2022) Measuring Global Competence of undergraduate and postgraduate students, International Journal of Education, Learning and Development, Vol. 10, No.8, pp.27-39
Keywords: Attitudes, Global Competence, Knowledge, Skills, Values, undergraduate and postgraduate students
Language teachers and digital literacy: Assessing viewing and representing as language skills (Published)
This study focused on an assessment of the viewing and representing skills of English language teachers in public and private secondary schools in Ekiti state. This study adopted the descriptive research of the survey type. A multistage procedure was used in randomly selecting four hundred and eighty English language teachers from thirty public secondary schools and thirty private secondary schools in Ekiti state. The research instrument was a self-structured questionnaire. The data collected were analysed using weighted mean, percentages, frequency counts and standard deviation. Results obtained revealed that English language teachers’ basic knowledge in viewing and representing icons without text labels were moderately low with the mean scores of 1.9 and 2.0 respectively. A weighted mean of 2.50 revealed an average level of teachers’ ability in deciphering icons with text labels. Mean scores of 1.9 and 1.8 were adjudged as very low for teacher’s ability in viewing and representing Google Meet icons respectively.
Keywords: Digital Literacy, Language Teachers, Skills, representing, viewing
Perceptions of Tamale Technical University Hospitality and Tourism Lecturers on Graduates Employability (Published)
Hospitality and Tourism (HT) higher education is a recent occurrence in Ghana. Issues of disparity in instruction and curriculum contents create problems for graduate’s employability. The industry demands graduates with employable skills and competencies, which lacks hospitality and tourism management students of higher learning put continuous pressure on educators. And can be corrected through higher education curriculum design. The study examines lecturers’ insights regarding students’ potential employability in HT sectors concerning course content, structure, relevance, adequacy and quality of lectures delivered. The results revealed that lecturers’ perceptions of skills and competencies developed by the graduate programme in Hospitality and tourism management (HTM) is inadequate and lacks employable skills. Lack of knowledge and understanding amongst students and lecturers of the hospitality and Tourism industry required skills such as generic hospitality required skills (interpersonal skills, communication skills, work ethics, professionalism, and emotional intelligence). The study adopted a qualitative approach. An in-depth semi-structured interview involving all 40 lecturers of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism of Tamale Technical University The study recommends lecturers and students having industry experience to be abreast with the industry’s needs for graduate’s employability.
Keywords: Competencies, Employability, Skills, hospitality and tourism
Influence of Social Media on Communication Skills and Academic Performance of Business Education Students in Colleges of Education in Southwest, Nigeria (Published)
The study assessed the influence of social media on communication skill acquisition and academic performance of business education students. The study had two specific purposes, three research questions and two hypotheses. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 461 respondents. A structured questionnaire tagged Influence of Social Media on Communication Skills and Academic Performance Questionnaire (ISMCSAPQ) was used to collect data from the respondents. The instrument was subjected to face and content validation by three experts with a Cronbach reliability coefficient of 0.87. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data to answer the research questions while linear regression statistic was used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed among others that social media use significantly positively influence communication skills and academic performance of business education students in colleges of education. It was concluded that social media when used effectively for academic purposes is capable of improving communication skills and academic performance of Business Education students in colleges of education. The study is potentially of great significance to teachers and students, enabling them to recognize, accept and deploy social media as implements of teaching, learning and skill acquisition. It was recommended among others that students should be encouraged to use social media to acquire necessary information while government provide conducive learning environment such as e-library for academic excellence.
Keywords: Academic, Business, Education, Media, Performance, Skills, Social, communication
The Contribution of in-Company Training to Skills Improvement and Human Resources Development (Published)
The following research comes to explore the importance and contribution of in-company training human resources to the business. The literature review shows that education, as a tool for shaping attitudes and attitudes and developing new skills, can play a key role in improving staff skills and thus influencing the overall growth and competitiveness of an enterprise. In the present study, a survey of mixed methods was conducted with quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interview) data and with sample employees from the Greek construction company “Avax”. Answers confirm that education provides employees with all the skills and support they need in order to be more efficient and thus increase their competitiveness and productivity. This research adds further data to the area of in-company education and training, since this kind of research in Greece is limited. In addition the impact of the economic crisis and the change in the culture of businesses trying to survive through training and investing in human resources is highlighted.
Keywords: Adult Education, Educational Needs, Human Resources, In-Company Training, Skills
Skills: A Pathway to Employability and Prosperity. European Commission Policies (Published)
The contemporary societal characteristics, the rapid technological developments, the increase in age limits, the strong demographic changes, the high rates of unemployment have led to major changes in the workplace. There is a strong demand for national and international policies, which aim at the development of employability and prosperity of citizens. In a context of global co-operation and coalition, international organizations, such as the United Nations Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU) Institutions, are called upon to play an important role in the development of prosperity, social cohesion and the economy of the countries, given that they have both the appropriate experience and the extensive diplomatic networks. In such a context, a great number of significant official texts have been drafted. Texts which provide policy guidance to member states in order to achieve growth and prosperity. This study, through the qualitative analysis of the European Commission’s text “Communication: A new skills agenda for Europe”, tries to capture and investigate the way employability can be protected and maintained. The analysis shows that a basic dimension of employability concerns the improvement and development of a skillset which people need to obtain in order to get and keep employed. These skills are planned and supported by corresponding policies and they are also differentiated according to target populations.
Keywords: Employability, Prosperity, Skills, policies
Chemistry Entrepreneurship: A Panacea for Chemistry Graduates Unemployment-The Nigerian Experience (Published)
This study sought to examine chemistry entrepreneurship as a panacea for chemistry graduates unemployment in Nigeria. The recent economy recession world-wide and particularly in Nigeria has necessitated the need to make a paradigm shift from consuming economy to producing economy. For any nation to attain the status of producing economy, its citizens must have acquired entrepreneurial skills in all sectors of the economy. Entrepreneurship is the capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in order to make a profit. The notion to become an entrepreneur in Nigeria is fast gaining ground in the face of little or no government jobs. The labour market is gradually becoming more attractive to graduating students as they want to be self-employed and independent.In view of all these, there is the need to entrench entrepreneurship education into our school curricula at all levels of education, most especially the higher institutions. This being as it is, there is need for inclusion of chemistry entrepreneurship in the chemistry curriculum most especially for our higher education students.Chemistry entrepreneurship being offered as a course will equip the students with the knowledge and skills to convert innovations from researches in chemistry into marketable products for commercial gain. Many of the household materials being used on daily basis are the products of innovations from chemistry researches. Such household materials as soap, candle, cream, toothpaste, slippers, shoe polish, insecticides, herbicides among others are enough, if invested in, to make a chemistry graduate a wealth creator instead of a job seeker.In view of the above, the paper recommends that the Nigerian government should prioritise, generally the academic entrepreneurship and particularly chemistry entrepreneurship in all our higher institutions, as this will go a long way in arresting the spate of chemistry graduates unemployment and also strengthen the nose-diving economy in the country.
Keywords: Chemistry entrepreneurship, Innovations, Knowledge, Skills, Wealth Creation
Developing Entrepreneurial Skills in Secondary School Students through Effective Mathematics Education in Aba, Nigeria (Published)
Unemployment is a global issue which increases every day. Developing entrepreneurial skills could be a way of reducing, if not eliminating it. There is the need to make students self-reliant. These skills cannot be developed without efficient and effective knowledge of mathematics. That is why this study considers how entrepreneurial skills can be developed through mathematics education. This study was conducted in Aba metropolis of Abia State, Nigeria. Aba being one of the major centers of commerce in Nigeria was selected as to identify some of the skills and discuss how the knowledge of mathematics can assist develop them. A survey research design was used for this study with 200 senior secondary school (sss 1) students and 80 teachers selected randomly from 40 secondary schools. The instrument of study was structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed and research questions answered using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, and co-relational statistics of Pearson moment correlation. Among others, it was found that both students and teachers need knowledge of mathematics to be good entrepreneurs. There is strong positive relationship between mathematics and entrepreneurial skills. It was recommended that there is need to enhance the mathematical background of students, and teachers with strong mathematical background should be used in teaching entrepreneurship education.
Keywords: Education, Mathematics, Skills, entrepreneurial
AN ASSESSMENT OF LECTURERS ABILITY IN TRANSFERRING THE NECESSARY SKILLS IN CLASSROOM- THE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES, KUWAIT; AS A CASE STUDY (Published)
Recently, there is a considerable gap between what is learned in the classroom and the real life context of vocational and technical students’ present and future workplace. This problem mostly occur in developing countries where lecturers in vocational and technical education have limited knowledge and experience of the real practice of industry and thus their experience is limited within the bounders on their institutions. This paper examine whether lecturers take into consideration those skills mostly needed by industry in their classes. In other words, do lecturers know the skills needed for today’s workplace? The study also examines the degree of industrialist’s involvement with vocational and technical lecturers in determining the types of knowledge, skills and attitudes that need to be stressed in the classroom. The study would consists of: a review of the related literature; a questionnaire that would be distributed to a sample of lecturers at the College of Technological Studies; Personal interviews with the head of the department; dean of industrial liaison offices; and the department trainee’s direct supervisors in local industry. This paper would conclude that lecturers must emphasis and develop the mostly needed knowledge, skills and attitudes by industries in their classes, otherwise industries would heavily depend on expatriates for years to come
Keywords: Kuwait, Lecturers Ability, Skills
The Effectiveness Of Life Skills Programmes In Three Teachers Colleges Within Masvingo Province Zimbabwe (Review Completed - Accepted)
ABSTRACT
This study sought to determine the effectiveness of Life Skills programmes in three teachers’ colleges in Masvingo province namely: Masvingo, Bondolfi and Morgenster. In this study eight-five (85) student teachers, four (4) lecturers and three (3) nurses from the three colleges participated in the research project. Student teachers filled in questionnaires, lecturers and nurses were interviewed. The study showed that life skills programmes are quite effective in equipping student teachers with stress management skills, cognitive skills, social skills and emotional skills. The study also revealed that student teachers are equipped with information on HIV, AIDS, STIs and other health related information which play a major role in behaviour change.Though Life Skills programmes can be quite effective, the research study revealed that proper methodologies, technical support and lecturer motivation are of paramount importance in the implementation of these programmes. The study recommends that there is need for staff development programmes for lecturers so that they are equipped with relevant methodologies for life skills programmes. It is also necessary that these programmes be well funded so that they do not suddenly grind to a halt. Finally, it is also recommended that further research be undertaken in order to establish how best these life skills programmes can be implemented considering the large enrolments of teachers’ colleges
Keywords: Behavior Change., Cognitive, Emotional, Life-Skills, Programmes, Skills, Social, Teacher’s Colleges