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 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