Factors Influencing Student’s Enrolment in Vocational Technical Education Post-Graduate Programs in Rivers and Bayelsa State Tertiary Institutions (Published)
The study looked at Factors Influencing Students Enrolment in Vocational Technical Education Post-Graduate Programme in Rivers and Bayelsa State Tertiary Institutions. Two research questions and one hypothesis was used in the study. The researchers used simple survey research design. The population consists of a total of 149 students in post-graduate program in technical education in Rivers and Bayelsa State tertiary institutions. The researchers developed an instrument titled students response on financial constraints and perception of vocational technical education (SRFPT). SRFPT item was subjected to face validation by two experts in the department of vocational technical education in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The instrument reliability was calculated to be 0.87 using Cronbach Alpha. Data obtained from research questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for research questions and Z-test for hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Response from table 1 showed that item 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were all accepted to the various questions. This shows that finance is a major factor influencing the enrolment of students in vocational technical education program. Result from table 2 reveals that item 1, 3 and 4 were rejected to the various questions. While item 2 and 5 were accepted. This shows that technical education teachers do not have low prospect, jobs are not limited to classroom only and they earn better. Also, it was observed that vocational technical education lecturers are leaving below standard as compared to their job input. In addition, the findings from the hypothesis showed that z-calculated value of 10.10 was higher than z-critical value of 1.960 at 0.05 level of significance with 149 degree of freedom. This implies that there is significant difference on how finance affects students’ enrolment in post-graduate programme in Rivers and Bayelsa State tertiary institutions and how students value vocational technical training program in labour market. Among all, it was recommended that Government should create a financial scheme to subsidize tuition fee and research programs among post-graduate students in vocational technical education program.
Keywords: Education, Post-graduate, Technical, Vocational, programs