DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION

This study examined the “Assessment of the Availability and Utilization of E-learning Technology in Academic Performance of Business Education Students in University of Benin”. The study was guided by six research questions. This study was designed to assess of the availability and utilization of e-learning technology in academic performance of Business Education Students in University of Benin. The research adopted a descriptive survey research design, which was deemed appropriate for collecting information about the characteristics and perceptions of the population at a specific point in time. The population for the study consisted of sixty-eight (68) 300- and 400-level Business Education students. Due to the manageable size of this population, a census sampling technique was employed, resulting in a final sample of thirty (30) students who participated in the study.The primary instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled "Assessment of Availability and Utilization of E-learning Technology in Academic Performance of Business Education Students Questionnaire (AAUETEAPBEQ)." It was segmented into two (2) sections. Section A consisted of questions on the demographic characteristics of respondents such as gender and level of study while Section B contained of 30 question items in which items were raised from each research questions. The instrument for data collection was based on face validity by the researcher's supervisor and two experts from the Department of Business
Education ,Faculty of Vocational and Technical Education,University of Benin, Benin City. The findings revealed that the availability and effective utilization of e-learning technologies such as virtual learning platforms, learning management systems (LMS), online assessment tools, educational video platforms, and collaborative tools (e.g., Zoom, Google Classroom) significantly influence the academic performance of Business Education students in the University of Benin. From the findings of the study, it was concluded that students who actively engage with these e-learning technologies tend to perform better academically due to improved access to resources, flexibility in learning, and enhanced interaction with course content.

This study investigated the impact of the availability and utilization of e-learning technologies on Business Education programs at the University of Benin, Benin City. The research was guided by five research questions. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised all sixty-eight (68) 300-level and 400-level Business Education undergraduate students, and due to its manageable size, a census sampling technique was used. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled "Impact of Availability and Utilisation of E-Learning Technologies on Business Education Programs Questionnaire (IAUETBEPQ)," which was validated by experts and demonstrated reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.70. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that e-learning technologies are available to a high extent in the program. The study also found a high extent of utilization of these technologies by both educators and students. Furthermore, e-learning technologies were shown to have a high extent of positive impact on student engagement and academic performance. However, significant challenges, including poor internet connectivity, frequent power outages, and limited technical support, were found to limit effective use to a high extent. The study concluded that while elearning technologies are available and utilized, their full potential is hampered by infrastructural and skill-based challenges. It was recommended, among other things, that the university should invest more in upgrading ICT infrastructure, organize regular training for educators, and provide orientation and support for students to maximize e-learning platforms.

This study investigates the influence of vocational skill acquisition programmes on the socioeconomic development of youths in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Anchored on the Human Capital Theory, the research examines the availability of vocational programmes, their impact on unemployment, crime involvement, living standards, and the challenges hindering youth participation. A descriptive survey design was employed, targeting a population of 57,659 youths, with a sample size of 100 respondents selected via simple random sampling using Yamane’s formula. Data were collected through a validated 20-item questionnaire (IVSAPSDYSQ) on a 4-point Likert scale and analyzed using mean scores and standard deviations. Findings reveal that programmes like tailoring, welding, ICT, and agriculture are widely available (Mean = 3.16, SD = 0.84) and significantly reduce unemployment (Mean = 2.84, SD = 0.96) and crime involvement (Mean = 2.76, SD = 0.93) while improving living standards (Mean = 3.05, SD = 0.88). However, challenges such as lack of awareness, inadequate facilities, financial constraints, and societal stigma (Mean = 3.16, SD = 0.89) impede participation. The study recommends enhanced programme accessibility, awareness campaigns, financial subsidies, and attitudinal change initiatives to maximize the socioeconomic benefits of vocational training for youths

This study examined Proficient Utilization of Pedagogical Information and Communication Technology skills and perceived business educators’ job performance in Colleges of Education in Edo and Delta States, Nigeria. To guide the study, ten (10) research questions were raised and three answered while eight hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted survey research of correlational design. The population of the study was 107 Business Educators in colleges of education in Edo and Delta States of Nigeria. The sample size was 107 business educators hence a census. The research instrument used was a structured questionnaire titled “Proficient utilization of pedagogical Information and Communication Technology skills and perceived business educators’ job performance in Colleges of Education in Edo and Delta States (PUPBEJP)”. The instrumentwas segmented into two parts: A and B. Part A dealt with the bio-data of the respondents such as location of institution and gender, while Part B was made up of 60 item statements sub-segmented into eight (8) clusters with Sections A and B. Section A had three clusters with 32 items measuring level of Proficiency on pedagogical ICT skills, level of utilization of pedagogical ICT skills and job performance of business educators while Section B measured 28 items on proficiency and utilization of CAL/CAI, CMI, CBI, CBT and CAD and they were rated on four point rating scale. The instrument was validated by five experts: the researcher’s supervisors, two (2) other experts from the Faculty of Vocational and Technical Education and one psychometrician from the Department of Educational Evaluation and Counseling Psychology (EECP), University of Benin, Benin-City. The instrument was pilot tested once on twenty business educators’ in Federal College of Education, Omoku, Rivers State who were not part of the population of the xii study. Alpha value of 0.94 was obtained for proficiency and utilization of pedagogical ICT skills and 0.74 was obtained for business educators’ job performance. Data collected from the respondents were analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Multiple regression analysis and Fisher z. The Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the research questions while Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Multiple regression analysis and Fisher z were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the level of proficiency of pedagogical ICT skills possessed by business educators was high. The findings equally revealed that proficient utilization of pedagogical ICT skills significantly predicted the job performance of business educators. It was concluded that there was a significant relationship between business educators’ proficient utilization of pedagogical ICT skills and their job performance in colleges of education in Edo and Delta States. Based on the findings and conclusion, recommendations were proffered among others that management of colleges of education should sustain, maintain and promote the highlevels of proficiency, utilization and job performance among business educators through continuous professional development.