ASSESSMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM FOR DECENT WORK EMPOWERMENT IN NIGERIA
Abstract
In the face of several maladjustments in the Nigerian labour market characterized by unemployment, forced labour, unsafe working environments, human trafficking, among others, the functionality of the educational curriculum needs to be ascertained to solve these problems. This study examined the extent business education undergraduate curriculum has empowered university students for decent work in South-West, Nigeria. The study answered three research questions and tested one hypothesis. Adopting descriptive survey design, 2,346 penultimate and final-year business education university undergraduates and 44 business education lecturers formed the population. Using Taro Yamane sample size statistical model, 727 undergraduates and 25 business education lecturers emerged as sample size. Questionnaire and focus group discussion schedule were the research instruments used for the study. An average index of 0.85 was determined for internal consistency of the research instruments using Cronbach Alpha correlation coefficient. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and independent sampled t-test as appropriate at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that business education undergraduate curriculum contents and innovative instructional strategies used by lecturers were inadequate to fully empower students for decent work in South-West, Nigeria. It was recommended that the NUC BMAS business education undergraduate curriculum should be reviewed while students and lecturers should be constantly involved in collaborative innovative instructional activities with the industries for adequate empowerment for decent work for all in Nigeria.
Â
Keywords: Business Education Curriculum, Decent Work, Empowerment, Instructional Â
Strategies, Sustainable Development Goals.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abang, F. (2020). Re-focusing university business education curriculum to equip students with skills and competences needed for success in modern industries. Global Journal of Education, Humanities and Management Sciences, 2(1), 30-45.
Adetunji, B., Azeta, V., Onubauye, A. & Aregbe, T. (2019). Decent work and employee performance in Nigeria: Adopting an integrated programmatic approach. International Journal of Advanced Research in Statistics Management and Finance, 7(1), 207-213.
Alao, O. E., Afuape I. H., Taiwo A. & Muraina, Q. O. (2021). Empowering business education students for decent work and productive employment: Nigeria example. Contemporary Educational Researches Journal. 11(1), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.18844/cerj.v11i1.5306
Bello, K. M. & Fagbemi, F. (2023). Unemployment and decent work in Nigeria. https://www.researchgate.net>publication>download
Cleary, J. & Van Noy, M. (2014). A framework for higher education labour market alignment: Lessons and future directions in the development of jobs-driven strategies. The State University of New Jersey.
Daramola, S. T. (2021). Decent work and economic growth under Nigerian labour and industrial relations. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssm.3847698
Decent work and economic growth: Understanding social enterprise. www.britishcouncil.org/connectingclassrooms
Economic and Social Council (2006). Full and productive employment and decent work: Dialogues at the economic and social council. New York: United Nations Publications. www.un.org›ecosoc›docs›pdfs›ecosoc_book_2006
Federal Government of Nigeria (2012). Nigeria’s path to sustainable development through green economy. RIO+20 United Nations conference on sustainable development. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org>documents
Grant, C. (2017). The contribution of education to economic growth. Institute of Development Studies. www.assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
GRI UN Global Compact (2017). Business reporting on the SDGs: An analysis of the goals and targets. www.globalreporting.org›resourcelibrary›GRIUNGCBusiness-Rep
Hanushek, E. A., Schwerdt, G., Wiederhold, S. & Woessmann, L. (2017). Coping with change: International differences in the returns to skills. Economic Letters 153 (April), 15-19.
High-Level Political Forum (2019) Sustainable development: Discussion on SDG 8 – decent work and economic growth. Conference of Wednesday, 10 July 2019. www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org›23844BNSDG8Decentwork
Hoffmann, T., Awate, S., Gorana, R., Joon, D., Morel, W., Nkomo, E., O’Donoghue, R. Pape, N., Roncevic, K., Taylor, J. & Thomas, R. (2017). Teaching the sustainable development goals. ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH.
Ile, C. M. & Wogboroma, N. (2021). Level of acquisition of entrepreneurial innovation skills by postgraduate business education students for self-sustainability in Rivers State. NAU Journal of Technology and Vocational Education, 6(1), 238-245.
ILO (2021). Decent work results. ILO programme implementation 2018-19 (1st Ed.). International Labour Conference 109th session, Switzerland.
ILO (2016). Value chain development for decent work: How to create employment and improve working conditions in targeted sectors (2nd ed.). International Labour Organisation.
ILO (2010). A skilled workforce for strong, sustainable and balanced growth: A G20 training strategy. Geneva: International Labour Office.
Iyioke, C. I., Iyioke, V. I. & Ezemma, J. C. (2018). Integration of work-based learning into higher education for economic development in Nigeria. In Global Perspectives on Work-Based Learning Initiatives (pp. 162-190). Hershey, PA: IGI Global Publishers. www.doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-69770-0.ch007
Jiang, Q. & He, K. (2018). A study on decent work and college students’ employment. Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, 56, 131-134.
Kawar, M. (2011). Skills development for job creation, economic growth and poverty reduction. Doha Forum on Decent Work and Poverty Reduction, 25-26 October 2011, Doha, Qatar. www.ilo.org›genericdocument›wcms_210671
McGrant, S., Alla-Mensah, J. & Langthaler, M. (2018). Skills for decent work, life and sustainable development vocational education and the sustainable development goals 18. Australian Foundation for Development Research. Briefing Paper. https://www.oefse.at/fileadmin/content/Downloads/Publikationen/Briefingpaper/BP18-SDGsand-TVET.pdf
National Business Education Association (2020). National Standards for Business Education. https://neapolitanlabs.education/assets/north_linn/files/business_education.pdf
National Universities Commission (2018). Benchmark minimum academic standards for undergraduate programmes in Nigerian universities. Abuja: Federal Republic of Nigeria.
OECD (2018). The future of education and skills education 2030. The future we want. www.oecd.org›E2030PositionPaper(05.04.2018).pdf
Okoli, C. I. & Igwegbe, A. I. (2015). Educators’ rating of strategies considered necessary for motivation of potential entrepreneurs among secondary school students for poverty alleviation in Anambra State. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(14), 6-11.www.iiste.org
Okuwa, O. B. (2020). Job creation and decent work in Oyo State Nigeria. Modern Economy, 11, 1752-1770. https://doi.org/10.4236/me.2020.1111120
Osman, A., Ladhani, S., Findlater, E. & Mckay, V. (2017). Curriculum framework for the sustainable development goals (1st Ed.). Commonwealth Secretariat. https://www.thecommonwealtheducationhub.net/.../Curriculum_Framework_for_SDGs
Pech, M., Rehor, P. & Slabova, M. (2021). Students’ preferences in teaching methods of entrepreneurship educators. Journal of Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science, 14(2), 66-78. http://dx.doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2021.140201
Tete, M. F., Limongi, R., de Almeida, M. I. S. & Borges, C. (2014). Experiential learning as teaching strategy for entrepreneurship: assessment of a Brazilian experience. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 16(4), 428-447.
UNESCO (2017). Education for sustainable development goals: learning objectives. https://www.developmenteducation.ie/app/uploads/2017/07/Sustainabledevelopment-goals-learning-objectives-2017.pdf
UNESCO (2016). Strategy for technical and vocational education and training (TVET, 2016-2021). France, Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
United Nations Children’s Fund (2019). Transitions from school to work. New York: UNICEF.
United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Yamane, T. (1973). Statistics: An introductory analysis (3rd ed.). Harper & Row.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright © 2018 -2024. The Nigerian Journal of Business Education (NIGJBED) All Rights Reserved.Â
ISSN: 2408-4816 (PRINT) |Â ISSN: 2756-5912 (ONLINE)