PERCEPTION OF UNIVERSITY LECTURERS ON CORE CURRICULUM MINIMUM ACADEMIC STANDARDS' (CCMAS) AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF 21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigates the perceptions of university lecturers on the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards' (CCMAS) and the development of 21^st century skills. To direct the study and help it reach its goals, two research questions and two correspondence hypotheses were devised. The study used survey research as its methodology. Twenty-four university lecturers from federal and state universities in Ebonyi State.  A 14-item questionnaire titled "Perception of University Lecturers on the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards Questionnaire (PULCCMASQ)" was used for the study. Twelve University Lecturers at the University of Cross Rivers State who were not involved in the study were used to test the instrument, and the results showed that the instrument was reliable for the purpose of the investigation with an overall coefficient of 0.79 using Cronbach Alpha . The 23 respondents each received one of the 23 copies of the questionnaire, and 23 copies were returned, representing a 100% return rate. Descriptive statistics of frequency, mean, and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Meanwhile, the research hypothesis was tested using an independent t-test at the 0.05 level of significance. The result of the findings showed that the university lecturers have a positive perception of the business education area of specialization, and the university lecturers have a favorable perception of the CCMAS's development of 21st century skills among Business Education students. It was concluded that CCMAS has given the Business Education Program a opportunity to specialize in four different areas: accounting education, entrepreneurship education, marketing and distribution education, and office management. It was equally recommended that the NUC ought to ensure that CCMAS endures since it is the best hope for long-term educational sustainability in Nigeria.

Key Words: Perception, University Lecturers, CCMAS, Business Education, and 21^st Century Skills