Emerging Technologies and Pedagogy of Electrical Electronic Technology as Correlates ofSkill Acquisition and Employment Opportunities of Students of Tertiary Institutions inPlateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study determined the relationship among emerging technologies, pedagogy of Electrical/Electronic Technology, skill acquisition, and employment opportunities for students of tertiary institutions in Plateau State, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study, and three hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population for the study was 109 Electrical/Electronic Technology Education students of tertiary institutions, and the entire population was studied. A structured questionnaire titled "Relationship between Emerging Technologies and Pedagogy of Electrical/Electronic Technology Education Questionnaire (RETPEETEQ)" was used as an instrument for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts, and a reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained using Cronbach’s Alpha reliability method. The data collected were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment correlation method to answer research questions, while simple regression analysis was conducted to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings on research questions revealed that: (i) a moderate relationship exists between emerging technologies and skill acquisition of students of Electrical/Electronic Technology in tertiary institutions, (ii) a relationship exists between emerging technologies and employment opportunities for Electrical/Electronic Technology students in tertiary institutions, and (iii) a relationship also exists between skill acquisition and employment opportunities for Electrical/Electronic Technology students in tertiary institutions in Plateau State. The findings of the study on hypotheses revealed that: (i) there was a significant relationship between emerging technologies and skill acquisition of Electrical/Electronic Technology students in tertiary institutions in Plateau State, (ii) there was a significant relationship between emerging technologies and employment opportunities for Electrical/Electronic Technology students in tertiary institutions, and (iii) there was a significant relationship between skill acquisition and employment opportunities for Electrical/Electronic Technology students in tertiary institutions in Plateau State. Based on these findings, the study recommended that: (i) relevant emerging technologies should be used by lecturers of tertiary institutions in the study area to teach all Electrical/Electronic Technology students so that they can acquire relevant skills for employment after graduation, and (ii) administrators of the tertiary institutions should make emerging technologies more available for the teaching of Electrical/Electronic Technology students.