A SURVEY OF ICT COMPETENCIES AMONG BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the perceived ICT competencies among NCE 300 level business education students in Colleges of Education in North-Eastern Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was used in the study. The population of the study consisted of 651 NCE 300 level business education students drawn from seven Colleges of Education offering business education programmes. 242 students were randomly selected as the sample using proportionate sampling technique. Business Education Students Perceived ICT Competencies Inventory (BESP-ICT-CI) was the instrument used in collecting data for the study. The instrument was validated and a reliability of 0.67 was obtained. Data collected were analyzed using mean and t-test statistic. Findings from the study revealed that business education students do not have the required competencies in basic ICT operations as their perceived competency indicated an average (moderate) level. The findings also revealed that there is no significant difference between male and female business education students' perceived ICT competencies as well as that of students from Federal and State Colleges of Education. In view of this, it was recommended that Integration of ICT into the teacher education curriculum by teacher educators is necessary. This will make it possible for business education students to acquire the required competencies during their studies and that befitting ICT/computer centres should be provided where they are lacking in the Colleges. This will give the students the opportunity to put in practice what they have learnt and develop themselves gradually before they graduated from the Colleges.