Role of Technical Teachers in Public Relations towards Optimizing Students’ Enrollment in Technical and Vocational Education Training in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the role of technical teachers in public relations towards optimizing students’ enrolment in TVET programmes in Nigeria. Two specific objectives and corresponding research questions were generated with a null hypothesis formulated respectively to guide the study. Descriptive survey design approach was adopted for the study. A 30 item questionnaire structured in a five point rating scale was used to collect data for the study. The instrument was face validated by three experts and a reliability coefficient of 0.79 was obtained with Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient method. The population of this study was 216 respondents made up of 36 technical teachers teaching in the three Government Science and Technical Colleges, Federal Science and Technical Colleges and a Vocational Centre within the study area, 180 NTC III and NVC III students of the colleges/centre. The population for this study was manageable; hence, there was no sampling and sampling techniques in this study. The entire population was used as sample in the study. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while z-test statistics was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of this study revealed among others the public relation activities practiced by technical teachers in Adamawa State colleges/centre such as; granting audience to the press on TVET programmes; creating awareness of TVET through community organizations, reaching parents through newsletter and contacts of technical teachers with alumni members. Strategies such as technical teachers visiting religious and social gathering to create public awareness on the need for TVET enrollment with gender equity, exhibits departmental work displayed at stores, fairs and festivals were revealed as those public relation role which technical teachers can play to improve students’ enrollment. Consequently, it was recommended among others that technical teachers should be actively involved in public relations activities to inform the school and the larger community on the career viability of the range of TVET programmes offered, so men and women can make informed vocational selection.