OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT (OTM): THE CRITICAL ISSUES AFFECTING ITS TEACHING AND LEARNING IN NIGERIA

Back to Page Authors: C. B. O. Eruanga, Ige Oluwaseye Jacob

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Keywords: teaching, curriculum, polytechnics, university

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Abstract: The study investigated the critical issues that affect the teaching and learning of Office Technology and Management (OTM) in Nigeria. The research design used for this study was a descriptive survey. The study population was 600 comprising of 250 polytechnic lecturers and 350 OTM final year students of the three geo-political-zones of Nigeria. Out of the 600 questionnaires administered, we were able to retrieve 576 while 19 were not retrieved and 5 were invalid. The data was analyzed with the use of frequency, a simple percentage, pie chart, mean and standard deviation. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significant level. The findings revealed that there is no Nigerian university that offers OTM programme as a continuity programme to National Diploma (ND) or Higher National Diploma (HND) programme of the Nigerian polytechnics. It was also revealed that only seven (7) Nigerian universities, out of one hundred and seventy (170), offer the nomenclature programme - Office Information Management (OIM). The study concluded that Nigerian polytechnics should be upgraded to the university level. It was recommended that the two educational regulatory bodies in Nigeria – National University Commission (NUC) and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) need to collaborate to review OTM curriculum just as we have Accountancy programme in the Polytechnic and a similar programme is run the University. A directive should be given that Nigerian polytechnic OTM is equivalent to Nigerian university OIM and the recipients of OIM can teach in all Nigerian polytechnics that offer OTM programme.

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