Main Article Content
Abstract
The study’s primary purpose was to expose science curriculum quality and instructional resource adequacy as variables affecting the employability skills acquisition level of potential science graduates. With the adoption of the survey research design, the study employed three different questionnaires to collect data from three groups comprising potential science graduates, lecturers of various colleges/faculties of science of universities, as well as employers of labor in South-West Nigeria. The collected data were analyzed using various statistical methods such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple linear regression analysis. The results indicated that an increase in the science curriculum quality and the availability of instructional resources corresponded to an increase in employability skills acquisition level, and these relationships were found to be statistically significant. The study concludes by recommending the need for collaboration among stakeholders to develop and implement innovative and high-quality science curricula and instructional resources to foster relevant and modern employability skills in science graduates.
Keywords
Article Details
References
- Ademiluyi, L. W., & Isiaka, O. J. (2022). Perceived influence of instructional methods and adequacy of business education lecturers on employability skills acquisition of business education students in universities in southwestern Nigeria. Al-Hikmah Journal of Business Education, 2(1), 30-42.
- Adeyemi, B. A., Adeyemi, B. B., & Adeyemi, I. D. (2021). Education for employability in Nigeria: Stakeholders’ assessment of missing gaps in the current schools curricula. EAS Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 3(2), 97-102.
- Aloysius, O. I., Ismail, I. A., Suandi, T., & Arshad, M. M. (2018). Enhancing university’s and industry’s employability collaboration among Nigeria graduates in the labor market. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(7), 32-48. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v8-i7/4322
- Boud, D., Costley, C., Marshall, S., & Sutton, B. (2021). Impacts of a professional practice doctorate: A collaborative enquiry. Higher Education Research & Development, 40(3), 431-445. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1765744
- Button, L. (2021). The Scope of Curriculum and Development of Curriculum. Curriculum Essentials: A Journey. Pressbooks.
- Campbell, M., Berni, C., Caroline, R., & Judith, S. (2019). Reimagining student employability: A case study of policy and practice transformation. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 41, 500–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2019.1646379
- Carvalho, L., & Yeoman, P. (2018). Framing learning entanglement in innovative learning spaces: Connecting theory, design, and practice. British Educational Research Journal, 44(6), 1120–1137. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3483
- Chan, R. Y. (2016). Understanding the purpose of higher education: An analysis of the economic and social benefits for completing a college degree. Journal of Education Policy, Planning and Administration, 6(5), 1-40.
- Cheng, M., Adekola, O., Albia, J., & Cai, S. (2022). Employability in higher education: A review of key stakeholders' perspectives. Higher Education Evaluation and Development, 16(1), 16-31. https://doi.org/10.1108/HEED-03-2021-0025
- Chukwurah, C., & Atah, C. A. (2019). Influence of student-teacher relationship and instructional facilities on employability skills acquisition among business education students in tertiary institutions in Cross River State. British International Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 6(5), 1-9.
- Doyle, A. (2020). What are employability skills? Definition & examples of employability skills. Available at: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/employability-skills-list-and-examples-4143571 (accessed 16 April 2023).
- Fajaryati, N., & Akhyar, M. (2020). The employability skills needed to face the demands of work in the future: Systematic literature reviews. Open Engineering, 10(1), 595-603. https://doi.org/10.1515/eng-2020-0072
- Fahimirad, M., Nair, P. K., Kotamjani, S. S., Mahdinezhad, M., & Feng, J. B. (2019). Integration and development of employability skills into Malaysian higher education context: Review of the literature. International Journal of Higher Education, 8(6), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v8n6p26
- Filazzola, A., & Cahill Jr, J. F. (2021). Replication in field ecology: Identifying challenges and proposing solutions. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 12(10), 1780-1792. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13657
- Gbadamosi, V. T. (2021). University of Ibadan undergraduates’ level of employability skills. Humanity & Social Sciences Journal, 16(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.hssj.2021.01.09
- Gedye, S., & Beaumont, E. (2018). The ability to get a job: Student understandings and definitions of employability. Education and Training, 60(5), 406-420. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-10-2017-0159
- George, W. K., Ikpe, S. A., & Udom, N. A. (2022). Assessment of technical education undergraduate students’ employability skills in colleges of education in Nigeria. Universal Scientific Bulletin (USB), 5(1), 109-122.
- Igbokwe-Ibeto, C. J., Agbodike, F. C., & Osakede, K. O. (2018). Entrepreneurial curriculum in African universities: A panacea to graduates’ unemployment if? Africa’s Public Service Delivery and Performance Review, 6(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4102/apsdpr.v6i1.222
- Igwe, P. A., Lock, D., & Rugara, D. G. (2022). What factors determine the development of employability skills in Nigerian higher education? Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 59(3), 337-348. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2020.1850319
- Kayode, D. J., Yusoff, N. B., & Veloo, A. (2015). Relationship between the curriculum and attributes of Nigerian faculty of education graduates towards teaching in Kwara State, Nigeria. African Higher Education Review (AHER), 9(1&2), 18-26.
- Kenayathulla, H. B., Ahmad, N. A., & Idris, A. R. (2019). Gaps between competence and importance of employability skills: Evidence from Malaysia. Higher Education Evaluation and Development, 13(2), 97–112. https://doi.org/10.1108/HEED-08-2019-0039
- Köper, I., Young, J., Hunter, N., Tan, L. F., & Barker, J. (2022, September). Increasing employability in Science graduates through longitudinal course design. In Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (pp. 42-42).
- Kosgei, K. K. (2015). Assessment of the influence of school-based factors on the implementation of alternative ‘B’ mathematics curriculum in secondary schools in Koricho County. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 4(21), 29-35.
- Lindgren, R., & DeLiema, D. (2022). Viewpoint, embodiment, and roles in STEM learning technologies. Educational Technology Research and Development, 70(3), 1009-1034. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10101-3
- Lipnevich, A. A., Berg, D. A., & Smith, J. K. (2016). Toward a model of student response to feedback. In Handbook of human and social conditions in assessment (pp. 169-185). Routledge.
- Mawson, M., & Haworth, A. C. (2018). Supporting the employability agenda in university libraries: A case study from the University of Sheffield. Information and Learning Science. 119(1/2), 101-108. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2017-0027
- Mezhoudi, N., Alghamdi, R., Aljunaid, R., Krichna, G., & Düştegör, D. (2023). Employability prediction: A survey of current approaches, research challenges and applications. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 14, 1489–1505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-021-03276-9
- Mtawa, N., Fongwa, S., & Wilson-Strydom, M. (2021). Enhancing graduate employability attributes and capabilities formation: A service-learning approach. Teaching in Higher Education, 26(5), 679–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2019.1672150
- Nwajiuba, C. A., Igwe, P. A., Akinsola-Obatolu, A. D., Icha-Ituma, A., & Binuomote, M. O. (2020). What can be done to improve higher education quality and graduate employability in Nigeria? A stakeholder approach. Industry and Higher Education, 34(5), 358–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422219901102
- Nicol, D. (2021). The power of internal feedback: Exploiting natural comparison processes. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(5), 756–778. doi:10.1080/ 02602938.2020.1823314
- Ogwunte, P. C., & Okolocha, C. C. (2016). Strategies considered effective by business teachers in South-South, Nigeria for teaching new business subjects in secondary schools. International Journal of Innovative Education Research, 4(2), 60-70.
- Okolie, U. C., Igwe, P. A., Nwosu, H. E., Eneje, B. C., & Mlanga, S. (2020). Enhancing graduate employability: Why do higher education institutions have problems with teaching generic skills? Policy Futures in Education, 18(2), 294-313. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210319864824
- Okolie, U. C., Nwajiuba, C. A., Eneje, B., Binuomote, M. O., Ehiobuche, C., & Hack-Polay, D. (2021). A critical perspective on industry involvement in higher education learning: Enhancing graduates’ knowledge and skills for job creation in Nigeria. Industry and Higher Education, 35(1), 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422220919655
- Okonkwo, I. G. A., & Samuel, N. N. C. (2022). Chemistry education and acquisition of employability and production skills: A case study. Unizik Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies, 11(1), 116-128.
- Okunuga, R. O., & Ajeyalemi, D. (2018). Relationship between knowledge and skills in the Nigerian undergraduate chemistry curriculum and graduate employability in chemical-based industries. Industry and Higher Education, 32(3), 183–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422218766913
- Oludeyi, O. S. (2022). Soft skills and didactic pathways in Nigeria university education: Implication for graduate employability. International Journal of Social Sciences (IJSS), 12(1), 1-9.
- OECD. (2018). Education at a glance 2018: OECD Indicators. https://doi.org/10.1787/19991487
- Panadero, E., Broadbent, J., Boud, D., & Lodge, J. M. (2019). Using formative assessment to influence self- and co-regulated learning: The role of evaluative judgement. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 34(3), 535–557. doi:10.1007/s10212-018-0407-8
- Pereira, E. T., Madalena, V., & Catia, F. C. (2020). University curricula and employability: The stakeholders’ views for a future agenda. Industry & Higher Education, 34, 321–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422220901676
- Pitan, O. S. (2017). Graduate employees’ generic skills and training needs. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 7(3), 290–303. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-04-2017-0026
- Pitan, O. S., & Atiku, S. O. (2017). Structural determinants of students’ employability: Influence of career guidance activities. South African Journal of Education, 37(4), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v37n4a1424
- Romgens, I., Scoupe, R., & Beausaert, S. (2020). Unravelling the concept of employability, bringing together research on employability in higher education and the workplace. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2588–2603. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1623770
- Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2020). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: Comparing students and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1834–1847. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1585420
- Sule, M. A., Odigwe, F. N., Okpa, O. E., Essien, E. S., & Ushie, M. I. (2020). Institutional variables and student's employability skills development in public universities in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, Nigeria. International Education Studies, 13(11), 33-43. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v13n11p33
- Suleman, F. (2018). The employability skills of higher education graduates: Insights into conceptual frameworks and methodological options. Higher Education, 76, 263–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0207-0
- Stabback, P. (2016). What makes a quality curriculum? In-Progress Reflection No. 2 on “Current and Critical Issues in Curriculum and Learning”. UNESCO International Bureau of Education.
- Tran, T. T. (2016). Enhancing graduate employability and the need for university-enterprise collaboration. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 7(1), 58-71.
- Wagaskar, K., Tripathy, A. K., Chauhan, K., Malaji, A., & Yadav, D. (2017). Employ ... able a tool to achieve 7e’s of employability. In International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics (ICACCI), 1756–1761.
- Yusuf, F. A., Okanlawon, A. E., & Metu, V. D. (2018). Lecturers’ perspectives on enhancing university graduates’ employability in Nigeria. Cypriot Journal of Educational Science, 13(3), 400-407.
References
Ademiluyi, L. W., & Isiaka, O. J. (2022). Perceived influence of instructional methods and adequacy of business education lecturers on employability skills acquisition of business education students in universities in southwestern Nigeria. Al-Hikmah Journal of Business Education, 2(1), 30-42.
Adeyemi, B. A., Adeyemi, B. B., & Adeyemi, I. D. (2021). Education for employability in Nigeria: Stakeholders’ assessment of missing gaps in the current schools curricula. EAS Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 3(2), 97-102.
Aloysius, O. I., Ismail, I. A., Suandi, T., & Arshad, M. M. (2018). Enhancing university’s and industry’s employability collaboration among Nigeria graduates in the labor market. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(7), 32-48. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v8-i7/4322
Boud, D., Costley, C., Marshall, S., & Sutton, B. (2021). Impacts of a professional practice doctorate: A collaborative enquiry. Higher Education Research & Development, 40(3), 431-445. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1765744
Button, L. (2021). The Scope of Curriculum and Development of Curriculum. Curriculum Essentials: A Journey. Pressbooks.
Campbell, M., Berni, C., Caroline, R., & Judith, S. (2019). Reimagining student employability: A case study of policy and practice transformation. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 41, 500–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2019.1646379
Carvalho, L., & Yeoman, P. (2018). Framing learning entanglement in innovative learning spaces: Connecting theory, design, and practice. British Educational Research Journal, 44(6), 1120–1137. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3483
Chan, R. Y. (2016). Understanding the purpose of higher education: An analysis of the economic and social benefits for completing a college degree. Journal of Education Policy, Planning and Administration, 6(5), 1-40.
Cheng, M., Adekola, O., Albia, J., & Cai, S. (2022). Employability in higher education: A review of key stakeholders' perspectives. Higher Education Evaluation and Development, 16(1), 16-31. https://doi.org/10.1108/HEED-03-2021-0025
Chukwurah, C., & Atah, C. A. (2019). Influence of student-teacher relationship and instructional facilities on employability skills acquisition among business education students in tertiary institutions in Cross River State. British International Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 6(5), 1-9.
Doyle, A. (2020). What are employability skills? Definition & examples of employability skills. Available at: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/employability-skills-list-and-examples-4143571 (accessed 16 April 2023).
Fajaryati, N., & Akhyar, M. (2020). The employability skills needed to face the demands of work in the future: Systematic literature reviews. Open Engineering, 10(1), 595-603. https://doi.org/10.1515/eng-2020-0072
Fahimirad, M., Nair, P. K., Kotamjani, S. S., Mahdinezhad, M., & Feng, J. B. (2019). Integration and development of employability skills into Malaysian higher education context: Review of the literature. International Journal of Higher Education, 8(6), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v8n6p26
Filazzola, A., & Cahill Jr, J. F. (2021). Replication in field ecology: Identifying challenges and proposing solutions. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 12(10), 1780-1792. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13657
Gbadamosi, V. T. (2021). University of Ibadan undergraduates’ level of employability skills. Humanity & Social Sciences Journal, 16(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.hssj.2021.01.09
Gedye, S., & Beaumont, E. (2018). The ability to get a job: Student understandings and definitions of employability. Education and Training, 60(5), 406-420. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-10-2017-0159
George, W. K., Ikpe, S. A., & Udom, N. A. (2022). Assessment of technical education undergraduate students’ employability skills in colleges of education in Nigeria. Universal Scientific Bulletin (USB), 5(1), 109-122.
Igbokwe-Ibeto, C. J., Agbodike, F. C., & Osakede, K. O. (2018). Entrepreneurial curriculum in African universities: A panacea to graduates’ unemployment if? Africa’s Public Service Delivery and Performance Review, 6(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4102/apsdpr.v6i1.222
Igwe, P. A., Lock, D., & Rugara, D. G. (2022). What factors determine the development of employability skills in Nigerian higher education? Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 59(3), 337-348. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2020.1850319
Kayode, D. J., Yusoff, N. B., & Veloo, A. (2015). Relationship between the curriculum and attributes of Nigerian faculty of education graduates towards teaching in Kwara State, Nigeria. African Higher Education Review (AHER), 9(1&2), 18-26.
Kenayathulla, H. B., Ahmad, N. A., & Idris, A. R. (2019). Gaps between competence and importance of employability skills: Evidence from Malaysia. Higher Education Evaluation and Development, 13(2), 97–112. https://doi.org/10.1108/HEED-08-2019-0039
Köper, I., Young, J., Hunter, N., Tan, L. F., & Barker, J. (2022, September). Increasing employability in Science graduates through longitudinal course design. In Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (pp. 42-42).
Kosgei, K. K. (2015). Assessment of the influence of school-based factors on the implementation of alternative ‘B’ mathematics curriculum in secondary schools in Koricho County. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 4(21), 29-35.
Lindgren, R., & DeLiema, D. (2022). Viewpoint, embodiment, and roles in STEM learning technologies. Educational Technology Research and Development, 70(3), 1009-1034. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10101-3
Lipnevich, A. A., Berg, D. A., & Smith, J. K. (2016). Toward a model of student response to feedback. In Handbook of human and social conditions in assessment (pp. 169-185). Routledge.
Mawson, M., & Haworth, A. C. (2018). Supporting the employability agenda in university libraries: A case study from the University of Sheffield. Information and Learning Science. 119(1/2), 101-108. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2017-0027
Mezhoudi, N., Alghamdi, R., Aljunaid, R., Krichna, G., & Düştegör, D. (2023). Employability prediction: A survey of current approaches, research challenges and applications. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 14, 1489–1505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-021-03276-9
Mtawa, N., Fongwa, S., & Wilson-Strydom, M. (2021). Enhancing graduate employability attributes and capabilities formation: A service-learning approach. Teaching in Higher Education, 26(5), 679–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2019.1672150
Nwajiuba, C. A., Igwe, P. A., Akinsola-Obatolu, A. D., Icha-Ituma, A., & Binuomote, M. O. (2020). What can be done to improve higher education quality and graduate employability in Nigeria? A stakeholder approach. Industry and Higher Education, 34(5), 358–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422219901102
Nicol, D. (2021). The power of internal feedback: Exploiting natural comparison processes. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(5), 756–778. doi:10.1080/ 02602938.2020.1823314
Ogwunte, P. C., & Okolocha, C. C. (2016). Strategies considered effective by business teachers in South-South, Nigeria for teaching new business subjects in secondary schools. International Journal of Innovative Education Research, 4(2), 60-70.
Okolie, U. C., Igwe, P. A., Nwosu, H. E., Eneje, B. C., & Mlanga, S. (2020). Enhancing graduate employability: Why do higher education institutions have problems with teaching generic skills? Policy Futures in Education, 18(2), 294-313. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210319864824
Okolie, U. C., Nwajiuba, C. A., Eneje, B., Binuomote, M. O., Ehiobuche, C., & Hack-Polay, D. (2021). A critical perspective on industry involvement in higher education learning: Enhancing graduates’ knowledge and skills for job creation in Nigeria. Industry and Higher Education, 35(1), 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422220919655
Okonkwo, I. G. A., & Samuel, N. N. C. (2022). Chemistry education and acquisition of employability and production skills: A case study. Unizik Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies, 11(1), 116-128.
Okunuga, R. O., & Ajeyalemi, D. (2018). Relationship between knowledge and skills in the Nigerian undergraduate chemistry curriculum and graduate employability in chemical-based industries. Industry and Higher Education, 32(3), 183–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422218766913
Oludeyi, O. S. (2022). Soft skills and didactic pathways in Nigeria university education: Implication for graduate employability. International Journal of Social Sciences (IJSS), 12(1), 1-9.
OECD. (2018). Education at a glance 2018: OECD Indicators. https://doi.org/10.1787/19991487
Panadero, E., Broadbent, J., Boud, D., & Lodge, J. M. (2019). Using formative assessment to influence self- and co-regulated learning: The role of evaluative judgement. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 34(3), 535–557. doi:10.1007/s10212-018-0407-8
Pereira, E. T., Madalena, V., & Catia, F. C. (2020). University curricula and employability: The stakeholders’ views for a future agenda. Industry & Higher Education, 34, 321–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422220901676
Pitan, O. S. (2017). Graduate employees’ generic skills and training needs. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 7(3), 290–303. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-04-2017-0026
Pitan, O. S., & Atiku, S. O. (2017). Structural determinants of students’ employability: Influence of career guidance activities. South African Journal of Education, 37(4), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v37n4a1424
Romgens, I., Scoupe, R., & Beausaert, S. (2020). Unravelling the concept of employability, bringing together research on employability in higher education and the workplace. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2588–2603. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1623770
Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2020). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: Comparing students and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1834–1847. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1585420
Sule, M. A., Odigwe, F. N., Okpa, O. E., Essien, E. S., & Ushie, M. I. (2020). Institutional variables and student's employability skills development in public universities in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, Nigeria. International Education Studies, 13(11), 33-43. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v13n11p33
Suleman, F. (2018). The employability skills of higher education graduates: Insights into conceptual frameworks and methodological options. Higher Education, 76, 263–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0207-0
Stabback, P. (2016). What makes a quality curriculum? In-Progress Reflection No. 2 on “Current and Critical Issues in Curriculum and Learning”. UNESCO International Bureau of Education.
Tran, T. T. (2016). Enhancing graduate employability and the need for university-enterprise collaboration. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 7(1), 58-71.
Wagaskar, K., Tripathy, A. K., Chauhan, K., Malaji, A., & Yadav, D. (2017). Employ ... able a tool to achieve 7e’s of employability. In International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics (ICACCI), 1756–1761.
Yusuf, F. A., Okanlawon, A. E., & Metu, V. D. (2018). Lecturers’ perspectives on enhancing university graduates’ employability in Nigeria. Cypriot Journal of Educational Science, 13(3), 400-407.