Title: Curriculum Management Relevance in Technology Education and Production of 21st-century Skilled Graduates in Federal Colleges of Education (Technical) in Nigeria
Authors: Amadike, Ndu N. F. PhD, THOMAS, Chinujinim Godstime PhD
Volume: 10
Issue: 6
Pages: 19-25
Publication Date: 2026/06/28
Abstract:
This study investigated the relationship between curriculum management relevance in technology education and production of 21st-century skilled graduates in Federal Colleges of Education (Technical) in Nigeria. The study was guided by one research question and one null hypothesis. A descriptive correlational research design was adopted. The population comprised 421 technology education lecturers/instructors from eight Federal Colleges of Education (Technical) in Nigeria, while a sample of 205 respondents was determined using the Taro Yamane formula and selected through stratified random sampling techniques. Two researcher-developed instruments titled Institutional Resource Inventory (IRI) and Skills Assessment Scale (SAS) were used for data collection. The instruments were validated by experts, and reliability coefficients of .898 and .946 were obtained using Cronbach Alpha, indicating high internal consistency. Out of 205 copies of the questionnaire administered, 195 were correctly completed and used for analysis. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research question, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to test the hypothesis at .05 level of significance using SPSS version 23. The findings revealed that there is a high extent of relationship between curriculum relevance for skill development and the production of 21st-century skilled graduates, with a grand mean of 2.61. The correlation analysis showed a moderate positive and statistically significant relationship (r = .420, p < .05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. This indicates that curriculum relevance significantly influences the production of skilled graduates in technology education. The study concluded that curriculum relevance is critical in equipping graduates with the required competencies for the modern workforce. It was recommended that regulatory bodies and curriculum developers should periodically review and update technology education curricula to align with current industry demands, global trends, and emerging technologies, while integrating practical skills, entrepreneurship, and digital competencies to enhance graduate employability and productivity.