INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SKILLS NEEDED BY BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS FOR SELF-SUSTENANCE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This study investigated the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills needed by business education students for self-sustenance and national development. Three specific purposes and three research questions guided the study. The study comprised final-year business education students in tertiary institutions offering business education in Ebonyi State. The population consisted of 64 students, and the entire population was studied because it was manageable. Data were collected using a 30-item structured questionnaire, titled the Business Education Students Information and Communication Technology Skills (BESICTS), based on a four-point Likert scale. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The findings showed that computer operating skills, digital marketing skills, and communication skills were generally needed by business education students for self-sustenance and national development. Specifically, the cluster means for computer operating, digital marketing, and communication skills were 2.70, 2.71, and 2.69, respectively. The study concludes that ICT skills are important for preparing business education students for contemporary work and entrepreneurial opportunities. It recommends that business education students should be sensitized to the importance of acquiring relevant ICT skills, tertiary institutions should be adequately equipped with ICT resources and reliable electricity, and lecturers should participate in regular ICT-related capacity-building programmes.