HARNESSING DIGITAL TOOLS AND ADDRESSING CURRICULUM GAPS FOR TRAINING SELFRELIANT BUSINESS EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATES

Abstract

This study examined the influence of instructional and entrepreneurial digital tools, as well as curriculum adjustments and adaptations, on curriculum gaps and the self-reliance motivation of Business Education undergraduates in Cross River State, Nigeria. Specifically, it determined how instructional digital tools and content-related curriculum adjustments influence curriculum gaps and whether these gaps mediate their effect on self-reliance; and how entrepreneurial digital tools and pedagogical adaptations influence curriculum gaps and, through them, self-reliant motivation. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design with a population of 424 final-year undergraduates across five public institutions. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) table, a sample of 201 respondents was selected. Data were collected with a validated and reliable instrument titled Digital Tools, Curriculum Gaps, and Self-Reliance Questionnaire (DTCGSRQ) (α = .83), and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression, with all hypotheses tested at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that instructional digital tools significantly reduced curriculum gaps (η² = .096) and enhanced self-reliance (η² = .222), whereas content-related curriculum adjustments had no significant effect. Entrepreneurial digital tools strongly reduced curriculum gaps (η² = .488) and directly enhanced self-reliant motivation (η² = .164). Pedagogical curriculum adaptations also reduced gaps (η² = .392) but had no direct impact on self-reliance, instead influencing it indirectly through gap reduction. Thus, the two null hypotheses were rejected. The study concludes that digital transformation, particularly through instructional and entrepreneurial digital tools, is pivotal to bridging curriculum gaps and fostering self-reliance, while curriculum adjustments alone remain insufficient. It recommends prioritizing digital tools and entrepreneurial platforms, supported by innovative pedagogies, as the most effective strategy for preparing graduates with autonomy, problem-solving capacity, and entrepreneurial readiness. Implications emphasize the need for faculty training, curriculum redesign, and stronger industry–university collaboration to ensure globally competitive, self-reliant graduates.