Competency Gaps and Training Needs of Agricultural Education Lecturers in Agricultural Mechanization: A Case of College of Education, Akwanga

Abstract

The study focused on competency improvement needs of lecturers of Agricultural Education for teaching Agricultural Mechanization in Colleges of Education Akwanga, Nasarawa State – Nigeria. Three objectives of the study were translated to seven research questions and three null hypotheses for the study. The hypotheses were tested as 0.05 level of significance. A survey research design was adopted for the study. A total of 18 Lecturers of Agricultural Education in Colleges of Education Akwanga were used. A structural questionnaire called Competency Gap Training Needs Questionnaire (CGNQ) was developed and used for data collection. Five (5) experts validated the instrument. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.89 using Alpha – Cronbach Method. Weighted mean and Improvement Needs Index (INI) was used to answer research questions while t-test statistics was used to test the hypotheses. The study found out that lecturers of Agricultural Education in Colleges of Education Akwanga, Nasarawa State - Nigeria did not posses competencies for teaching Agricultural Mechanization. It was also found out that Agricultural Education Lecturers in College of Education Akwanga required Competency Gap Training Needs in all the stages of teaching Agricultural Mechanization.  It was therefore recommended among others that refresher training is required to help the lecturers to improve the needed competencies in teaching Agricultural Mechanization. This can be done through attending constant conferences, seminars, and workshops organized for training lecturers teaching Agricultural Mechanization in College of Education Akwanga, Nasarawa State – Nigeria.