This study examines the effects of challenge-based and activity-based learning approaches on technical college students’ achievement, interest and retention in woodwork technology. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The study constituted a total number of 122 subjects, 63 for Challenge-based learning, while 59 were for activity-based learning. The study revealed that students who taught woodwork using the challenge-based learning instructional approach had a higher mean score than students taught using the activity-based learning teaching method in cognitive achievement tests, psychomotor achievement tests and tests for retention of learning.  Consequently, the research recommended that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) should consider a review of the Woodwork work curriculum for Technical Colleges with a view to incorporating the challenge-based learning instructional approach into the teaching of the woodwork.

This study investigates the effect of practical skills-based career training intervention in electrical/electronic works on graduating students’ academic major satisfaction, career curiosity, and self-defeating job search behaviors (SDJSBs). We employed the quasi-experimental design, with a three-wave longitudinal survey. The participants were 101 electrical/electronic technology education undergraduates from two publicly owned universities in Nigeria. Our intervention procedures were guided by the tenets of social cognitive career theory and the theory of planned behavior. The findings revealed significant positive increase in the students’ satisfaction with their academic major, and career curiosity, as well as significant decrease in SDJSBs (viz., procrastination, impulsiveness, and failure to network). We also found mediating effects of learning self-efficacy and perseverance of effort on academic major satisfaction, career curiosity, and SDJSBs.

The study determined the perceived impact of mentoring on job performance and satisfaction among metal work teachers in North-West, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental design was used for the study. The sample was made up of 35 teachers drawn from four technical colleges in North West, which comprise of 16 teachers in the experimental group and 19 teachers in the control group. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Three experts validated the instrument and the reliability coefficient was 0.93. The experimental group received the mentoring programme which adapted the four stages of Krams model while the control group was trained with an unplanned and informal method. A pre-test was administered a week before the experiment to both groups followed by the treatment that lasted for 13 weeks. Similarly, post-test was administered to both groups two weeks after the treatment. ANCOVA was used to test the hypothesis. The findings revealed a significant impact of mentoring on job performance and satisfaction, but no significant influence of gender was observed. Hence, it was recommended that technical colleges in Nigeria should adopt the use of mentoring for improving metal work teachers job performance and satisfaction.

The study investigated the moderating influence of demographic variables on productivity and job stress of workers in electrical occupations. Relevant research questions were answered while hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design and was carried out in the North Central States. The population for the study was 301 workers in electrical occupations. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire titled Demographic Variables, Job Stress and Productivity Questionnaire (DVJSPQ). The overall reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.96. Point–biserial correlation and regression analysis were employed to analyze data for answering research questions and hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that: demographic variables have a strong relationship with the productivity of workers in electrical occupations, age and educational qualification were significant moderators of the relationship between occupational stress and the productivity of workers in electrical occupations. Hence, workers in electrical occupations should be sensitized through workshops and seminars on how demographic variables influence their productivity and job stress in their occupations.

This study aims to investigate the influence of electrical/electronic workshop climate on workshop accidents among self-employed electrical/electronic service personnel in Ebonyi state. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population for the study was 622 registered (Unions) electrical/electronic service personnel. A sample of 120 was drawn from the population for the study through a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The study found that Regardless of the Administrative style; Number of the workshop users; Arrangement of the workshop and Available equipment in the electrical/electronic workshop respectively, there is an occasional rate of accident. But some types of accidents record varying rates of occurrence depending on the type of administrative style, number of workshop users, arrangement of the workshop, and workshop equipment in the said workshop. Based on the conclusions drawn from the findings of the study, the study recommended that Government should provide soft loans, start-up grants for the self-employed service personnel for the acquisition of the needed equipment; Government also should institute a fund that can help work accident victims to take care of the medical expenses.