Attitude and Electricity-Saving Behaviors among Household Users of Electricity in Nsukka, Nigeria

Household electricity consumption rates are increasing globally. However, saving electricity can decrease energy use, avoid wastage, and save financial resources for households. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine how attitude influences electricity-saving behaviors among household users in Nsukka District, Enugu State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A research question with corresponding null hypotheses was formulated and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. Stratified random sampling was used to select 400 household users, consisting of 206 females and 194 males. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents. The questionnaire was validated by three experts and tested for reliability using the Cronbach alpha method. It contained respondents' personal data (biodata and demographics) and 28 items on attitudinal factors. The data obtained were analyzed to determine mean responses, and t-tests were used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The study found that gender does not influence the attitude of household users towards electricity-saving behaviors. It is recommended that government and non-government bodies organize training programs for household users of electricity to improve their attitude and promote more electricity-saving behaviors

Adequacy of Electronics Curriculum in Technical Colleges in North Central Nigeria for Equipping Students with Entrepreneurial Skills

Equipping students with entrepreneurial skills depends largely on the adequacy of Electronics curriculum in the technical colleges. This study was therefore carried out to determine the adequacy of the content of Electronics curriculum in equipping the students with entrepreneurial skills for meaningful employment. There was no sample as the entire population of the 85 teachers was studied. The design was used to collect data from teachers in electronic department in 21 Technical colleges within the 6 states in north central of Nigeria. The instrument used for data collection was a structural questionnaire. From the analysis of the data, the result indicated that Electronics curriculum in technical colleges in north central of Nigeria were grossly inadequate for the development of entrepreneurial skills for marketing, resource management and time management skills. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the Electronics curriculum should be revised. Also, the curriculum planers and government agencies responsible for the management of electronics curriculum in technical colleges should prepare modules, guidelines and learning materials in entrepreneurial skills that will support the teaching and learning of entrepreneurial skills in electronics in technical colleges in north central of Nigeria. Keywords: Electronics, Curriculum, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial skill

Technology-aided learning environment: An investigation into electrical/electronics students’ instructional preferences, attitude and approaches to learning

Technology-aided learning environment is replacing the popular teacher-dominated teaching-learning process. This study investigated electrical/electronics students’ instructional preferences for technology-aided learning environment in relation to their approaches and attitudes to learning. A total of 339 third- and final-year electrical/electronics technology students from 18 universities participated in the study. A questionnaire package comprising of three adapted scales (students’ instructional preference, approaches to learning and students’ attitude) was used to collect data for the study. Results showed that students preferred teacher-directed technique, followed by knowledge construction, and finally cooperative learning. Students adopted deep approach to learning rather than strategic and surface approach. Students’ attitude reflected a very good subject confidence, fairly good behavioural engagement, but poor confidence with technology, use of technology for learning, and affective engagement. There were significant relationships found between students’ instructional preferences and approaches to learning; instructional preferences and students’ attitude; and approaches to learning and students’ attitude towards learning. The study recommends intensive use of technology facilities in the training of electrical/electronics technology students to aid their interest and participation in knowledge construction, and their relevance in the 21st century workplace.Keywords: approaches to learning; attitude; electrical/electronics students; instructional preferences; learning environment; technology; technology-aided learning environmen

Emotional Intelligence as a predictor of productivity and occupational stress of employees in electrical industries

The study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence, occupational stress and productivity of employees in electrical industries. Research questions were answered while null hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design and was carried out in North Central States of Nigeria. The population for the study was 301 employees in electrical industries. The entire employees were involved in the study. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire titled Emotional Intelligence, Occupational Stress and Productivity Questionnaire (EIOSPQ). Five experts face- validated the instrument. The internal consistency of the questionnaire items was determined using Cronbach alpha reliability method and coefficients of 0.88 was obtained for Electrical Occupational Stress, 0.94 for Productivity of workers in electrical occupation, 0.85 for Emotional intelligence of employees. The overall reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.96. Out of 301 copies of EIOSPQ administered, 295 copies were completed representing 98.01 percent return rate. Pearson product moment correlation and regression analysis were employed to analyse data for answering research questions and hypotheses. The findings on hypotheses revealed that: EI significantly predicts productivity of employees in electrical industries, EI does not significantly predicts occupational stress of employees in electrical industries, emotional intelligence was a significant moderator of the relationship between occupational stress and productivity of employees in electrical industries, demographic variables were not significantly influenced emotional intelligence and productivity of employees in electrical industries. It was recommended that employees in electrical industries should be sensitized through workshops and seminars on how EI can influence their productivity and occupational stress in their occupations

The Effect of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on Work-irrational Beliefs Among Electrical and Electronic Educators in Nigeria

 This study delved into a critical concern in academic and professional settings: the impact of irrational work-related beliefs among individuals within the Electrical/Electronic Technology Education domain in Nigeria. The prevalence of detrimental work-related beliefs and their potential adverse effects on performance, mental health, and overall well-being necessitated an investigation into effective therapeutic interventions to mitigate these beliefs. The research adopted a quasi-experimental design spanning eight weeks and involving 16 sessions to examine the effects of Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) on these work-related irrational beliefs. The study encompassed a cohort of 330 participants, comprising Electrical/Electronic Technology Education technologists and instructors within Nigerian universities. To ensure a robust study design, the participants were randomly allocated to the REBT group (165 participants) or the control group (165 participants). The study uncovered notable findings using an intervention package and structured psycho-educational strategies for data collection. The analysis revealed a significant mean difference between the experimental (REBT) group and the control group, demonstrating the efficacy of REBT in significantly reducing work-related belief scores among Electrical and Electronic Technologists compared to those not exposed to the therapy. Furthermore, the study explored potential variations based on gender in response to the treatment, finding that the interaction effect of therapies and gender was not statistically significant. This suggests that the benefits of REBT in alleviating work-related irrational beliefs were consistent across genders. These findings underscore the potential of REBT as an effective intervention to address work-related irrational beliefs. The study recommends the integration of REBT into the academic curriculum, emphasising its value in mitigating detrimental work-related beliefs among educational staff and students in the field of Electrical/Electronic Technology Education

Moderating influence of demographic variables on productivity and job stress of workers in electrical Occupations

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

Influence of work family balance on job performance, job satisfaction and mental health of electronics craftsmen in Plateau State

This study determined the influence of work-family balance on job performance, job satisfaction and mental health of electronics craftsmen in Plateau State. Six research questions and hypotheses guided the study. A correlational design was adopted for the study. A sample of 171 electronic craftsmen purposively sampled were involved in the study. Four sets of questionnaires were used for data collection. The instrument was face validation by five experts. The reliability coefficient of 0.75 was determined using Cronbach alpha. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to analyse the data relating to the research questions while multiple regressions were used for the hypothesis at a criterion level of 0.05 level of significance. The bivariate correlation results show a weak but positive relationship between work-family balance and job performance, and job satisfaction, while it has an inverse influence on their mental health. The result also shows that marital status, age, experience and income level are possible positive moderators of the relationship between work-family and job performance, job satisfaction and mental health. The regression results also show that work-family balance is a positive significant predictor of job performance, job satisfaction and mental health. It also shows no significant interaction effects of marital status, age, experience and income level on the relationship between work-family balance and job performance and job satisfaction. However, the result shows that age and marital status has a significant moderating role on the relationship while experience and income level show significant relationships on the mental health of the craftsmen. It is therefore recommended that work-family balance should be embedded in craftsmen training courses to prepare them well before practice. Craftsmen should also take time to manage their health, as it is only the healthy that can perform well on their job

Moderating influence of demographic variables on productivity and job stress of workers in electrical Occupations

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

Apprentices’ Perception of Training Modalities in Electronic Maintenance in Plateau State, Nigeria

This study determined the apprentices’ perception of training modalities in electronic maintenance in Plateau state, Nigeria. Five research questions guided the study. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. 203 electronic apprentices at registered electronics industries in Plateau state between 2018 and 2020 made up the study's population. Data were gathered using a questionnaire (Cronbach’s α=0.86). The study questions were answered using means and standard deviation. The study identified admittance modalities, various functional facilities for training, instructional modalities, motivation indices and evaluation methods for apprentices. The study recommends that the NDE administrators and government should hire competent master craftsmen to train apprentices, and finance skilled trainees to buy the tools they need for training and entrepreneurship, so as to increase their capacity for output

Perceived impact of mentoring programme on job satisfaction and performance among metalwork teachers

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