INVESTIGATION INTO THE CONSEQUENCES OF OFFICE TECHNOLOGIES IN SECRETARIAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN NIGERIA POLYTECHNICS

Abstract

This study was an investigation into the consequences of office technologies in secretarial education curriculum in Nigeria Polytechnics. Five objectives were raised. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses and two alternate hypotheses were formulated. The total population for the study is 200 staff selected polytechnics in Enugu state was selected randomly. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up heads of department, secretaries, senior lecturers and junior lectures were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

As life is becoming more dynamic, more complex in educational, socio-cultural, industrial and commercial developments due to the increasing technological advancements, the secretarial profession is not left in the loaves and the jobs of secretaries appear at first sight among those threatened.  This is because new machines, are threatening to take over the jobs performed by secretaries thereby making them face job hazard of redundancy, retirement and retrenchments and mass unemployment.

Presently, Nigeria is undergoing technological revolutions just like any other developing country of the world.  This technological advancement has actually revolutionized most office activities and procedures.  Until recently, the study of secretarial educations program in our polytechnics especially in Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu was based mainly on shorthand, typewriting and office practice.  But the activities had greatly changed since supervision of the polytechnics by the NBTE. The task and activities these categories of workers in most offices and business circles have also increased tremendously because of the high office responsibilities expected of the secretary to now handle with little or no supervisions,  the scope of the course they now cover before qualification, has also greatly increased. They now have to be trained and educated in too many courses and have to acquire more technical skills to be able to handle and operate the very modern office automated machines now inherent in most business offices. This will make them to be marketable and employable. Secretarial profession now has to battle with the skills of handling the electric typewriters, scanners, word processors, the facsimile (Fax) machines, the computer etc.  Will enable her meet up with the increasing demand of collecting, processing, storing and disseminating information as and when urgently required unlike the era of manual typewriters and filing cabinets that waste time. It should be noted that these automatic high-technological machines cannot do everything or operate themselves without human aid, thus making the needs and quests for the professionals in the secretarial field necessary. The most current and implicating question in the minds of the present day secretarial studies educators and curriculum planners is what to do in order to keep pace with the new technological changes in secretarial office automated equipment. This is because the more knowledgeable the secretaries are in the use of this office automated equipment, the better prepared our country will be to develop technologically. Hence in the opinion of Kanu (1987), there must be positive attitude towards continuous up-dating of knowledge for everyone, especially the secretaries, if this age of technological advancement is to be acquired and improved advancement and inter-personnel skills developed.

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The incessant changes and advancements in office automation have given rise to an urgent and constant training of the employees who handle and operated these new machines.  It should be realized that most of these new high technological equipment like the computers, which stole into the business offices throughout the world unnoticed are very expensive to acquire and maintain and no organization would like these all cost effective equipment to lie idle, waste or become obsolete within a short period simply because there is no capable hands or professional to handle them.  Therefore, these technological changes therefore represent a very demanding implication on the secretarial education curriculum. Since a lot of office work is based on the basic knowledge of keyboarding and clerical skills, it becomes apparent that if secretarial education curriculum in and out of polytechnics is not reviewed, revisited and updated from time to time, to adequately take care of these technological changes, the products turned out with this curriculum might not be able to face challenges they are bound to meet when they are finally employed.

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is investigation into the consequences of office technologies in secretarial education curriculum in Nigeria polytechnics. But for the successful completion of the study; the researcher intends to achieve the following sub-objectives;

1. To find out the consequences of office technologies in secretarial education curriculum in I.M.T., Enugu
2. To find out causes of frequent changes in educational curriculum especially that of secretarial education program performance.
3. To ascertain whether these office technologies that are used in different offices today are available in the department of Secretarial Studies of Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu which is actively involved in the training of secretaries
4. To identify whether the curriculum planners recognized these consequences before going on the drawing board, especially as it concerns Secretarial Duties
5. To ascertain the relationship between the consequences of office technologies and secretarial education curriculum in Nigeria polytechnics
   • RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀: there are causes of frequent changes in educational curriculum especially that of secretarial education program performance

H₁: there are no causes of frequent changes in educational curriculum especially that of secretarial education program performance

H₀²: there is no significant relationship between consequences of office technologies and secretarial education curriculum in Nigeria polytechnics

H₂: there is a significant relationship between consequences of office technologies and secretarial education curriculum in Nigeria polytechnics

• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Technological development has taken a rather tremendous new dimension since the middle of this century.  According to Ndubuisi (1981), since there is need to promote interest in more and advanced technology, provision should also be made for institution and Nation as a whole, curriculum planners and business world. By finding out the effects of consequences of office technology on the secretarial educations curriculum in our polytechnics especially the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu all that are involved in the training of these category of professionals and the curriculum planners, will be able to adjust their curricula and course contents to suit the needs of the expanding technological business world.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers investigation into the consequences of office technologies in secretarial education curriculum in Nigeria polytechnics.  The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Breeding unemployment Graduates:

Training and turning-out of graduates who cannot be employed because they lack the required skills for handling and manipulating modern office machines and equipment.

Curriculum:

Subject/courses included in course of study like secretarial studies or taught in a particular school or college.

Office Technologies:

The application of the use of modern office machines and equipment in performing office tasks for quicker and greater productivity.

Computer Literacy

Being educated or enlightened on the uses, functions operations of the electronic data processing machine called the computer which is capable of handling, processing, storing and retrieving information at the shortest possible time.

Office Automation

The use of different types/kinds of machines aided devices to work in an office in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the employed manpower.

Technological Revolution

Drastic change/shift from the use of old fashioned machine and equipment to the recently manufactured (modern) ones.

 

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.

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