Perception of Appropriateness of Nigeria’s Computer Science Students’ Curriculum in Providing Technical Skills and Knowledge for the Labour Market

Abstract

This study examined the perception of students on the contents of the computer programme’s curriculum, describing the extent to which they perceived the course content to be up-to-date, industry relevant and adequate. Also, the determining factors for choosing Computer Science as a discipline among the students were examined. The study further investigated the relationship between their perception of the curriculum and how the curriculum has been able to build their technical skills. Two hundred and eighty-three final year students responded to a survey from four selected universities in South west, Nigeria. Spearman Rank correlation shows a significant relationship between student’s perception of their course curriculum and technical skills acquired. Also, students reported reputation and personal interest as the most rated factor that influenced the choice of their course of study while social activities and advice were the least ranked factors that influenced their choice of the discipline. This study concludes that the curriculum is relevant to the technical skills requirement of the students and the industries. The paper recommends an inclusive-based approach to curriculum design and development to guarantee industry uptake after graduation.