Evaluation of Methods Adopted for Training Students in the Use of Quantity Surveying Software Packages in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

Effective training through selection of suitable methods is imperative for students to acquire necessary skills and competences required  for employment. Suitability of the methods adopted for training the students the use of dedicated quantity surveying software packages  is in doubt due to the increasing rate of unemployment among the graduates. Hence, this paper examined the methods adopted for  training the students with a view to determining their suitability. Primary data were obtained through questionnaires administered  virtually through email and WhatsApp social medium due to COVID-19 pandemic on the total population of 21 lecturers responsible for  training the students in the 20 fully accredited tertiary institutions in the country. In addition, secondary data were obtained from the end  of the semester students’ raw score sheets of the ICT courses from the lecturers’ records. A total of 18 properly completed questionnaires representing 85.7% return rate, were received via email and WhatsApp social medium. The data obtained were analysed  with descriptive and inferential statistics such as means, percentages, and Cramer’s V test using IBM Statistical Package for Social  Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The results obtained revealed that the lecturers were not academically qualified in both ICT and pedagogy  thus playing roles they were not trained for. It further revealed that the lecturers were adopting only two forms of traditional training  method (Lecture and Discussion) which could not produce the required learning outcome. Thus, the study concluded that the adopted  methods of training were unsuitable and recommended capacity building in both ICT and Teaching for the lecturers.