Students-staff classroom co-creation as model of employability skills development in a Nigerian university
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
ISSN: 2050-7003
Article publication date: 9 May 2024
Issue publication date: 9 July 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The paper explored students-staff classroom co-creation and students' involvement in out-of-class engagements as means of fostering employability skills in higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper aimed to present an alternative but equally effective means that HEIs can leverage to foster relevant 21st Century employability skills among undergraduates using day-to-day in-class and out-of-class activities and other non-formal campus activities.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted descriptive survey design. A total of 350 undergraduates who participate in out-of-class activities were purposively selected from seven (7) faculties. An instrument designed by the author was used to gather data for the study. The instrument was subjected to Cronbach Alpha analysis for item-by-item consistency and it yielded the reliability co-efficient of 0.88. Data collected from the respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency count, mean and standard deviation.
Findings
Interactive classrooms, where students and lecturers co-create to provide solutions to problems enhance students' self-esteem, problem solving, analytical, communication and leadership skills amongst others. It was also found that students who got involved in one or more out-of-class activity on campus acquire specific competencies such as networking, collaboration, communication, leadership, multidisciplinary thinking, etc.
Research limitations/implications
Due to a limited sample size, it might be inappropriate to generalize findings. Researchers are encouraged to test this proposition further.
Practical implications
The paper highlights the need for HEIs to leverage student-staff co-creation and out-of-class engagement in their bid to produce employable graduates.
Originality/value
This paper clearly presents alternative but effective means of fostering employability in HEIs.
Keywords
Citation
Babalola, S.O. (2024), "Students-staff classroom co-creation as model of employability skills development in a Nigerian university", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 1289-1300. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-02-2024-0061
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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