Integration of New Motor Vehicle Technological Innovations into the Technical College Curriculum in Nigeria

Abstract

The increased number of new sub-systems in modern automobiles intended to improve upon their safety, economy and comfort among other things have made them more sophisticated and complex to maintain. The curriculum for the training programmes of their maintenance personnel in technical colleges has however, remained rigid. This study thus, identified the innovations perceived as important to be integrated into the curriculum to enhance its relevance and adequacy. A survey research design and structured questionnaire was used to elicit the opinions of the subject teachers in technical colleges in Niger state. Data obtained from 56 respondents were analyzed. Three null hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance. It was found that 32 innovations including anti-lock braking System (ABS), electronic fuel injection (EFI), variable valve timing intelligence (VVT- i), on-board detection and diagnostic system (OBD), among others were perceived as important to be integrated into appropriate modules of the curriculum. It is recommended that government should provide interventions to upgrade both human and material resources in technical colleges to facilitate the teaching and learning of skills related to these innovations. Also, new innovations identify should be included in the curriculum of technical colleges.