INFLUENCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION LABORATORYONSKILLACQUISITION OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS INUNIVERSITIES IN KWARASTATE

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the influence of business education laboratories on skills acquisition of business education students in universities in Kwara state. The study adopted a descriptive research survey design. The population of the study consisted of 609 students of the business education department in Kwara State University, Alhikmah University, and the University of Ilorin, out of which a sample 350 respondents were selected from the total population using Taro Yamane formula for finite population. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire designed by the researcher tagged; IBELSALMQ. The validation of the instrument was done by two lecturers from the Department of Business and Entrepreneurship Education of Kwara State University, Malete. Cronbach alpha method was used to establish the reliability of the instrument of 0.81. The data collected from the study were statistically analyzed using frequencies and percentages for demographic data of the respondents, research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while null hypotheses of the study were tested using Independent Samples t-test and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that Business Education laboratories influence the acquisition of accounting skills by business education students in universities to a very high extent (Grand Mean = 3.56; SD =0.62) also there was a significant difference in the mean ratings of male and female respondents regarding the extent of the influence of business education laboratory on financial accounting skills acquisition by business education students in universities (t348 = 1.798, P < 0.05).Based on the findings of the study it was concluded that business education laboratory significantly improves the acquisition of financial accounting, marketing, and office technology abilities among business education students in Nigerian institutions. It was recommended among other; that universities should equip business education laboratories with modern tools and technologies to enhance hands on skill acquisition.