A SURVEY OF SKILLS ACQUISITION IN HOME ECONOMICS AS A WAY FORWARD TO PROMOTE NIGERIAN ECONOMY. A CASE STUDY OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study surveyed skills acquisition in Home economics as a way forward to promote Nigerian economy. A case study of Colleges of Education in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study specifically focuses on various areas of Home Economics offered by students in Colleges of Education. It adopted simple random and stratified sampling techniques were used to sample the respondents. In the colleges of education namely Federal College of Education Yola and Adamawa State College of Education Hong stratified sampling was used to sampled 78 students and they were randomly sampled which served as a sample size. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency and percentage. In the category of food and nutrition the respondents revealed that restaurant management (81%), bakery- bread making (71%), snacks (83%), cake making and decoration (86%), fast food business (83%), ice cream and yogurt business (87%), preparation of soya milk and other fruit drinks (85%) and jam making (49%). Whereas, in the category of clothing and textiles they  disclosed that fashion and designing (88%), dyeing and batik making (73). In the category of Home management, laundry and dry cleaning (72%), housekeeping (74%), soap and body cream production (72%), rug cleaning services (69%) and child development (62%)., which  clearly unveiled that learners do acquired numerous skills Home Economics though, they have limited learning in jam making, embroidery, baby-sitting  and children’s clothing merchandising The study concluded that skills acquired in Home Economics by learners enable them to contribute to economic development of the nation. It was recommended that with the role of Home Economics, there is need to have internship /houseman ship after graduation in Home Economics courses through National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and also, both governmental and non-governmental organizations to provide support to the institution through provision of facilities and equipment that are required in teaching and learning Home Economics.