Effects of Project-Based Learning Strategy on Skills Acquisition and Motivation in Cable Jointing among Technical College Students in Katsina State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.2026528Keywords:
Project-Based Learning, Skill Acquisition and MotivationAbstract
The study investigated the effects of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) on students’ skill acquisition and motivation in cable jointing in technical colleges in Katsina State, Nigeria. The study provided answers to four research questions and tested four null hypotheses. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pretest and post-test control group design. The population comprised of 47 NTC II EIMW students in Katsina State technical colleges, while the sample of the study utilized total population sampled and randomly assigned students into experimental and control groups. Three instruments were used for data collection: Cable Jointing Skill Acquisition Observational Checklist (CJSAOC) and Cable Jointing Motivation Questionnaire (CJMQ). The instruments were validated by five experts in Industrial Technology Education, Test and Measurement, Psychology and English Language, while the reliability of each instrument were established using appropriate statistical method. The reliability of Cable Jointing Skill Acquisition Observational Checklist (CJSAOC) was computed with Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W) which produced a reliability index of 0.97 indicating high level of agreement between the raters. The Cable Jointing Motivation Questionnaire (CJMQ) was subjected to Cronbach’s Alpha which yield a reliability of 0.86 indicating higher reliability of Likert-scale items. The experimental group was taught cable jointing using the Project-Based Learning approach, while the control group received instruction through the conventional method. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Mann-Whitney U-test were employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students taught using PjBL achieved significantly higher post-test scores in skill acquisition and motivation than those taught Conventionally. The study concluded that Project-Based Learning is an effective instructional approach for enhancing students’ cognitive and psychomotor learning outcomes in EIMW. The study recommended that technical colleges should adopt PjBL for teaching practical components of EIMW, teachers should be trained in PjBL techniques, and workshops should be equipped to support project-based activities.
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