Developing Possible Strategies for Academic Achievement Improvement of Hospitality and Tourism Management Students in Nigeria - A Study of Kwara State University
Keywords:
Hospitality and tourism management education system, Nigeria, performance achievement, planned change, strategy developmentAbstract
This paper focuses on developing possible strategies for improving the academic achievement of hospitality and tourism management (HTM) students in Nigeria. The main purpose is to generate a close match between the degree awards of graduating students and the HTM employment available in the country. This participatory action research and survey feedback study was conducted between 2014 and 2018, employing a mixed method approach, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative data are presented using bar charts, with the free PSPP statistical analysis software tool being used to analyze the data, providing simple percentages and means. Qualitative data were gathered, presented, coded, and analyzed, using thematic analysis in a Microsoft Excel spread sheet. PSPP linear regression and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were employed to test the hypotheses and analyze the current situation of the education system using a SWOTAR analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, aspirations and expected results), while a strategic agenda and guide list served as a compass during the study. The study discovered that the teaching environment, inputs (human resources), processes (teaching-learning objectives), and feedback, all have significant impacts on the output (academic achievement). The strategies developed predict that providing more conducive lecture rooms, allocating a moderate number of students to each classroom, improving the facilities and study environment, and interactive and participatory teaching strategies, are critical to the training and preparation of HTM students in Nigeria. If implemented, the strategies can enhance the achievement of academic grades, such that it is suitable for filling employment vacancies in the HTM sector of the country.
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