A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF STUDENTS’ COMPETENCE IN WORD PROCESSING ACROSS FEDERAL AND STATE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS OFFERING BUSINESS EDUCATION IN BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the level of word processing competence among Business Education students in federal and state tertiary institutions in Bayelsa State, Nigeria and examined its influence on entrepreneurial skill development. Adopting a descriptive survey research design, the study aimed to assess students’ proficiency in word processing, determine its role in entrepreneurship, and identify differences in competence based on institutional type. The population comprised undergraduate students enrolled in Business Education programmes across federal and state institutions in Bayelsa State. A sample of 240 students was selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured and validated questionnaire titled “Word Processing Proficiency and Entrepreneurial Skill Development Questionnaire (WPESDQ),” with a reliability coefficient of 0.81 determined through the Cronbach Alpha method. Mean, standard deviation, and t-test statistics were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that students generally demonstrated low to moderate word processing competence, with a grand mean of 2.48, indicating limited proficiency in key digital skills. The study also found that word processing competence moderately influences entrepreneurial skill development. However, no significant difference was observed in competence levels between students in federal and state institutions. The study recommends enhancing ICT infrastructure, incorporating more practical instruction in the curriculum, and providing equitable digital learning opportunities across institutions.