Technical skills of diagnostic monitors for optimising petrol engine maintenance instruction in technical colleges in Southeastern Nigeria
Ndukwe Igwe
Abstract
The study was on the utilization of diagnostic monitors for optimizing Petrol Engine Maintenance (PEM) instruction in Nigerian Technical Colleges. The study was structured around two central research questions and a corresponding hypothesis. This descriptive survey study utilized Borich’s needs assessment model to evaluate competency gaps among automotive educators in Southeastern Nigeria. A 15-item questionnaire was administered to a sample of seven technicians and 58 Motor Vehicle Mechanics’ Work (MVMW) teachers. The instrument achieved a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.93 following face validation by three experts. Descriptive statistics, specifically mean scores and the Improvement Need Index (INI), answered the research questions, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested the hypothesis. The assessment indicated a critical deficiency in on-board diagnostic (OBD) system competencies among the teachers. Based on this result, the study advocates for institutionalized in-service training to upskill MVMW teachers in modern electronic diagnostics.