NCE Students’ Perceptions on the Use of Library Course as an Aid to the Use of Library Resources in South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out to survey NCE students’ perceptions on use of library course as an aid to their use of library resources in Colleges of Education in South-West Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was employed and four research questions guided the study. From a population of 60,481 students, a sample of 1,210 was drawn using the proportionate stratified sampling technique. Meanwhile, out of the 1,210 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 1,097 were fully completed (filled out) as retrieved and analyzed. It represents (90.66%) or approximately (91%) response rate and considered adequate because the standard and acceptable response rate for most studies is 60%. A questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection after validation by experts in the field, and pre-tested through Cronbach Alpha method that yielded 0.743 aggregate values. Complete data subsequently gathered from 1,097 copies of the questionnaire retrieved were analyzed by employing the statistical mean to answer the research questions and criterion mean placed at 2.50. Among the major findings of the study were: Students perceived use of library course as an aid to their use of all library resource categories examined in the study (that is, reference, reserve, circulation and serials resources). The study therefore recommends that students should be given increased opportunity to access “use of library course programme” as a veritable tool of enhancing their capacity for adequate use of reference resources among others in colleges of education in the region to ensure their effective integration into our 21st century society even after college life.