PREDICTORS OF GRADUATES EMPLOYABILITY OF PRE-SERVICES SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS IN UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper examined predictors of graduates’ employability of pre-services Social Studies teachers in University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Level of awareness of the social skills and challenges of acquiring the skills were specifically examined. Descriptive survey type was used because of researcher inability to cover all the faculties in University of Ilorin. Undergraduates of University of Ilorin constituted the population. 160 respondents were sampled using purposive and simple random sampling techniques. 40 respondents were selected each from 100 level to 400 level in the Department of Social Sciences Education in the University of Ilorin. Questionnaire titled “Predictors of Graduates Employability of PreServices Social Studies Teachers in Univeristy of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria (PGEPSSTUIKSN)” was used to collect data. The PPMC correlation coefficient value of the instrument was 0.61. Tables, frequency counts, percentage and mean rating were used for answering demographic data and 2 research questions respectively. Results revealed that many respondents were aware only interpersonal social skills while the majority of them were unaware of the other types of social skills as predictors of employability. This implies that the respondents’ awareness’ level of types of social skills for employability was very low. Similarly, the result also revealed that the respondents did not have challenge of acquiring interpersonal social skills but they were grossly deficient in other types of social skills. It was recommended that acquisition of social and practical skills is paramount to students and emphasis should be more on soft skills of problem-solving, accountability, empathy and basic communication.