FUNDAMENTAL TECHNOLOGY SKILLS REQUIRED OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN PROMOTING CYBERSECURITY: A CASE OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH-EAST OF NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the fundamental technology skills required of Business Education students in promoting cybersecurity in tertiary institutions. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised of 521 final year students of Business Education Department from Federal and State Tertiary Institutions in South-East of Nigeria. Instrument for data collection was questionnaire termed: ‘Fundamental Technology Skills Questionnaire (FTSQ). The instrument was validated by the experts in the field. The internal consistency was established using Cronbach Alpha method, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.83. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions, while independent samples t-test was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that business education students require a wide range of fundamental technology skills, which include computer operation, internet navigation, email communication, word processing, network security, operating system denfense among others in promoting cybersecurity. The study further revealed that inadequate ICT facilities, poor internet connectivity, insufficient knowledge of lecturers; and the high cost of digital technologies constitute major challenges to acquiring these skills. The hypotheses tested showed no significant difference in the opinions of students from Federal and those State tertiary institutions regarding the fundamental technology skills and the challenges associated with acquiring these skills. It was recommended, among others, that tertiary institutions should provide adequate digital infrastructure, regular training of business education lecturers on emerging technologies, and review the Business Education curriculum to reflect current trends in cyber spaces. The study contributed to the existing body of knowledge by expanding empirical literature and strengthening theoretical understanding of fundamental technology skills, such as computer operation, internet navigation, among others, which formed, the baseline for learning