Received: 11-Apr-2023, Manuscript No. GEJLIS-23-95215; Editor assigned: 13-Apr-2023, Pre QC No. GEJLIS-23-95215 (PQ); Reviewed: 27-Apr-2023, QC No. GEJLIS-23-95215; Revised: 12-Jun-2023, Manuscript No. GEJLIS-23-95215 (R); Published: 19-Jun-2023, DOI: 10.15651/2449-0628.23.10.068
The students industrial work experience scheme was initiated to among other things expose students in tertiary institutions of learning to the practical components of their course content with the view to improving their understanding of their subject of study. This study investigated the influence of SIWES on academic performance of LIS students in Adeleke university Ede and Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun state. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised all the final year students in the two library schools in the 2020/2021 academic session totalling 259, out of which 08 were from Adeleke university while 251 were from Federal Polytechnic Ede. Total enumeration was employed. Structured and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Out of the 259 copies of questionnaire administered, 220 were retrieved whereas 206 representing 80% were found valid for analysis. Data collected were analysed with the Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS) using descriptive statistics of frequency count, simple percentages, mean and standard deviation, and presented in tables. Findings revealed that SIWES has positive influence on the academic performance of the students as alluded by 93.7% of the respondents. The result showed that there was a significant improvement in the culmulative grade point average of most of the students in the semester immediately after participating in SIWES. The study further revealed the challenges facing LIS undergraduates during SIWES to include accommodation, none payment of upkeep allowance, irregular academic calendar, and security concerns.
Questionnaire, SIWES, Academic Performance, Data collection, Cumulative grade
Students in Library and Information Science (LIS) are expected to have specific skills that will prepare them for the labour market. These abilities include the disciplinary competence and technical knowledge that has historically been at the heart of the LIS profession. The LIS profession in Nigeria is not immune to this broadening trajectory of the competency gap, which has previously been related to student's academic performance and outcomes in higher institutions. For example, research has revealed that graduates lacking in fundamental knowledge in courses offered in universities could not fulfil the demands and expectations of the profession in LIS practice (Abraham-Ibe IG, 2015). This has reignited worries about students' academic performance.
Academic performance is a vague concept that is frequently employed in educational studies. However, the terms "academic performance", "academic achievement" and "academic success" are frequently used interchangeably. In a nutshell, academic performance is the student's competence in achieving educational goals, and it sometimes indicates how effectively the learner achieves criteria set in the institution or by educational authorities (Ademiluyi LF et al., 2018).
The output of a school is evaluated by society. This is due to the fact that high performance is required for employment in a variety of settings and organizations. According to Owelle in Ogbuanya et al., no nation can develop to its full potential and keep up with modernization trends without effective and efficient education and training. The authors found that the acquisition of practical skills needed for academic performance entails developing new skills, practise, and ways of doing things or completing a job, which is often obtained through training or experience. Students can obtain such training or experience through an initiative known as the Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) (Agboola JO et al., 2016).
SIWES aims to expose and prepare students from higher education institutions for industrial job situations they may encounter after graduation. In other words, SIWES is an educational programme in which students engage in work tasks while attending school. This allows students to be actively involved and be a part of the actual job environment outside of the classrooms. Similarly, Simisaye et al., define SIWES as a phase of librarianship education in which undergraduates at library schools are given a chance to get practical experience in a library setting, which is a vital component of the library school programme (Anyaeneh VK et al., 2019).
The demand for SIWES comes as a consequence of the industry's worldwide competitiveness and the requirement to create graduates with the skills required in sectors in Nigeria and throughout the world. SIWES was founded in 1973 by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) with headquarters in Jos, Nigeria. SIWES is one of the authorized minimum academic criteria at this school. It is a mandatory academic prerequisite that carries two or more credit units. It is required in all LIS education programmes at library schools. The library practice allows undergraduates to get practical skills that will allow them to operate professionally when they finally acquire jobs in libraries and information centres after graduation (Awe AF et al., 2014).
According to Ojokuku et al., SIWES aims to bridge the current gap between theory and practice and expose students to required skills for a smooth transition from the classroom to the world of work. Griffin and Celhoso noted that SIWES allows students to connect with others to evaluate their talents and performance. It helps to enhance cooperation, problem-solving, and other essential employability skills. Such experience (SIWES) leads to increased career opportunities for graduates.
Given the preceding, there is little question that the founding and goals of SIWES are beneficial to LIS undergraduate education. There is ample evidence that the SIWES has positively impacted student personality, demeanour, knowledge, and experience, all of which are required for academic performance. Furthermore, Okoh discovered a dearth of practical skills among graduates of Nigerian institutions of higher learning. This scenario has given rise to concerns from parents and employers that tertiary institution graduates are ill-prepared, lack manipulative skills, and are not employable. The circumstance also raised the question of whether the SIWES is an effective platform for influencing LIS students' academic performance. It, therefore, became essential to conduct an empirical study to ascertain the influence of students' industrial work experience scheme on the academic performance of library and information science undergraduates with focus on two library schools in Osun state, Nigeria (Chukwuedo SO, 2011).
Statement of the Problem
There is no dispute that the SIWES is critical for LIS undergraduate training in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Students from LIS departments in Nigerian educational institutions have participated in the scheme over the years. Nonetheless, despite the SIWES's many years of operation and the continued participation of LIS students in the programme, concerns have been raised about LIS graduates' competencies and skill levels from Nigerian higher institutions.
This study was prompted by the fact that the researchers had noticed that LIS undergraduate students had to seek placement with industries themselves throughout the years. During the industrial training, they are also practically never visited by their school department supervisors. In many situations, trainees are just needed to fill out logbooks and have their actions graded and signed by industry supervisors. Often, to guarantee that the student trainees' academic records are not harmed the training includes two or more credits industry supervisors offer them high ratings that may not always represent reality. This raises the question of whether the SIWES is a viable platform for providing LIS students with the information, competencies, and skills they require for academic success. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct an empirical study to ascertain the influence of students industrial work experience scheme on the academic performance of library and information science undergraduates in Adeleke university, Ede and Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun state, Nigeria (Duignan J, 2003).
Objectives of the Study
The general purpose of this study is to determine the influence of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) on the academic performance of library and information science students in two tertiary institutions in Ede, Osun state, Nigeria.
The specific objectives were to:
• Compare the academic performances of final year LIS
students before and after participating in SIWES in
two tertiary institutions in Ede, Osun state, Nigeria.
• Examine the influence of SIWES on academic
performance of LIS undergraduates in two tertiary
institutions in Ede, Osun state, Nigeria.
• Determine the perception of SIWES by LIS
undergraduates in two tertiary institutions in Ede,
Osun state, Nigeria.
• Determine the challenges facing LIS undergraduates
in two tertiary institutions in Ede, Osun state, Nigeria
during SIWES.
Research Questions
The following research questions were raised to guide the study:
• How is the academic performances of final year LIS
students before and after participating in SIWES in
two tertiary institutions in Ede, Osun state, Nigeria?
• What is the influence of SIWES on academic
performance of LIS undergraduates in two tertiary
institutions in Ede, Osun state, Nigeria?
• What is the perception of SIWES by LIS
undergraduates in two tertiary institutions in Ede,
Osun state, Nigeria?
• What are the challenges facing LIS undergraduates in
two tertiary institutions in Ede, Osun state, Nigeria
during SIWES?
Human societies in the quest for development have identified and developed structured training and educational programmes as major avenues for processing human beings to acquire the necessary skills and technical competence for their roles in the development of the society. This follows the recognition that human capital development is preliqusite for the attainment of the development desires of man. In Nigeria, the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is one of the human capital formation programmes through industrial attachment for which students of tertiary institutions are expected to have a practical experience on the basis of theories and principles acquired in the teaching learning process (Effah B et al. 2014).
The establishment of SIWES by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in 1973 was motivated by complaints from industrialists and other employers of labour who felt concerned that graduates of Nigeria tertiary institutions were deficient in practical background studies preparatory for employment in industries and other organizations. As published by ITF, SIWES was established majorly to: Expose and prepare students to method in handling equipment and tools that may not be available in educational institution; expose the instructors/lectures to new developments in industrial sectors; promotes cordial relationship between institution and industrial sectors; involve employer of labour in the entire educational process of preparing students as future employers; expose and prepare students in vocational technical and science related course for the industrial work situation they are likely to meet after graduation; bridge the gap between theoretical learning in the class and practical experiences in the field; and prepare students for business career by merging their analytical power with the practical skills for self-reliance. In achieving these objectives, SIWES is expected to engender positive changes in the student which should be measurable in the classroom performance of the student in the aftermath of the SIWES period (Ibegbulam IJ et al. 2017).
There are mixed concerns about how much of SIWES that is actually helpful to students’ academic performance. According to Duignan it is not self-evident that work experience translates into enhanced academic performance. Awe and Adebisi believe that many students returning from SIWES are worse in some skills than they were while in school because many of them simply go their own way for four months, returning with fake SIWES log books attesting to industrial training that took place in default (Karunaratne K et al. 2015). However, Marti asserts that academic performance involves factors such as the intellectual level, personality, motivation, skills, interests and self-esteem. Studies have linked student’s development of these attributes to participation in SIWES. According to Agboola and Ademiluyi evidences abound that the SIWES has had salutary effect on student personality, comportment, knowledge and experience (Ogbuanya TC et al. 2018). The authors further stated that SIWES represents the student’s first real exposure to the real nature of his career, with all its intricacies, detours, opportunities and challenges. The training received during the internship is expected to enable students have real life experience which can make them better learners.
Empirically, some researchers have studied the students industrial work experience scheme from diverse perspectives. Oyeniyi examined SIWES and the incidence of occupational misfit among a population of 2,242 comprising of students from polytechnics, monotechnics and industrial training officials of SIWES in science, technology and agriculture related courses selected through the purposive and stratify random sampling techniques. Findings from the study showed that SIWES has contributed significantly to skill acquisition and skills utilization in industrial development in Nigeria. Similarly, the study by Anyaeneh and Ochuba sought to ascertain the influence of students’ SIWES on enhancing employable skills of business education students in federal tertiary institutions in Anambra state (Ojokuku BY et al. 2015). Findings revealed that majority of business education students understudied benefited from SIWES to a high extent. The employable skills enhanced through SIWES included; typing skills, time management skills, innovation skills, leadership skills, team work skills among others. Noticeable challenges facing SIWES include finance, students’ placements as a result of non-acceptance of students by some employers into their establishments, inadequate supervision of trainees as well as irregularity in academic calendar of institutions among others. With all the skills enhanced through SIWES, one would expect better academic performance from the students on resumption to school (Okoh E, 2010).
Chukwuedo examined the perception of the influence of SIWES on academic achievement of final year students of the faculties of agriculture, engineering, and the department of vocational and technical education, university of Benin. The findings of the study showed that SIWES influenced students' academic performance and was relevant to their practical skill acquisition. The results further showed that SIWES enhances competency of students in the workshop/laboratory, improves students' classroom learning and creates employment opportunities. Relatedly, Ademiluyi and Ademiluyi assessed the influence of SIWES on the academic performance of office technology and management students in polytechnics in Osun state. The study shows that Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) has great influence on student’s performance in word processing while desktop Publishing and webpage design were not greatly influenced by scheme (SIWES) (Simisaye AO et al. 2018).
Ojokuku et al., examined the influence of SIWES on professional development of library and information science students in South-West, Nigeria, and reported high positive perception of SIWES as an influencer of professional development among LIS students with response rate of 97.7% agreement, and that SIWES exposed the students to new work methods also with response rate of 97.7% agreement. There is a tremendous relationship between the ideals of SIWES and librarianship as a profession. According to Ojokuku et al., SIWES is an inevitable programme to professional development of LIS students because the intellectual work of librarians is derived from the application of scientific principles in organizing, storing, retrieving, and disseminating information (Steinmayr R et al. 2014).
The major benefits accruing to students who participate conscientiously in industrial training are the skills and competencies they acquire leading to their professional development. For LIS students, there is the opportunity to blend theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom with the practical hands on application of knowledge required to perform technical works in the library. It also includes exposure to the environment in which they will eventually work, thereby enabling them to see how their future profession is organized in practice. Active participation in SIWES enables LIS students to appreciate work methods and gain experience in handling equipment and machinery which may not be available in their institutions. It prepares them to contribute to the productivity of their employers and national development immediately after graduation and as well creates enabling environment where they can develop and enhance their personal attributes such as critical thinking, creativity, initiative, resourcefulness, leadership, time management, presentation skills and interpersonal skills, amongst others. Participation in SIWES enhances LIS students’ contacts with potential employers while on training. It enables them to bridge the gap between the knowledge acquired in institutions and the relevant production skills required in work organizations. It makes them appreciate the role of their professions as information providers and also enables students appreciate the connection between their courses of study and other related disciplines in the production of goods and services (York T et al. 2015).
Certain challenges have been identified to undermine effectiveness of SIWES. Ubale, identified inability to secure the right places of attachment among students; conflict between what is taught in classrooms and what obtains in the industries; inadequate/poor supervision of students; inadequate training due to inadequacy of facilities for training of the attachee; unwillingness or lack of commitment by companies/establishment staff to expose the students to the required skills and training needed, hostility of some industry based supervisors; and accommodation problems. Effah, et al., also identify barriers such as poor supervision from industry based supervisors, and restriction of trainees from accessing machinery and equipment. Other barriers include shortness of the industrial training period which makes it difficult for trainees to have sufficient industry exposure; unfriendliness of industry workers towards trainees, who for fear of losing their jobs to trainees (Willcox M del R, 2011).
Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all the final year students in the department of library and information science in Adeleke university Ede and Federal Polytechnic Ede in the 2020/2021 academic session totalling 259, out of which 10 were from Adeleke university while 249 were from Federal Polytechnic Ede. Total enumeration was employed. Structured and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Out of the 259 copies of questionnaire administered, 220 were retrieved whereas 206 representing 80% were found to valid for analysis. Data collected were analysed with the Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS) using descriptive statistics of frequency count, simple percentages, mean and standard deviation, and presented in tables (Lamas HA, 2015).
Decision rule: In answering the research questions, on a four point rating scale, the average Mean response of cut-off mean was 2.50, thus, mean response below 2.50 was deemed unacceptable while mean responses of 2.50 and above were taken as agreed and as such accepted.
Table 1 presents the demographic information of the respondents. Analysis shows that greater percentage of the respondents (58.7%) are female while 41.3% are male. The table also revealed that 40.3% of the respondents are within the age range of 21-25 years and 26-30 years. Only 7% (15) falls within 16-20 years of age (Agboola JO et al. 2016).
| Socio-demographic characteristics | Categories | Frequencies (N=206) | Percentages (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | 85 | 41.3 |
| Female | 121 | 58.7 | |
| Age range | 16-20 years | 15 | 7.3 |
| 21-25 years | 83 | 40.3 | |
| 26-30 years | 83 | 40.3 |
Table 1: Demographic profile of the respondents.
Table 2 presents the comparison of the academic performances of the respondents before and after SIWES participation. Analysis of data revealed that prior to SIWES engagement, 2 (1.0%) of the respondents were on probation; 26 (12.6%) were on 3rd class (lower credit); 83 (40.3%) were on second class lower (lower credit); 68 (33.0%) were in second class upper (upper credit) and 27 (13.1%) were in first class (distinction). The table further revealed the performances of the respondents in the following semester after participating in SIWES. Analysis of data revealed that only 1 of the respondents remained on probation; the number of respondents on 3rd class (lower credit) reduced from 26 to 18; and the number of respondents on second class lower (lower credit) reduced from 83 to 69. Interestingly, the number of respondents on upper credit (2nd class upper) increased from 68 (33%) to 89 (43.2%) indicating a 10.2% raise in that category. Also, the number of students in distinction (first class) from 27 (13.1%) to 29 (14.1%). It can therefore be deduced that there an improvement in the academic performances of the respondents after participating in SIWES (Awe AF, et al. 2014).
| Grade | |||||
| Before SIWES | Freq. | % | After SIWES | Freq. | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probation | 2 | 1 | Probation | 1 | 0.5 |
| Pass (3rd class) | 26 | 12.6 | Pass (3rd class) | 18 | 8.7 |
| Lower credit (2nd class lower) | 83 | 40.3 | Lower credit (2.2) | 69 | 33.5 |
| Upper credit (2nd class upper) | 68 | 33 | Upper credit (2.1) | 89 | 43.2 |
| Distinction (first class) | 27 | 13.1 | Distinction (1st class) | 29 | 14.1 |
| Total | 206 | 100 | 206 | 100 | |
Table 2: Academic performances of the respondents before and after SIWES participation.
The improvement in the performances of the students after participating in SIWES could be attributed to their exposure to the practical reality of their course of study which consequently improved their understanding of the course content. The finding of this study confirms the assertion of Ademiluyi and Ademiluyi that SIWES is expected to engender positive changes in the student which should be measurable in the classroom performance of the student in the aftermath of the SIWES period.
Table 3 presents the influence of SIWES on the respondent's academic performance. Analysis of data reveals that an aggregated 193 respondents representing 93.7% affirmed that their last semester result improved due to their involvement in SIWES. Also, 198 (96.1%) agreed that involvement in SIWES improved their understanding of technical terms associated with librarianship. Given that all the items in the table exceeded the cut-off mean of 2.5 and yielded a weighted mean of 3.47, it can be deduced that there is a strong influence of SIWES on the students’ academic performance.
| S.No. | Items | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Mean x̄ | Std. Dev. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freq. | % | Freq. | % | Freq. | % | Freq. | % | ||||
| i | Improvement in the last semester result. | 103 | 50 | 90 | 43.7 | 12 | 5.8 | 1 | 0.5 | 3.43 | 0.62 |
| ii | Improvement in understanding of the technical terms associated with librarianship. | 117 | 56.8 | 81 | 39.3 | 5 | 2.4 | 3 | 1.5 | 3.51 | 0.62 |
| iii | Improvement in passion for library and information science. | 105 | 51 | 88 | 42.7 | 7 | 3.4 | 6 | 2.9 | 3.51 | 0.62 |
| iv | Improvement in performance in practical courses. | 104 | 50.5 | 88 | 42.7 | 13 | 6.3 | 1 | 0.5 | 3.43 | 0.63 |
| v | Improvement in understanding of course content. | 109 | 52.9 | 88 | 42.7 | 6 | 2.9 | 3 | 1.5 | 3.47 | 0.62 |
| Weighted mean | 3.47 | 0.62 | |||||||||
Source: Researcher’s Field Survey (2022) N=206
Table 3: Influence of SIWES on academic performance.
The finding of this study agrees with Chukwuedo whose study examined the perception of the influence of SIWES on academic achievement of final year students in university of Benin and reported that SIWES positively influenced the students' academic performance. Similarly, the finding of the present study is in line with Ademiluyi and Ademiluyi whose assessment of the influence of SIWES on the academic performance of office technology and management students in polytechnics in Osun state indicated that SIWES has great influence on student’s performance in word processing. The claim by Duignan that, it is not selfevident that work experience translates into enhanced academic performance is contradicted by the finding of this study given that analysis of data clearly indicates an improved academic performance among the study population.
Table 4 presents the perception of SIWES by LIS undergraduates. Analysis of data shows that an aggregated 203 respondents representing 98.5% perceived that SIWES enables students to develop abilities and skills necessary for proficiency in their profession. The table further reveals that all the items attracted mean scores above the cut-off mean of 2.5, with a weighted mean of 3.46 indicating that the respondent have a very high positive perception of SIWES as a vital component of LIS training. This finding affirms the result of Ojokuku, et al., who reported high positive perception of SIWES as an influencer of professional development among LIS students South- West, Nigeria.
| S.No. | Participation in SIWES | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Mean x̄ | Std. dev. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freq. | % | Freq. | % | Freq. | % | Freq. | % | ||||
| i | Is necessary for LIS undergraduate. | 130 | 63.1 | 67 | 32.5 | 7 | 3.4 | 2 | 1 | 3.57 | 0.6 |
| ii | Enables students to develop abilities and skills necessary for proficiency in their profession. | 130 | 63.1 | 73 | 35.4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 3.61 | 0.53 |
| iii | Helps students to develop the necessary work ethics and habits needed in librarianship. | 117 | 56.8 | 86 | 14.7 | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 3.55 | 0.52 |
| iv | Exposes student to the intricacies in LIS. | 100 | 48.5 | 98 | 47.6 | 8 | 3.9 | 0 | 0 | 3.44 | 0.57 |
| v | Empowers students to be more useful and productive members of the society. | 105 | 51 | 92 | 44.7 | 8 | 3.9 | 1 | 0.5 | 3.46 | 0.59 |
| vi | Exposure helped me to develop more interest in workshop/laboratory activities. | 99 | 48.1 | 86 | 41.7 | 15 | 7.3 | 6 | 2.9 | 3.34 | 0.76 |
| vii | The ways of handling materials in the workshop/laboratories are enhanced after SIWES exposure. | 71 | 34.5 | 121 | 58.7 | 13 | 6.3 | 1 | 0.5 | 3.27 | 0.59 |
| Weighted mean | 3.46 | 0.59 | |||||||||
Source: Researcher’s Field Survey (2022) N=206
Table 4: Perception of SIWES by LIS undergraduates.
Table 5 presents the challenges facing LIS undergraduates during SIWES. Analysis of data reveals that all the items on the table constitute challenges to the respondents during SIWES. Accommodation related challenges and none payment of allowances by some employers rank among the major challenges facing the respondents. With a weighted mean of 3.19, it could be deduced that there are myriad of challenges that undermine for the effectiveness of SIWES. The finding of this study is in line with Ubale, Effah, et al. and Karunaratne and Perera who variously reported accommodation difficulties; lack of commitment by companies/establishment staff to expose the students to the required skills and training needed; shortness of the industrial training period; inadequate/poor supervision of students, among others. SIWES and academic performance.
| S.No. | Challenges | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Mean x̄ | Std. dev. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freq. | % | Freq. | % | Freq. | % | Freq. | % | ||||
| i | Difficulty in getting relevant industrial placement. | 68 | 33 | 108 | 52.4 | 25 | 12.1 | 5 | 2.4 | 3.16 | 0.72 |
| ii | Inadequate supervision of trainees. | 67 | 32.5 | 99 | 48.1 | 35 | 17 | 5 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 0.76 |
| iii | Irregular academic calendar of institutions. | 84 | 40.8 | 94 | 45.6 | 26 | 12.6 | 2 | 1 | 3.26 | 0.71 |
| iv | Accommodation related challenges. | 101 | 49 | 77 | 37.4 | 22 | 10.7 | 6 | 2.9 | 3.32 | 0.78 |
| v | None payment of upkeep allowance by some industries. | 97 | 47.1 | 83 | 40.3 | 20 | 9.7 | 6 | 2.9 | 3.31 | 0.76 |
| vi | Security concerns that hinder students from going to some part of the country for their SIWES attachment. | 88 | 42.7 | 88 | 42.7 | 24 | 11.7 | 6 | 2.9 | 3.25 | 0.77 |
| vii | Short duration of SIWES which makes it difficult to acquire all the needed practical skills. | 65 | 31.6 | 87 | 42.2 | 45 | 21.8 | 9 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 1.62 |
| viii | Engaging the students in other assignments that are unrelated with their course of study. | 72 | 35 | 91 | 44.2 | 33 | 16 | 10 | 4.9 | 3.09 | 0.83 |
| ix | Lack of commitment by establishment staff to expose the students to the required skills and training needed. | 83 | 40.3 | 84 | 40.8 | 33 | 16 | 6 | 2.9 | 3.18 | 0.8 |
| x | High cost of undergoing the programme. | 81 | 39.3 | 93 | 45.1 | 25 | 12.1 | 7 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 0.78 |
| xi | Lack of appropriate skills among professionals. | 81 | 39.3 | 78 | 37.9 | 43 | 20.9 | 4 | 1.9 | 3.15 | 0.82 |
| Weighted Mean | 3.19 | 0.85 | |||||||||
Source: Researcher’s Field Survey (2022) N=206
Table 5: Challenges facing LIS undergraduates during SIWES.
Educational institutions exist with the mandate of equipping individuals with knowledge and skills through the processes of teaching and learning. The degree to which the learner exhibits an understanding of what was taught is otherwise known as academic performance. Willcox defines academic performance as the level of knowledge shown in an area or subject compared to the norm, which is generally measured using the grade point average. Academic performance is the result of learning, prompted by the teaching activity by the teacher and produced by the student. It is a measure of the indicative and responsive abilities that express, in an estimated way, what a person has learned as a result of a process of education or training.
The purpose of academic performance is to achieve an educational goal, learning. In this regard there are several components of the complex unit called performance. They are learning processes promoted by the school that involve the transformation of a given state, into a new state, and they are achieved with the integrity in a different unit with cognitive and structural elements. Performance varies according to circumstances, organic and environmental conditions that determine skills and experiences. Such circumstances require avenues and mechanisms that empower learners to integrate theoritical knowledge and practical experiences in order to improve their academic performance. This is one of the cardinal motives behind the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
SIWES and Librarianship
Librarianship is a practical profession that engages in provision of information services through the processes of needs assessment, collection development, organization, preservation and dissemination of recorded knowledge to information seekers. Every phase of library functions requires special knowledge of practitioners. As a result, the place of practical training in librarianship is foremost and non-negotiable. It is on this premise that, library and information science was included as one of the programme whose students are to participate in SIWES.
The impact of SIWES has thus, been a cause of concern to education and economic planners, particularly with respect to graduate employment. While some institutions and programs permit SIWES for only three months, others go for up to one year.
Skills and knowledge are considered essential by employers of labour because it could impact positively on production of goods and services, corporate goals, wellbeing of the populace and societal development.
The quality of theoretical knowledge imparted on students and practical training exposed to them in industries, mostly those in the natural sciences, could equally determine their employability.
The study examined the Students' Perception of the Influence of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) on academic achievement. The final year students of the faculties of agriculture, engineering, and the department of vocational and technical education, University of Benin were used for the study. Two hundred and fifty (250) students were sampled. Data were collected using questionnaire and analysed using mean score and standard deviation. The findings of the study showed that SIWES influenced students' academic performance and was relevant to their practical skill acquisition. The results showed that SIWES enhances competency of students in the workshop/laboratory, improves students' classroom learning and creates employment opportunities.
The impact of SIWES has thus, been a cause of concern to education and economic planners, particularly with respect to graduate employment. There are also mixed concerns about how much of it that is actually helpful to student’s academic performance and job readiness after graduation. While some institutions and programs permit SIWES for only three months, others go for up to one year.
Challenges of SIWES
There are some noticeable challenges facing students’ industrial work experience scheme which impede the fulfilment of its objectives. These challenges include finance which affects certain aspects of its operation like students’ supervision and payment of allowances to participants of students’ placement is another challenge facing SIWES operation. Some employers are not willing to accept students into their establishments due to attitudes of some students and for not wanting to take responsibility of remuneration of students after completion of the scheme; this is a challenge. There is also the problem of some students wanting to choose places of attachment by themselves for reasons ranging from not wanting to be far from their homes and wanting to use the period for enjoyment and leisure like holiday period, thereby choosing places that are not related to their profession. An example is a business education student training in an automobile workshop instead of an accounting firm or a receptionist/ secretary in a business firm; this has defeated the objectives of the scheme because no practical experience will be acquired at the end of the training.
According to Abraham-Ibe SIWES provides students the opportunity to develop the much needed skills such as team work skills; problem solving skills; communication and time management skills among others while pursuing their academic qualifications in tertiary institutions. As an industrial attachment process, SIWES extends and enlarges the learning environment and resources beyond the capabilities of the school thereby enlarging the scope and quality of practical skills that students can acquire. It helps students to acquire occupationally oriented knowledge, skills and work attitudes with immediate opportunity to apply them in real world of work. The scheme provides students with the opportunity of aquinting and exposing themselves to the experience required in handling and managing tools and processes that are not usually available in the classrooms. Still on the expected impact of SIWES on participating students, Anyaeneh and Ochuba identify presentation skills, better self-confidence and better selfmotivation; flexibility and willingness to handle a wide range of tasks; ability to handle change; continual learning and entrepreneurial attitude; computing skills and knowledge of current information systems, and information delivery mechanisms.
While theoretical knowledge is acquired in academia, practical training is acquired in industries through partnership between the industry and academia. So, in order to achieve students employability after graduation, combining theoretical knowledge with practical training for students becomes imperative. More so, lasting knowledge is best achieved by engaging in active practice either by the use of hands or tools, or observing the routine of work mechanism under experienced tutors which constitute the mode of SIWES operation.
The expanding role of librarians requires that LIS trainees are comprehensively exposed to the practical components of the curriculum which will in turn aid their mastery of the subject of librarianship. The Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) was introduced to bridge the gap between classroom and industry experiences, with an expectation that engagement in the programme will improve the participant's performance on return to their classrooms. The present study sought to determine the influence of SIWES on the academic performance of LIS undergraduates in library schools in Osun state, Nigeria and establishes that SIWES has a positive influence on their academic performance and that the students perceive SIWES as a necessary programme for LIS undergraduates because it enables them to develop abilities and skills necessary for proficiency in the profession.
In view of the findings of the study, the following recommendations are suggested:
• Undergraduates embarking on SIWES should
endeavour to make maximum use of the opportunity
to improve their academic performance, build
professional capacity and brighten their chances of
employment after graduation.
• Libraries and other relevant organisations that
absolve LIS SIWES students should be well equipped
with relevant facilities, equipment and infrastructure to
enable them expose the trainees to relevant industrial
experiences and knowledge.
• Supervision of SIWES trainees should be done
meticulously by concerned officers to enable the
trainees benefit maximally from the programme and
avoid situation where some trainees display laxity
during the programme. Officers in charge of SIWES
students should see their roles as service to humanity
and discharge same with utmost sense of
responsibility.
• The trainees should be motivated by the hosting
organisation via the payment of upkeep allowance to
enable them meet basic needs like transportation and
accommodation.