Abstract

This study investigated the challenges and strategies for enhancing maintenance skill acquisition among Electrical Installation and Maintenance Work (EIMW) teachers in Science and Technical Colleges in North East, Nigeria. The study was guided by two specific objectives which sought to identify the challenges faced by EIMW teachers in updating their maintenance skills and determine strategies for improving maintenance skill acquisition among the teachers. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The area of the study comprised the six states in North East, Nigeria namely; Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States. The population of the study consisted of 146 EIMW teachers from accessible Science and Technical Colleges in the zone, including teachers with educational qualifications and those without educational qualifications. Since the population was manageable, the entire population was used for the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled “Technical College Skills Improvement Needs (TCSIN)” developed by the researcher. The instrument was validated by experts in Electrical Technology Education and Measurement and Evaluation, while Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficients ranging from 0.786 to 0.924 with an overall reliability index of 0.976 confirmed the instrument’s reliability. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while t-test statistics were employed to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that both qualified and non-qualified teachers faced similar challenges including inadequate training opportunities, obsolete equipment, weak institutional support, and insufficient ICT facilities. The study concluded that continuous professional development and institutional support are essential for improving maintenance skill acquisition among EIMW teachers. It was recommended that government should provide adequate funding, modern equipment, and regular training programmes while technical colleges should strengthen mentorship and industry collaboration initiatives