CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC REALITIES AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OKPE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, DELTA STATE

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between the contemporary economic realities and the sustainability of academic programmes in secondary schools in Okpe Local Government Area, Delta State. Five research questions and five hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a quantitative research design, specifically a correlational design. The total population was 10,000 students, 800 teachers, and 100 school administrators from 25 secondary schools in the LGA. A sample size of 500 students, 100 teachers, and 25 school administrators was deemed sufficient to ensure the reliability and validity of the findings. The research instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by experts and had a reliability coefficient of 0.80. Data collected were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation at 0.05 thresh hold level. The results revealed a significant relationship between contemporary economic realities (socio-economic status, availability of vocational education, level of infrastructure, involvement of local community and digital literacy) and sustainable academic programmes. Based on the findings, the study highlighted the crucial role of socio-economic status, vocational education, infrastructure, community involvement, and digital literacy in shaping academic outcomes. The study pointed to the need for more investment in educational infrastructure and vocational programmes to improve the sustainability of academic programmes. It was, thus, recommended that government and stakeholders should prioritize improving the infrastructure in secondary schools in Okpe LGA to provide a conducive learning environment, including the provision of teaching materials and the upgrading of school facilities.