Curriculum Innovation in Accounting Education and Industrial Competitiveness for Graduate Employment in Rivers State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Curriculum Innovation, Industrial Competitiveness, Employment, Accounting Education, GraduatesAbstract
This study examined curriculum innovation and industrial competitiveness for employment of accounting education graduates in Rivers State. The study was structured around two objectives, two research questions, and two null hypotheses, each evaluated at a 0.05 significance level. A survey-based research design was employed to guide the investigation. The target population consisted of 116 final-year accounting education students drawn from three universities, and the full population was included in the study using a census enumeration approach. Data collection was carried out through two structured questionnaires, namely the Curriculum Innovation Questionnaire (CIQ) and the Industrial Competitiveness for Employment of Accounting Education Graduates Questionnaire (ICEAEGQ). Both instruments underwent content validation by specialists in Business Education as well as Measurement and Evaluation. The Cronbach Alpha method was applied to establish the reliability of the instruments, producing reliability coefficients of 0.82 and 0.87 for the respective tools. Of the 116 questionnaire copies distributed, 112 were successfully retrieved and subsequently used for data analysis. The research questions were addressed using mean scores and standard deviation, whilst regression analysis was applied to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that industry-relevant content development had a positive influence on industrial competitiveness for the employment of accounting education graduates. Respondents agreed that practical industry content, workplace skills, industrial training, and industry-based case studies improved graduates’ readiness for employment. The results further indicated that assessment methods grounded in technology had a favourable effect on the ability of graduates to compete in the labour market. The use of online quizzes, computer-based tests, automated grading systems, and online submission platforms was found to improve students’ learning and digital readiness for the workplace. The study further showed that both variables had a significant influence on industrial competitiveness for the employment of graduates, with industry-relevant content development showing a slightly stronger influence. Based on the findings, the study concluded that curriculum innovation supports industrial competitiveness for the employment of accounting education graduates. It was recommended that institutions should strengthen partnerships with industry professionals, improve industrial training opportunities, and encourage wider use of digital assessment tools to improve graduates’ employability and workplace readiness.
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