Student-Centered Learning Approaches and Soft Skills Acquisition for Employability Among Undergraduates in Federal Nigerian Universities in SouthSouth, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between student-centred learning approaches and the acquisition of soft skills for employability among undergraduates in federal universities in South-South Nigeria. To achieve this aim, three research objectives and corresponding hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A correlational survey design was adopted. The population comprised all final-year undergraduate students for the 2024/2025 academic session. From this population, a sample of 480 students was selected using multi-stage and simple random sampling techniques across four universities. A researcher-developed instrument titled Student-Centred Learning Approaches and Soft Skills Acquisition for Employability Questionnaire (SCLASSAEQ) was employed for data collection. The instrument was validated through face validity, and its reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.82. Research questions and hypotheses were analysed using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC), with hypotheses tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that interdisciplinary learning, experiential learning, and digital literacy training were positively and significantly related to the acquisition of soft skills for employability among undergraduates. It was concluded that student-centred learning approaches have a positive influence on the development of employability-related soft skills. The study recommended that federal universities should systematically integrate interdisciplinary learning, experiential learning, and digital literacy training into academic programmes to effectively enhance soft skills development and improve students' readiness for the job market. Furthermore, partnerships between universities and industries should be strengthened to provide more internship opportunities, mentorship programmes, and hands-on projects aligned with employability skills.