Effects of Teaching Methods to Relevance of Purchasing and Supplies Option of Moi University to the Work Place in Kenya

Abstract

The relevance of higher education to the work place has been an issue of concern to scholars, government and international institutions such as the World Bank, OECD, among others. This is more so in Kenya where most of the original objectives of the universities for instance, are becoming increasingly obsolete in the face of rapidly changing conditions and needs of the society. Critics of university education in Kenya believe that key abilities such as critical thinking, problem solving, among others, are frequently not developed at university. Hence, the result is that graduates are not equipped with relevant skills and competencies required for work. The extent to which these assertions are correct with regard to purchasing and supplies education in Kenya remains an issue that needs to be investigated. The primary aim of this study therefore was to determine the factors affecting the relevance of teaching methods employed in the purchasing and supplies option of Moi University to the work place. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha. Multiple regression was used to analyze and test the hypotheses. The findings of this study indicated that teaching methods with t₁ = 1.534   and a Beta value of 0.024 found to be significant determinant on the relevance of the program to the work place. The study concludes that teaching methods need to be strengthened in order to build students’ skills and abilities which are crucial in the work place. The study made several recommendations such as increased interaction between students and the industry players, practitioners and professionals as well as exposing students to more practical aspects in order to use case studies in their learning.

Key Words: Teaching Methods, Relevance, Work Place, Kenya