CRUNCHED ECONOMY IMPACT ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT EDUCATION STUDENTS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study focused on Crunched Economy Impact on the Academic Performance of Office Technology and Management Education Students in Anambra State. Two research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. The population of the study comprised all the two hundred and six vocational students in Nnamdi Azikiwe Federal University. The whole population of the study was used as the sample size. The researcher developed a structured questionnaire titled, ‘Questionnaire on Crunched Economy Impact on the Academic Performance of Office Technology and Management Education Students (QCEIAPOTMES)’ which was used as instrument for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using mean (x) and standard deviation to answer the research questions and t-test statistics to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that:  inflation negatively impact students’ academic performance in Office Technology and Management Education to a high extent. Secondly, that poverty to a high extent negatively impact students’ academic performance in Anambra State. Based on the findings the study recommended that:  Government of Anambra should help in the implementation of effective scholarships and tuition assistance programs targeted at low-income students to alleviate financial burdens caused by crunched economy and also provide subsidies or vouchers for purchasing textbooks and educational materials to ensure that all students have access to the necessary resources for learning Office Technology and Management Education and  as such in addressing the negative impact of poverty on students' academic performance in Academic Performance of Office Technology and Management Education Students, Government should initiate mentorship programs that connect students living in poverty with positive role models who can provide academic support and encouragement and also ensure that schools provide counselling services to help students deal with the emotional and psychological challenges related to poverty amidst of crunched economy