This study was carried out to discover the possible implications posed by the office Technologies in Secretarial Education Curriculum in Nigeria Polytechnics. This study was conducted making use of institute of management and technology (I.M.T) Enugu.

The instruments used for data collection were questionnaires and documents, while a total of four research questions were also used.

The data collected from the respondents was analyzed using percentage method and they were used in answering the research questionnaire.

The data collected and analyzed showed that enormous implication were placed on secretarial education curriculum by constant changes in office technologies.

The implication entails re-training and attendance to seminars, conferences and workshops by the teachers / lecturers or the uses and operations of the new office equipment / machines, this is with a view to imparting such knowledge to the student secretaries together with the introduction of some new relevant courses to enable them face squarely the implications of incessant office technological change now rampant in business environment.

The finding upheld the need or easy introduction of accepted new courses. It was revealed that the staff of the department of the department should be co-opted by the polytechnics regulation body, the NBTE in the curriculum planning.

Based on these, recommendation were drawn which the researcher feels if followed and adhered strictly, will give good answer to any future implication imposed on secretaries education curriculum by change in office technologies.

Since no research work is ever completely concluded because of some certain constants, some suggested areas for further research were also given.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Approval page ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Abstract v

Table of contents vii

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Background of the study 1

1.2 Statement of problems 3

1.3 Purpose of the study 4

1.4 Significance of the study 5

1.5 Research questions 7

1.6 Definitions of terms 7

CHAPTER TWO

Introduction 10

2.2 Office technology and its changes

2.3 Technological change and its implication `

on secretarial education programme 17

2.4 Effects of office technologies on job

performance of secretaries 20

2.5 The development and definition of

office technologies 22

2.6 Ideal curriculum for business studies and

technological implication 23

2.7 Summary of the related literature 28

CHAPTER THREE

3.1 Introduction 30

3.2 Research design 31

3.3 Population of the study 31

3.4 Sample size determination 32

3.5 Instructed for data collection 33

3.6 Method of data collection 33

3.7 Method of data analysis 34

CHAPTER FOUR

Data Presentation and Analysis 36

CHAPTER FIVE

Summary of findings, recommendation and conclusion 46

5.1 Summary of findings 46

5.2 Recommendations 48

5.3 Conclusion 49

5.4 Suggestion for further research 51

Appendix 52

Questionnaires 54

References 58

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

As life is becoming more dynamic, more complex in educational, socio-cultural, industrial and commercial developments due to the increasing technological advancements, the secretarial profession is not left out and the jobs of secretaries appear and at first sight among those threatened. This is because of new machines, which are threatening to take-over the jobs performed by thee categories of workers thereby making them face job hard of redundancy, retrenchments which will lead to mass unemployment will result.

Nigeria is undergoing technological revaluations just like any other developing country of the world. This technology advancement has actually revolutionized most office activities and procedures. Until recently, the study of secretarial educations programme in our polytechnics especially institute of management and technology (I.M.T), Enugu was based mainly on shorthand, typewriting and office practice. The activities had greatly changed since supervisor of the polytechnic by the NBTE.

The task and activities of these categories of workers in most offices and business circles lave also increased tremendously because of the high office responsibilities expected of the secretary to now handle with little or no supervisions. The scope of the course they now cover before qualification has also greatly increased.

They now have to be trained and educated in too many course and have to acquire more technical skills to be able to handle and manipulate the very modern office machines now inherent in most business offices if they have to be marketable and employable.

Secretarial professions now have to battle with the skills of handling the electric typewriters, scanners, ward processors, the facsimile (FAX) machines, the computers etc. This is to enable him meet up wit the increasing demand of information as and when urgently required which could not have been so carried out with the use of manual typewriters.

It should be noted that these automatic, light -technological machines couldn’t do everything or operate themselves without the human aid, thus making the needs and quests for the professionals in secretarial filed necessary.

The most current and implicating question in the minds of the present day secretarial studies educators and curriculum planners is what to do in order to keep peace with the technological changes in secretarial office equipment. This is because the more knowledgeable the secretaries are in the use of these office technologies, the better prepared our country will be to develop technologically.

Hence, in the opinion of Kanu (1987), there must be positive attitude towards continuous up dating of knowledge for everyone, especially the secretaries, if this age of technological advancement is to be acquired and improved advancement and inter – personnel skills developed.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

Since a lot of office work is based on the basic knowledge of key boarding and clerical skills, it became apparent that if secretarial education curriculum in our polytechnics are not reviewed, revisited and updated from time, to adequately take care of these technological changes, the products of this profession mighty not be able to face challenges they will meet in future in the course of their working life.

It therefore, becomes apparent that those concerned with the training and education of secretaries in our polytechnics and other institutions of higher learning should always adjust their curriculum so s to catch up and stay afloat with the incessant technological changes and advancements. The problems then is how far has I.M.T been able to adjust its curriculum to reflect the current development? How far have they been able to purchase the equipment required for the training? Do they have qualified personnel to handle these equipments? Are the students being adequately prepared?