E-LEARNING AS A TOOL FOR TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION: UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ AWARENESS, COMPETENCY AND READINESS IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Educators worldwide prioritize transformative education to build sustainable communities. In Niger State, universities have adopted the use of e-learning especially for year one students. Therefore, this study investigated students’ awareness, competency, and readiness for e-learning in Niger State. This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. The population comprises of all the 2024/2025 year one students in public universities in Niger State. The researchers developed and used a structured questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions for data collection. The instrument was validated by two experts in Science Education, Federal University of Technology Minna. The internal consistency of the instrument was tested using Alpha formula and 0.76 was obtained. The instrument was distributed via WhatsApp, and 123 students responded. The researchers analysed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics, while thematic analysis was carried out on the open-ended responses. The findings of the study show that university entry students are aware of learning through electronic media. Also, their competency and readiness for e-learning were high. The qualitative data supported the quantitative findings by showing that university entry students are ready for e-learning. It was therefore recommended that universities invest in campus networks, launch mandatory training and workshops, and encourage student mentorship programs.