Stakeholders’ Perceptions on the use of an ICT-Enabled Onboard Diagnostic System Tool for the Teaching of Motor Vehicle Mechanics at Port Harcourt Technical College, Nigeria

Abstract

This research study seeks to explore the experiences of the use of an ICT-enabled On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system scanning tool in the teaching and learning of Motor Vehicle Mechanics (MVM) in the Government Technical College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study is guided by the question: How do we improve teaching and learning in MVM using the OBD system? A qualitative exploratory case study involving a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) approach was used to engage in individual and focus group interviews with purposefully sampled technical college teachers and students, alongside industry employers in the Motor Vehicle Mechanics Trade. The study is framed within the Triple Helix theory which calls for improved and increased relationship amongst academia-industry-government institutions in an industrial economy to stimulate innovation. This framework opens creative ways for tracing the role of ICTs in improving teaching and learning in MVM trades. Our findings reveal that the use of ICTs helps in the development of technical college students’ new knowledge and problem-solving skills; willingness to learn; and experiential learning, amongst others.

Keywords

• computerised on-board diagnostic system; motor vehicle mechanics; triple helix theory