MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION AS PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC PLANNING EFFECTIVENESS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

The problem of unreliable information has crept into the Nigerian university system adversely influencing academic planning effectiveness. Previous studies have investigated the management of information acquisition, dissemination and administrative effectiveness, but have not adequately addressed the management of information as a predictor of Academic Planning Effectiveness (APE). This study, therefore, investigated the management of information as a predictor of academic planning effectiveness in Nigerian universities. The study adopted the survey research design of the ex-post facto type using the multi stage sampling procedure. The study population comprised 14 Directors of Academic Planning Units (APU) and Information Technology Centres (ITC), 813 Lecturers, 3,269 new undergraduate students, 3,064 final year students purposively selected from Faculties of Arts, Education, Social Sciences, Science and Agriculture from seven of Nigeria's thirteen first and second generation universities. Four questionnaires: Nigerian Universities Information and Academic Planning Effectiveness Questionnaire (NUIAPEQ) 1- 4, and a checklist were used to elicit responses. NUIAPEQ 1 for Directors of APU/ITC (r = 0.80), NUIAPEQ 2 (r=0.60) for lecturers, NUIAPEQ 3 (r=0.60) for new students and NUIAPEQ 4 (r=0.76) for final year undergraduates. Seven research questions were answered in addition to five hypotheses that were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and multiple regression. Significant multiple relationship existed among Information Generation (IG), Information Availability (IA), Information Utilisation (IU) and Academic Planning Effectiveness (APE). Correlation between IG and APE for Directors of APU/ITC (r=0.73), lecturers IG and APE (r=0.23), new undergraduates (r=0.27) and final year (r=0.32) at p<0.05. Correlation between IA and APE for Directors (r= 0.84), lecturers (r=0.32), new undergraduates(r=0.26) and final year (0.33) at p<0.05. Correlation between IU and APE for Directors (r=0.64), lecturers (r=0.26), new students (r=0.33) final year students (r=0.44) at p<0.05. Combined influence of IG,IA,IU on APE were observed: directors (R=0.089, R2=0.78, F(3,11) =114.94), lecturers (R=0.56, R2=0.31, F(3,773) =117.92), final year students (R=0.40, R2=0.16, F(3,2927)=187.66), new students (R=0.34, R2=0.115 F(3,3251)=140.65) at p<0.05. Relative contributions were made to APE by IG in the following order: lecturers (?=0.91, t=1.75), directors (?=0.64, t=1.62), final year students (? = 0.13, t=6.44), new students (?=0.15, t=9.90), IA to APE; Directors (? = 1.12, t=1.95), lecturers (? = 0.45, t=8.96), new undergraduates (?=0.19, t=6.13) final year students (?= 0.28, t=8.88), IU to APE; final year students (?= 0.38, t=11.27), lecturers (?=0.34, t=8.12),Directors (?= 0.22, t=0.54), new undergraduates (?= 0.15, t=6.08) at p<0.05. Information generation, availability and utilisation significantly influenced APE. Universities should be adequately funded to enable effective maintenance of equipment needed to continuously impact positively on APE. Regular training and updating on ICT usage for directors of APU/ITC, lecturers and students should be provided to improve APE.