Factors Affecting the Seriousness of Shorthand Performance in Kano State Polytechnic: Implication for Office Technology and Management Students

Office Technology and Management is a work oriented program which relate the function of shorthand dictation and transcription of office routine in an organization. The aim of this study is to determine the factors influencing the seriousness of shorthand practice: implication on the performance of students’ in Kano State Polytechnic, specifically School of Management Studies. Three research questions guided the study, area of the study was Kano State Polytechnic reference to School of Management Studies department of Office Technology and Management, the population of the study comprised 200 students from the department of Office Technology and Management. Proportionate stratified sampling techniques was used to select 100 sample size from the total population of 200 for the study. The questionnaire was the instrument used in collecting data from the respondents which has a total number of 30 questionnaire items. The instrument has two section which is section “A” and section “B”, section A is for the respondents’ personal information and section B is for the questionnaire items range from B1 to B3 respectively. The questionnaire also has four (4) rating scale of Very serious (VS) Serious (S) Fairly serious (FS) Not serious (NS) for question B1, and Very high (VH) High (H) Low (L) Very low (VL) for question B2 and B3 with 4.3.2 and 1 point respectively. It was validated by the panel of experts whose observation and correction were duly implemented. The researcher administered the questionnaires with the help of the class captains as his assistant who were trained on how to distribute and retrieved the data for analysis. Mean and standard deviations was used to analyse the data and answer the research questions. The finding revealed that OTM students consider shorthand practice, shorthand dictation and production as a serious factor that influenced their performance in Kano State Polytechnic Particularly School of Management Studies In conclusion, OTM students’ performance is serious regarding shorthand practice . It was recommended that government should make it a point of duty to provide institutions who offer secretarial studies with necessary equipment that suits the learning of shorthand according to the standard set out by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE).