THE INFLUENCE OF LECTURERS’ COMPETENCIES ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN OGUN STATE

The study examined the influence of lecturers’ competencies on the academic performance of Business Education students in Ogun State, Nigeria using a quantitative research approach and a descriptive research design of survey type. The target population included 4,014 students from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED). A sample size of 1,204 students, representing 30% of the population, was selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire validated by three experts. The internal consistency of the instrument was confirmed through Cronbach Alpha, yielding reliability coefficients of 0.73 for pedagogical knowledge, 0.75 for mastery of course content, 0.83 for lecturer experience, and 0.85 for lecturer qualification. Multiple regression analysis was employed to test five null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that lecturer’s pedagogical knowledge significantly influenced business education students' academic performance (F (1,203) = 58.516, p < .05). Also, lecturers’ mastery of course content had a significant influence (F (1,203) = 34.240, p < .05) on students ‘academic performance. Lecturers’ experience also showed a strong significant influence (F (1,203) = 1453.930, p < .05), and lecturers’ qualifications had the most substantial impact (F (1,203) = 3824.432, p < .000). Furthermore, the composite regression model showed that all four variables: Pedagogical knowledge, content mastery, experience, and qualification jointly had a significant influence (F (4,1200) = 815.214, p < .000) on students’ academic performance. The study concluded that lecturer competencies, both individually and collectively, contributed significantly to the academic performance of Business Education students in Ogun State. It is recommended that Institutions should organize regular workshops and training programs to improve lecturers' pedagogical skills. Institutions should adopt an integrated approach to lecturer development. This includes comprehensive performance evaluations, professional development plans, and policies that encourage continuous improvement.