BUSINESS EDUCATORS' PERCEPTION OF SEARCH ENGINE AND E-MAIL MARKETING SKILLS REQUIRED FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT BY BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN SOUTH-SOUTH, NIGERIA

The study determine the perception of Business Educators on search engine and email marketing skills required by Business Education students in universities in South-South, Nigeria for self-employment upon graduation. Two research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested. Descriptive survey research design was adopted in the study. The population of this study consisted of 199 Business Educators (102 males and 97 females) in 12 public universities in South-South, Nigeria. The entire population was studied without sampling because the size was manageable. A four-point rating scale questionnaire titled “Digital Marketing Skill Assessment Questionnaire” (DMSAQ) and containing 10 items in two clusters according to the research questions was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts with overall reliability coefficient value of 0.83. Data collected relating to the research questions were analysed using Cronbach Alpha to determine its reliability. Data for the study were collected by the researchers through Google form and direct contact with the respondents with the help of four research assistants who were guided on the process. Out of 199 copies of the instrument administered, 189 copies representing 95% were returned and used for data analysis. Mean was used to answer the research questions. Standard deviation was used to determine the closeness of the responses of the respondents. The null hypotheses were tested using t-test analysis at .05 level of significance. Findings of the study revealed that Business Educators perceived that search engine marketing skills and email marketing skills are required in Business Education in South-South, Nigeria for self-employment. Based on the findings, it was concluded that if Business Education students in the area are not adequately equipped with skills in the two areas, it will be difficult for them to succeed in self-employment in the increasingly competitive and technology-driven economy. It was, therefore, recommended among others that Business Educators should regularly attend short training, conferences, and workshops on emerging digital marketing tools and techniques to stay current and effectively teach these skills and that management of universities should sponsor their Business Educators to these professional development programmes and partner with digital marketing firms and professionals to provide real-world exposure, internships, and hands-on experiences to Business Education students to equip them for self-employment