Lecturers’ Digital Competence and Students’ Access to Technology as Predictors of Hybrid Learning Readiness in Abia State Colleges Of Education (Technical), Arochukwu

This study examined lecturers’ digital competence and students’ access to technology as predictors of hybrid learning readiness in Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu. The increasing integration of digital tools into teacher education has made hybrid learning an important instructional model for Colleges of Education in Nigeria. Hybrid learning combines face-to-face classroom interaction with online learning activities, thereby requiring lecturers who can design and deliver technology-supported lessons and students who possess adequate access to digital devices, internet connectivity and learning platforms. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses. A correlational survey research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised lecturers and NCE students in Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu. A sample of 265 respondents, made up of 45 lecturers and 220 students, was selected using stratified random sampling. Two instruments were used for data collection: Lecturers’ Digital Competence Questionnaire (LDCQ) and Students’ Technology Access and Hybrid Learning Readiness Questionnaire (STAHLRQ). The instruments were validated by experts in educational technology and measurement and evaluation. Reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding coefficients of 0.86 and 0.89 respectively. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The illustrative findings revealed that lecturers’ digital competence was moderate, students’ access to technology was also moderate, while hybrid learning readiness was moderately high. The regression result indicated that lecturers’ digital competence and students’ access to technology jointly predicted hybrid learning readiness, explaining 57% of the variance. Students’ access to technology was the stronger predictor. The study concluded that hybrid learning readiness depends not only on institutional policy but also on the digital capacity of lecturers and the technological access available to students. It was recommended that the college, NCCE and relevant stakeholders should provide continuous digital pedagogy training, improve internet infrastructure, strengthen access to learning devices and institutionalize a functional learning management system.