Development of a Practical Training Manual for Computer-Aided Design for NCE III Students in Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, Nigeria

The implementation of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) in technical teacher education requires adequate instructional resources and opportunities for practical training. At Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu (ASCETA), concerns about students’ and lecturers’ AutoCAD competencies motivated the development and evaluation of a practical training manual. This study developed and evaluated a practical training manual for CAD instruction for National Certificate in Education (NCE) III Building Technology students at the Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu (ASCETA). The manual was developed using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. The manual was developed and assessed using independent-samples Pre-Test (n = 86) and Post-Test (n = 88) questionnaires completed by students and lecturers. It was analysed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, and independent-samples t-tests. Results showed excellent internal consistency of the instrument (reliability) (α = .93- .97) and a statistically significant improvement from Pre-Test (M = 3.74, SD = 0.92) to Post-Test composite scores (M = 4.41, SD = 0.43), t(120.4) = 6.06, p < .001, with a large effect size (d = 0.93); satisfaction with the manual averaged 4.22 out of 5. The study contributes an empirically validated, ADDIE-based instructional resource and demonstrable evidence for closing the CAD implementation gap in technical teacher education. It concludes that structured training manuals offer a scalable, low-cost intervention for strengthening CAD competency in resource-constrained technical education institutions.