PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF STUDYING SHORTHAND IN FEDERAL COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN THE NORTH-WEST ZONE, NIGERIA

 This study was carried out to assess the problems and prospects of studying shorthand in Federal Colleges of Education in the North-Western Nigeria. In order to achieve this, four specific objectives were raised among which is identifying the problems faced by students of shorthand in Federal Colleges of Education in the North West Zone of Nigeria. As a guide for the researcher, four research questions and four Null hypotheses were formulated. Survey design was used for the study. The population of the study consisted of 2,108 students out of which 337 students were sampled using proportional random sampling technique. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents.

The data collected were analysed using frequency distribution, percentages and means. One Sample t-test was used to test all the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study found among others, that poor punctuations, misinterpretation of words and inability to distinguish between heavy and light strokes constitute the major problems of studying shorthand to students. It was also found that shorthand is indispensable in the modern office management. Based on these findings, it was concluded that poor enrolment of students in the subject may eventually lead to disengagement of shorthand teachers. If there are no students that enroll for shorthand there might be no teachers of shorthand and that could lead to the stoppage of the course. In view of these findings and conclusion, it was recommended among others that; there is the need for students of shorthand to have constant practice of consonants in order to master the heavy and light strokes in shorthand so as to reduce the academic problems of studying shorthand. It was also recommended that there is the need for government at all levels and stakeholders to show commitment to secretarial education by provision of facilities (e.g. shorthand textbooks, dictation machine, and tape recorders) to secretarial education departments in the Federal Colleges of Education.