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Article Title: Awareness and Perception of the Integration of Soft Skill Teaching and Assessment in Economics Curriculum at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria
by Akorede Serifat. F. (Ph.D)

Abstract:
The rationale or goal of any curriculum is to compliment the development of general knowledge and personal development through guided social inter-learning. The 21st century curriculum therefore requires an all-round development and widening of the learner�s horizon. In exploring the fundamental aspect of the curriculum, academic activities must be complimented with intellectual support activities such as the inculcation of soft skills or transferable skills. This is the reason why the National Universities Commission (NUC), 2007, in Nigeria, introduced the integration of transferable skills in economics curriculum in tertiary institutions. The question to ask now is- how far has the teaching and assessment of these skills being implemented at the premier University- University of Ibadan? This study therefore investigated the awareness and perception of lecturers and students of the integration of soft skills teaching and assessment in economics curriculum, at the University of Ibadan. The study also found out the challenges that faced the implementation, as well as possible solutions to the challenges identified. The study is a survey and expost facto design was adopted since no variable was manipulated. Purposive sampling was used in selecting a cross-section of 200, 300 and 400 level students of economics at the faculties of social sciences and education. The total sample consists of 40 lecturers and 300 students. Two validated instruments developed by the researcher were used to collect data and they are; perception of lecturers on the integration of soft skills teaching and assessment questionnaire (r= 0.78) and perception of students on the integration of soft skills teaching and assessment questionnaire (r= 0.75). Five research questions were answered and descriptive analysis and t- test was used. The results revealed that majority of the respondents are aware that soft skills acquisition is one of the objectives of economics education (62% said yes, 34% said no and only 4% are not sure). Also, findings showed that majority of the respondents do not know what transferable skills are( 67% of respondents do not know what transferable skills are). Results also showed that the lecturers� perception of the integration of soft skills is higher than that of the students (the weighted mean for lecturers was 1.88 while that of students was 1.51). A number of challenges facing the integration of teaching and assessment of soft skills were highlighted and some solutions proffered. It is therefore recommended that seminars and workshops should be organized for lecturers on new pedagogies for teaching soft skills and enabling teaching- learning environment should be put in place.

Keywords: soft skills integration, perception of lecturers and students, economics curriculum.

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