INVESTIGATING EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS ACQUISITION OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (SPECIAL) OYO, OYO STATE NIGERIA: THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS

Abstract

This study was designed to examine locus of control, self-concept and social support as determinants of 
employability skills of pre-service teachers with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, 
Oyo State, Nigeria. The descriptive design of correlational type was adopted for the study. Multi-stage sampling 
procedure was used. First, purposive sampling was used to select all pre-services teachers with hearing impairment. 
At the second stage, five schools were purposively selected in the college. The third stage involved purposive 
selection of seventy (70) pre-services teachers with hearing impairment from 100l and 200l. Instruments used were 
self-structured questionnaire with reliability: Employability (r= 0.79), Locus of control (r= 0.74), Self-concept (r= 
0.71), Social support (r=0.75). Data were analysed, using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and Multiple 
Regression at 0.05 level of significance. There was significant positive correlation between employability skills of 
pre-service teachers and locus of control (r= .354), self-concept (r= .428) and social support (r= .409). There was a 
significant composite contribution of all the independent variables to employability of pre-service teachers with 
hearing impairment (F(4, 65) =7.714).The relative contribution of each of the independent variables to employability is 
as follows: locus of control (β= .206; t= 1.818), self-concept (β= .246; t= 2.132) and social support (β=.291; t= 
2.633)). It is concluded that locus of control, self-concept and social support have positively impacted pre-service 
teachers with hearing impairment in Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, Oyo state, Nigeria. It is therefore 
important for all special education stakeholders to consciously develop pre-service teachers’ locus of control, self
concept and social support and effect positive change on how pre-service teachers with hearing impairment can be 
employable and harness jobs opportunity in Nigeria.