Paper long abstract:

Abstract

This study examines students' perceptions of the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP) of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in terms of skill acquisition, effects on job prospects and constraints inhibiting the TTFPP. The programme was instituted as a key component of the curriculum to address deficits in the tertiary education curriculum, by blending intellectual pursuit with practical concerns of rural community life. Data were collected from a sample of 206 students drawn from the third and final years of two faculties of the Nyankpala campus, using a pre-tested close-ended questionnaire. The data were analysed using frequency distributions, means, standard deviations and t-tests. Results indicated that the programme improved students' skills in critical thinking, presentation, communication, and human relations. Besides enhancing students experience and ability to appreciate rural community challenges, students also felt the programme contributed to their ability to live and work in rural communities. Students also perceived that TTFPP would contribute to their employability on graduation. They, however, felt the smooth running of the programme is inhibited by poor health care, inadequate logistics, poor and inadequate accommodation, and inadequate guidance on the field. The study therefore recommends that students' welfare should be prioritsed in the running of the TTFPP. It further suggests that private and public organisations at the community level should be effectively engaged in the programme to mentor students, further deepen the acquisition of skills and provide guidance to students during the period that they are in the rural communities.