Developing a Framework for Outcome-Based Education in Engineering Programmes at Nigerian Federal Polytechnics

Outcome-based education aligns curriculum, instruction, and assessment with clearly defined graduate competencies, and developing a practical framework for its adoption in engineering programmes at Nigerian federal polytechnics addresses quality assurance and industry relevance gaps in technical education. This study developed an outcome-based education framework for engineering programmes at federal polytechnics, drawing on assessments of current curriculum and assessment practices at Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, and Federal Polytechnic Bida, representing the South West and North Central zones. A professional framework development methodology was applied, drawing on the Washington Accord OBE standards, COREN competency frameworks, and structured consultations with 15 engineering curriculum specialists, 10 industry representatives, and 12 polytechnic engineering department heads. Assessment of current practice confirmed that programme-level outcome statements were absent from 80.0 percent of engineering departments, assessment was dominated by knowledge-recall examinations in 73.3 percent of courses, and industry placement for practical competency assessment was structured in only 26.7 percent of programmes. The OBE framework developed specifies programme-level outcomes, course-outcome mapping, constructive alignment principles, assessment rubric templates, graduate attribute benchmarking, and continuous improvement cycles. Expert review by ten engineering education and curriculum specialists confirmed the framework's technical accuracy and OBE alignment. The study recommends adoption by NBTE as the mandatory curriculum framework for all federal polytechnic engineering programmes.

Keywords: outcome-based education, engineering curriculum, federal polytechnics, COREN, curriculum framework