INVESTIGATING THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL GAPS OF SKILLED AUTO-REPAIR TECHNICIANS IN MOWE, OGUN STATE NIGERIA.

The study investigated the epistemological gaps of Nigerian auto-repair technicians in Mowe, Ogun State Nigeria. The way their knowledge levels correlate with factors such as age, experience, education, and professional development pathways were analyzed. The study explored the conditions for bridging auto-repair epistemology. The study used a questionnaire based on the National Institute Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) 2021 study guide test questions. Fifty-four auto repair technicians were selected using purposive sampling. Correlational research design was used to explore the relationship between the knowledge of participants and age, education, experience, and professional development pathway. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data collected to determine the odds of how many ASE questions a participant answered correctly. The final logistic regression model excluded experience and professional pathways due to multicollinearity concerns. The results revealed negative correlations between age, elementary/high school education, and epistemology, while positive correlations were with higher education and epistemology. The discussion delved into nuances, challenging common beliefs, and proposed a composite apprenticeship model to bridge auto-repair epistemological gaps. Recommendations include revisiting the Nigerian education system and promoting a bidirectional, delocalized apprenticeship approach.