Utilization of Total Productive Maintenance Techniques for Quality Improvement of Electrical Workshop by Technical Colleges in Rivers State

Abstract

This study examined the utilization of total productive maintenance techniques for quality improvement of electrical workshop in technical colleges in Rivers State. The study was anchored on two theories which are Theory of Total Quality Management (Demmings, 1950). The population of the study was 1,341 scholars (42 instructors and 1,299 students) while a sample size of 469 respondents (42 instructors and 427 students) were selected and this represented 35% of the total population. The 42 instructors were selected using census sampling technique while the 427 students were selected using simple random sampling techniques by balloting, however, only 40 teachers and 391 students participated in the study. The researcher designed instrument titled “Total Productive Maintenance Techniques for Quality Improvement of Electrical Workshop Questionnaire” (TPMTQIEWQ) was used for data collection for the study. Face validation of the instrument was done by two experts. The test-retest reliability method was used for the study. The instrument reliability yielded an index of 0.82. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using z-test at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study identified processes for utilization of TPM in technical colleges. Findings further revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean response of instructors and students in the utilization of autonomous maintenance, planned maintenance, focused improvement, early equipment management, TPM in administration and TPM in safety, health and environmental conditions techniques for quality improvement of the electrical workshops in technical colleges in Rivers State. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that in order to enhance quality improvement of electrical workshops in technical colleges in Rivers State instructors and students should ensure that planned maintenance techniques are strictly followed.