The Contemporary Issues, Challenges and Technological gap in Entrepreneurship Education in Nigerian Higher Institutions (Published)
The study investigates the contemporary issues, challenges and technological gap in entrepreneurship education in Nigerian higher institutions. Entrepreneurship education has emphasis on economics and covers business disciplines like management, marketing and finance with links to psychology, sociology, and teacher education as well as business education. It prepares and builds persons to be responsible and enterprising individuals capable of deep entrepreneurial thinking that contribute to economic and sustainable development. It focuses on expertise that is needed and used to conceive and commercialise business opportunities. Nigeria especially in the face of the global economic crisis and its energy crisis requires graduates who will be job “creators” and not job “seekers”. This paper addresses contemporary issues, challenges, technological gap and strategies in the development of entrepreneurship education in Nigerian higher institutions. It therefore concluded that entrepreneurship is more than being smart. It is the ability of a person to collaborate with others and to act in the face of new opportunities. Recommendations were made that entrepreneurial teachings have to go beyond the traditional teachings in the classroom. This implies the need to involve students in experiential training. The government should set machinery in motion to provide an enabling environment for entrepreneurship education in Nigerian higher institutions.
Keywords: Entrepreneurship education, Nigeria, contemporary issues, technological gap
Analyses of Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Intention among Undergraduates Students in Nigeria (Published)
Entrepreneurship education and intention are major constructs that have enjoyed extensive investigation in literature as underlying factors for the development of potential and practicing entrepreneurs and the growth of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector. This study investigated the analysis of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention among undergraduate students in Nigerian universities. Relevant theoretical framework and models such as Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) by Ajzen (1991) as well as Bandura’s (1986) Self-Efficacy model were employed to underpin the study. A sample of 469 undergraduates was investigated in Nigeria through a cross-sectional survey. A structured questionnaire was distributed online to respondents. Analysis was carried out using simple and multiple regression analysis. The findings from this study and the data analysis outcomes indicated that there is a positive significant relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention among undergraduate students in Nigeria. This is in support of various positions in literature based on previous studies. However, the multi-dimensional perspective of entrepreneurship education only yielded two variables namely, entrepreneurship skills and knowledge as the determinant of entrepreneurial intention. This development gives credence to assess an optimum model for entrepreneurship education among the various antecedent factors that influence entrepreneurship education in relation to entrepreneurial intention. The study therefore recommends that adequate pedagogical approaches and tools be employed in the universities and other tertiary institutions that will impact emphasis on critical entrepreneurship education factors such as skills and knowledge for the management and policy framework for entrepreneurial activities and performance.
Keywords: Entrepreneurship education, Nigeria, Students, Undergraduates, entrepreneurial intention
Transforming Implementation of Entrepreneurship Education Programme in Technical Training Institutions in Kenya (Published)
Effectiveness of implementation of entrepreneurship education programme in technical training institutions in Kenya is in question. Teaching and assessment methods used by teachers are insensitive to entrepreneurship learning, and the training resources provided by the institutions are insufficient. The study examined factors influencing implementation of the programme as conducted in tertiary technical institutions in Kenya. It investigated the influence of teaching and assessment methods, teachers’ network with entrepreneurship practitioners, and availability of training resources. A census survey of entrepreneurship education teachers in technical training institutions in Nairobi County was conducted, using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS. The findings show that teachers routinely use traditional teaching and assessment methods, and institution administrations do not provide sufficient training resources or support teachers to develop networks with entrepreneurship practitioners. Recommendations include sensitizing teachers to use pedagogies that maximize entrepreneurial learning, and administrators to provide sufficient resources; also establishing a national policy framework to enforce effective programme implementation.
Keywords: Assessment methods, Entrepreneurship education, Teacher’s network, Teaching Methods, Training resources