A Survey of Entrepreneurship Education and Its Effect on Students' Involvement in Business in School and after School

Abstract

This study was undertaken to assess the extent to which the introduction of entrepreneurship education (EEd) has helped in building entrepreneurs in school and after school following the introduction of the course into Nigerian educational system more than a decade ago. The assessment was measured based on students’ involvement in entrepreneurial activities while in school and their involvement in different business activities after school. Therefore, the entrepreneurs were selected purposively considering graduates entrepreneurs from The Federal Polytechnic Offa between 2010 - 2021 who resides in Offa, from the Federal polytechnic area/ Abuja area to Olofa way area. Questionnaire was used to gather data in which 240 questionnaires were administered to the entrepreneurs, out of which 219 were successfully returned. The questionnaire returned were made up of 74 Full-Time (FT) National Diploma (ND) graduates representing 34%, 76 Part-Time (PT) ND graduate representing 35% and 69 Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates representing 32%. After collection of data which was presented in pie charts, the Z-test about proportion and binary logistic regression model were used in analyzing the data. The result of the analysis revealed that, the proportion of graduates’ involvement in business activities and changing mindset to business activities due to entrepreneurship education does not significantly varies between graduates that were involved in business while in school and graduates that were involved in business after school. A similar finding in changing mindset to do business while in school also revealed that proportions of graduated students that are participating in business activities after school and graduated students that participated in business activities while in school, that EEd in school has influenced in changing their mindset to do business are significantly the same. Also, discovered is that academic performance in EEd does not significantly determine a student involvement in business activities while in school or after school. Based on the findings, the stakeholders are advised to improve on the course content of EEd in tertiary institution for more participation and encourage those with a small- scale business venture.