Effect of Entrepreneurship Education on Students’ Self-Employment, Job Creation and Job Seeking Intentions in National Polytechnics in Western Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the effect of entrepreneurship education on self-employment, job creation and job seeking intentions of students. The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior by Ajzen. All the 5 National Polytechnics in Western Kenya were targeted with only 2 being selected using simple random sampling technique. The study involved 273 students from the selected polytechnics who were purposively selected. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Data were collected using questionnaires and were analyzed using descriptive statistics of percentages and frequencies and inferential statistics (Chi-Square and Free-man Halton Test) to test the relationship between independent and dependent variables. It emerged that passive teaching methods like lecture were frequently used at a rate of 86.4%; whereas, active methods like field study were less used at rate of 68% making students not being ready for self-employment and job creation leaving majority of them preparing to seek employment after study. The study concluded that students were not well prepared to be self-employed and create jobs for others upon graduation since inactive teaching methods were frequently used as opposed to active teaching methods that could trigger students towards self-employment and job creation hence the majority of the students being left for job seeking intentions. The study recommended that entrepreneurship education tutors should use active method that cultivate entrepreneurial culture among students. Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should work closely with curriculum implementers to review entrepreneurship education syllabus to make it more practical oriented and ensure that it is fully implemented and evaluated.