Integration of Entrepreneurship Education in to Ethiopian Universities Formal Curriculum

Abstract

Abstract 
 This study was aimed at investigating how Ethiopian universities integrate entrepreneurship education into the formal curriculum. To achieve this objective descriptive survey research design was used. Data were collected from university students, instructors, and department heads. Accordingly, four universities were selected as sample universities by using simple random sampling technique. From these sample universities departments that give entrepreneurship course with all its students, instructors and department heads were taken as sample of the study. Data were collected by using questionnaire, interview, and document analysis from the participants. The result shows that in Ethiopian higher education institutions, entrepreneurship education curriculum and teaching methods is developed in house; have no a formalized national or international exchange of good practice in entrepreneurship education and did not include entrepreneurs in the development of entrepreneurship teaching materials. In addition, since the entrepreneurship education course is not integrated to all programs only few students took it as a result students did not develop entrepreneurial behavior, skills, knowledge in their stay in the university. The predominant methods of teaching used were lecture and case study. The major barriers for the development of entrepreneurship education identified are lack of funding available to support the entrepreneurship education and good-quality entrepreneurship education materials, lack of support from the top management and lack of strategic integration of entrepreneurship education in their institutions.