The Factors Inducing Undergraduate Entrepreneur Satisfaction Towards Blended Learning for Entrepreneurship Development in Sri Lanka: A Case Study at University of Colombo Institute for Agro-Technology and Rural Sciences

Abstract

Blended learning has become increasingly important in higher education, especially in the context of entrepreneurship education in Sri Lanka. Despite its relative novelty in the country's higher education context, this study explores into its impact on undergraduate entrepreneurs' satisfaction with blended learning at the University of Colombo Institute for Agro-Technology and Rural Sciences. This research seeks to identify the key determinants of satisfaction and improve the quality of blended learning experiences for undergraduate entrepreneurs at the institute, contributing to the ongoing advancement of entrepreneurship education in Sri Lanka. The study covers the entire population (204) of undergraduate entrepreneurs pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Agro-Technology, ensuring a comprehensive perspective. To gather insights, a pre-tested questionnaire incorporating socio-economic information along with dimensions such as the learner, instructor, course, technology, design, environmental, and opportunity were used, and respondents were instructed to select the most an appropriate answer on the Likert scale, which ranges from strongly agree to strongly disagree, to express their views. The study's results showed that in the blended learning context, dimensions such as the instructor, course, design, environmental, and opportunity were positively and significantly correlated with the satisfaction levels of undergraduate entrepreneurs. In contrast, the learner and technology dimensions did not demonstrate a significant correlation with satisfaction. Policymakers should be aware of these features and prioritise the improvement of Sri Lanka's higher education system, with a particular emphasis on entrepreneurial development.