Factors Affecting Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition among Undergraduates in selected Universities in South Africa and Nigeria
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Date
2021
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University of Zululand
Abstract
This study explored the factors affecting entrepreneurial skills acquisition among
undergraduate students in two selected rural universities in South Africa and Nigeria.
Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. Questionnaires and semistructured
interviews were used respectively for data collection. Systematic sampling
technique was used to select the student respondents, while purposive sampling was used to
select the academic staff respondents for the study. The questionnaire was administered to
student participants, while lecturers were interviewed. Data for the quantitative study was
analysed using descriptive statistics and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while
the qualitative data was collected and analysed thematically. The findings of the study reveals
that students' acquisition of entrepreneurial skills in the two selected rural universities is
influenced by common factors such as a lack of motivation, a lack of well-equipped skills
acquisition centres, a weak connection between university and industry and poor management
of training, among others. Research finding further shows that the effects of entrepreneurship
education on students’ entrepreneurial skills were insignificant in the two selected universities.
It is clear that entrepreneurship training in the South African university lacks practical
orientation, while the hands-on approach in the Nigerian university is characterised by a low
participation rate. Evidence suggests that the respondents generally consider entrepreneurship
as desirable when they perceive that there are people they can rely on for support or any form
of assistance they would need to overcome obstacles and fear of failure in the process of starting
a business. The aforementioned signifies a need for apprenticeship approach to
entrepreneurship education programme. Based on the research findings, it was recommended
that entrepreneurship education should concentrate on developing students’ foundational
abilities as well as technical and entrepreneurial skills associated with the various stages in the
entrepreneurial process, there is a need for a paradigm shift in the pedagogical approach in the
selected South African university from being largely theoretical to experiential and practical
approaches, a close relationship between academia, government and industry is paramount to
effective development of skills amongst students. It is also recommended that universities
incorporate entrepreneurial education across all faculties, expose students to on-the-job
training and financiers, face-to-face interactions with real business people in live projects,
assist with the incubation of business ideas from students. The study addressed the understudied
‘skill factors’ in entrepreneurship and upholds quality assurance in entrepreneurship education
in an apprenticeship way.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of Education in the Department of Comparative and Science Education at the University of Zululand, 2021.
Keywords
Entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial skills acquisition, experiential learning