ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION PROGRAMMES AND CAREER MINDSET OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITIES IN RIVERS STATE.

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between entrepreneurship education programmes and career mindset of business education students of University in Rivers State. For this purpose, the study examined the entrepreneurship education programmes dimensions of scalable start-up entrepreneurship, innovation entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship and their influence on career mindset of business education students and its measures such as capacity of students, innovative skills and knowledge building development with team cooperation moderating the influence of the relationship between these variables. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population of the study comprised 213 M.Sc.Ed students from 3 universities (Ignatius Ajuru, University of Education, Rivers State University and University of Port Harcourt). The sample size for this study was 139 respondents derived using the Taro Yamen’s method for sample determination. Out of 139 copies of questionnaire distributed, 138 copies were retrieved and used for the analysis. The univariate (descriptive analysis) was done using tables, frequencies, mean and standard deviation, while the bivariate analysis (test of hypotheses) was done using the Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (r) with statistical packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21.0 at 0.05 level of significant. The result of the study revealed that entrepreneurship education programmes have a significant relationship with career mindset of business education students. The study also revealed that the dimensions of entrepreneurship education programmes of scalable start-up entrepreneurship, innovation entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship significantly correlated with career mindset of business education students. The study further showed that team cooperation significantly moderated the influence of the relationship between entrepreneurship education programmes and career mindset of business education students. The study therefore, concluded that entrepreneurship education programmes enhances career mindset of business education students of universities in Rivers State. It was recommended that universities should initiate entrepreneurship education programmes in order to create and enhance career mindset of business education students and others in Universities.