PECERPTIONS OF STUDENTS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS IN SELECTED NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Entrepreneurship education is considered as a potent tool for influencing students‘ learning orientation and expression of entrepreneurial implementation intentions. This study examined the effects of entrepreneurship education and learning orientation on entrepreneurial implementation intentions of students in the first four universities in Nigeria to offer a degree in entrepreneurship. Sequential explanatory mixed method was employed using survey and semi-structured interviews as data collection methods. A total of 600 copies of questionnaire were administered. Semi structured interviews were also conducted on twenty (20) entrepreneurship educators in the selected universities. Descriptive and inferential research methods: mean and hierarchical multiple regression were used for analysis of the returned and valid copies of questionnaire completed by the respondents. Thematic analysis was also used to analyse the semi structured interviews. The results from the test of hypotheses showed that; entrepreneurship curriculum contents significantly impact on students‘ critical thinking and generation of business ideas (R2 = .063, F (2, 563) = 37.587, p ˂ .05 ; R2 = .0143, F (1, 562) = 52.706, p ˂ 0.05); entrepreneurship pedagogy significantly affect students‘ shared vision and identification of business opportunities (R2 = .177, F (2, 563) = 121.108, p ˂ .05 ; R2 = .220, F (1, 562) = 30.696, p ˂ .05). ; teaching methods in entrepreneurship significantly stimulate students‘ interest and business startups (R2 = .188, F (2, 563) = 131.580, p ˂ 0.05 : R2 = .385, F (1, 562) = 181.753, p ˂ 0.05); educator‘s competence significantly impact on students‘ commitment to learning and business plan writing( R2 = .033, F (2, 563) = 18.962, p ˂ .05 ; R2 = .122, F (1, 562) = 56.959, p ˂ .05); and university support systems significantly enhance knowledge sharing and innovations among students (R2 = .052, F (2, 563) = 30.966, p ˂ 0.05 ; R2 = .097, F (1, 562) = 27.668, p ˂ 0.05). Results from the thematic analysis validated the findings from the test of hypotheses. However, the findings of the thematic analysis also revealed that practical activities are mainly based on vocational skill acquisition and university support systems do not involve students across all levels. Based on the results from the quantitative and qualitative approach, it was recommended that apart from vocational skill activities, the curriculum should contain an extensive coverage of critical thinking and idea generation activities as graded components of the programme. It was also recommended that engagement of students with entrepreneurial development initiatives provided by institutions should involve students across all levels.Therefore to increase the likelihood of engagement in entrepreneurial activities after graduation the implications for the expression of entrepreneurial implementation intentions are that students should generate viable business ideas, identifying market gaps, engage in business startups, write viable business plans and engage in product innovations. These actions should be considered as the major teaching and learning outcomes of an entrepreneurship programm