PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM CONTENTS AND OPENMINDEDNESS: IMPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS IDEA GENERATION OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The main objective of this study was to ascertain the effects of entrepreneurship curriculum contents on students’ critical thinking and generate business ideas. This study focused on the perceptions of Nigerian university students. Emphasis was laid on the first four universities in Nigeria to offer a B.Sc./B.Tech degree programme in entrepreneurship. Consequently this study involved students and entrepreneurship educators at Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo state, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta Ogun state, Joseph Ayo Babalola University Osun state and Lead City University Ibadan, Oyo state. The study adopted quantitative approach with a descriptive research design to establish trends related to the objective of the study. Survey was be used as quantitative research method. The population of this study included all students in the selected universities. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed which included stratified sampling and simple random sampling. Data was analysed with the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Hierarchical multiple regression was used as statistical tool of analysis to show the incremental contribution to the prediction of the dependent variable. The findings of the study showed that the design of an entrepreneurship curriculum can motivate critical thinking abilities in students to generate creative business ideas. Thus it was recommended that practical activities such as brain storming, mind mapping and similar activities can be used to stimulate idea generation potentials in entrepreneurship students