Entrepreneurship Education’s Influence on Learner’s Entrepreneurship Intention in South African Schools

Abstract

Youth unemployment remains a South African problem and a global concern. Entrepreneurial activity enables people to identify opportunities and start new business ventures helping in addressing Youth unemployment. This study focuses on assessing the influence of entrepreneurship education on the learners’ intention towards entrepreneurship careers in high schools. A quantitative study was conducted consisting of 240 grade 12 learners with entrepreneurship education from the three townships in the City of Tshwane namely Mamelodi, Atteridgeville and Soshanguve. A structured close-ended questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software. Findings have proven a relationship between theoretical education and experiential learning with learners’ intention towards entrepreneurship, with experiential learning significantly influencing the development of entrepreneurship intention in learners. Hence, to improve effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in high school learners, there should be emphasis on experiential learning. Study further indicated that entrepreneurship as a subject has an influence on the choice of entrepreneurship as a career. It is for this reason that learners should interaction with business people globally in order to gain exposure to people who have succeeded by taking entrepreneurship as a career.

Relationship between prior entrepreneurship exposure and entrepreneurial intention among secondary school learners in Gauteng, South Africa

“…Moreover, practice-oriented lectures involving learning by doing, observation and case studies contribute to entrepreneurial learning, and are vital for the development of entrepreneurial skills and know-how which enhance one's confidence to act entrepreneurially (Honig, 2004;Hou et al, 2022;Mueller, 2011;Nabi et al, 2018;Radu & Loué, 2008). Active and experiential teaching methods are vital in facilitating the formation of entrepreneurial intention (Tshehla et al, 2021) and have a positive effect on the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention (Padilla-Angulo et al, 2021;Yang et al, 2021). However, research that has been conducted in South Africa reveals the lack of practical knowledge in the Business Studies curriculum that is taught in public schools, and therefore does not contribute to the achievement of the goals of entrepreneurship education (Nchu, 2015;Ngcobo & Khumalo, 2022).…”

Relationship between prior entrepreneurship exposure and entrepreneurial intention among secondary school learners in Gauteng, South Africa

“…Findings of prior research from different countries indicate the existence of a signi cant relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention(Zhang et al, 2014; Asghar et al, 2016; and are vital for the development of entrepreneurial skills and know-how which enhance one's con dence to act entrepreneurially(Honig, 2004;Radu & Loué, 2008;Mueller, 2011;Nabi et al, 2018;Hou et al, 2022). Active and experiential teaching methods are vital in facilitating the formation of entrepreneurial intention(Tshehla et al, 2021) and have a positive effect on the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention (Padilla-Angulo et al, 2021;Yang et al, 2021). However, research that has been conducted in South Africa reveals the lack of practical knowledge in the Business Studies curriculum that is taught in public schools, and therefore does not contribute to the achievement of the goals of entrepreneurship education(Nchu, 2015;Ngcobo & Khumalo, 2022).Current business ownership and prior start-up experience Individuals' attitudes derive from the beliefs in relation to the consequences of performing the behaviour(Ajzen, 2005).…”