Entrepreneurship Teaching for Self-Employment Among Higher Learning Students in Tanzania: A Lesson Learnt From Successful Graduate Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Despite several years of investing entrepreneurship education in Tanzanian higher learning education, still a large portion of graduates are incompetent, hence, they cannot start-up their own business ventures. The current study employed the Social Learning Theory to explore effective teaching and assessment methods appropriate to entrepreneurship education in order to create self-employed graduates of higher learning education by drawing experience from some successful graduate entrepreneurs in Tanzania. The study aimed at filling the gap in the literature by exploring effective teaching methods and assessment procedures for entrepreneurship education to enhance selfemployment among graduates of higher learning education in Tanzania. This is a qualitative study that applied a mixedmethod approach utilizing interviews, observation, and document review in data collection. The study was done in Dar es Salaam City using both purposive and snowball chain sampling techniques whereby, 65 respondents participated in the study. The collected data were analysed using content analysis technique in which themes were generated and discussed in accordance with the research questions. The findings of the study indicated that, in Tanzania, traditional teaching methods are mostly used to teach entrepreneurship education in higher learning education. Lecturing teaching method and paper and pencil form of assessment are commonly preferred by instructors while teaching entrepreneurship education. Graduates of higher learning education do encounter several challenges, and those challenges are connected to individual weaknesses of a graduate, poor preparation of students in higher learning education, failure of legal compliance, and lack of financial capital. Based on the observed challenges, the study recommends the following: Firstly, students should effectively be engaged in practical activities related to entrepreneurship while still at the colleges and universities. Secondly, all instructors teaching entrepreneurship education should be equipped with sufficient knowledge through in-service trainings in order to update them with relevant skills needed in the markets. Thirdly, instructors should create a balance between theoretical and practical learning while teaching entrepreneurship education, and for the research purpose, colleges, and universities should have their own database concerning with graduates who have succeeded to employ themselves after graduation