Entrepreneurship education and students’ entrepreneurial intentions at selected tertiary institutions in Durban=Imfundo Yezamabhizinisi kanye Nezinhloso Zabafundi Zosomabhizinisi Ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ezikhethiwe eThekwini.

Abstract

Abstract Entrepreneurship continues to receive much recognition worldwide from both the academic and corporate ends. High unemployment and failing economies amongst other factors have resulted in various stakeholders supporting the promotion of entrepreneurship. Educational institutions have since taken a leading role in promoting entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship courses have been introduced in universities to prepare students for entrepreneurship, institutions in South Africa have played their role in this regard. Emphasis has however been placed on the implementation of interventions that promote entrepreneurial development. Targeted interventions must be implemented to promote entrepreneurship behaviour. This study sought to determine the extent to which entrepreneurship education can enhance entrepreneurial activity as the researcher proposes entrepreneurship education as a key determinant of entrepreneurship intention. The results of the study were intended to benefit formal entrepreneurship education curriculum development towards the promotion of entrepreneurial intention and behaviour. The study followed a quantitative research approach and a survey research design. A sample of 280 students was selected from 1 000 undergraduate students enrolled for entrepreneurship courses in two public Universities in Durban: University of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban University of Technology. Using a self-administered structured questionnaire which was electronically distributed, data was collected from 197 students and analysed using SPSS version 27. The findings of the study concluded that there was a positive significant relationship between entrepreneurship education and students’ entrepreneurial intentions (r= .79, p< 0.01). The results of the regression analysis however indicated that the best predictor of entrepreneurship education was subjective norms (B= .347; t= 3.783, p< 0.01). Results from T-tests analysis indicated that students who attended extracurricular (workshops, conferences, seminars) entrepreneurship programs offered on campus (M= 59.44, SD= 15.603) differed significantly with those who did not (M= 52.53, SD= 16.654). Students’ verbal responses indicated that entrepreneurial education must be augmented with practical education and extra-curricular entrepreneurship activities. The study provides recommendations to university education curriculum developers, policy makers and university management on the successful implementation of entrepreneurship education. Formal entrepreneurship education should be augmented with extra-curricular entrepreneurship activities such as business plan competitions, business workshops, entrepreneurship seminars and coaching sessions with industry experts and entrepreneurs.

Iqoqa Ezamabhizinisi ezivela emibuthwaneni yezemfundo nezinkampani ziyaqhubeka nokuqashelwa kakhulu emhlabeni wonke. Ukuntuleka okuphezulu kwemisebenzi kanye nokuwohloka komnotho phakathi kwezinye izinto kuholele ekutheni ababambiqhaza abehlukene basekele ukugqugquzelwa kwezamabhizinisi. Izikhungo zemfundo selokhu zabamba iqhaza elikhulu ekuthuthukiseni amabhizinisi. Kwethulwe izifundo zezamabhizinisi emanyuvesi ukuze kulungiselelwe abafundi ukuthi bangene kwezamabhizinisi. Nokho kugcizelelwe ukuqaliswa kokungenelela okugqugquzela ukuziphatha kosomabhizinisi. Lolucwaningo belufuna ukuphenya umthelela wemfundo yezamabhizinisi ezinhlosweni zabafundi bamanyuvesi kwezamabhizinisi. Inhloso yahlonzwa ngeTheory of Planned Behavior njengesibikezelo esihle sokuziphatha. Imiphumela yalolucwaningo bekuhloswe ngayo ukuhlomulisa ukuthuthukiswa kwekharikhulamu yemfundo yezamabhizinisi, ukuthuthukisa ikharikhulamu ethuthukisa inhloso nokuziphatha kwezamabhizinisi. Ucwaningo lulandele indlela yocwaningo lobuningi kanye nomklamo wocwaningo lwenhlolovo. Kwakhethwa isampula labafundi abangu-280 kubafundi abayi-1000 ababhalisele izifundo zezamabhizinisi emaNyuvesi amabili omphakathi aseThekwini: iNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal neDurban University of Technology. Kusetshenziswa uhlu lwemibuzo oluhlelekile oluzilawula ngokwalo olwasatshalaliswa nge-elekthronikhi, idatha yaqoqwa kubafundi abangu-197 futhi yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa inguqulo ye-SPSS 27. Okutholwe kulolu cwaningo kuveze ubudlelwano obuhle obubalulekile phakathi kwemfundo yezamabhizinisi kanye nezinjongo zabafundi zezamabhizinisi (r= .79, p<0.01). Imiphumela yokuhlaziya ukwehla nokho yabonisa ukuthi isibikezelo esingcono kakhulu semfundo yezamabhizinisi kwakuyizinkambiso ezizimele (B= .347; t= 3.783, p<0.01). Imiphumela evela ekuhlaziyweni kwe-T-test ibonise ukuthi abafundi abahambele izifundo zangaphandle (ama-workshops, izingqungquthela) ezinhlelweni zamabhizinisi ezihlinzekwa ekhampasini (M= 59.44, SD= 15.603) bahluke kakhulu kulabo abangazange (M= 52.53, SD= 16.654). Izimpendulo zabafundi ziveze ukuthi imfundo yezamabhizinisi kumele yengezwe ngemfundo eyenziwayo kanye nemisebenzi yamabhizinisi angemva kwezifundo. Lolucwaningo luhlinzeka ngezincomo kubathuthukisi bohlelo lokufunda enyuvesi, abenzi bezinqubomgomo kanye nabaphathi bamanyuvesi mayelana nokuklanywa kwemfundo yezamabhizinisi. Imfundo yezamabhizinisi ehlelekile kufanele yengezwe ngemisebenzi yezamabhizinisi yangemva kwezifundo efana nemiqhudelwano yezinhlelo zebhizinisi, imihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi yezamabhizinisi, izingqungquthela zamabhizinisi kanye nezikhathi zokuqeqesha nochwepheshe bezimboni nosomabhizinisi. Osomabhizinisi abangabafundi kufanele bathole ukwesekwa okwanele kubabambiqhaza abahlukene abafana nabafundisi, amanyuvesi, imiphakathi, osomabhizinisi kanye nohulumeni, ngaleyo ndlela bakhe uhlelo lwezamabhizinisi.