The contribution of entrepreneurship education to the development of students’ entrepreneurial competencies and intention for self-employment in Uganda

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the contribution of entrepreneurship education to the development of students’ entrepreneurial competencies and intention for self-employment in Uganda. The research questions measured and investigated the relationship between entrepreneurship education and the development of entrepreneurial competencies in Uganda. They measured the relationship between entrepreneurship education and intention for self – employment in Uganda. They also measured the relationship between the development of entrepreneurial competencies and intention for self – employment in Uganda. Finally, they measured the factor structure of entrepreneurship education, development of entrepreneurial competencies and self-employment in Uganda. The research design that was used was a case study that was carried out by means of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The target population comprised of 200 female students of Trinity College Nabbingo with specific focus on the candidate classes. Out of these, a sample size of 100 students was determined using Solvent's formula. The researcher collected primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected with use of self-administered questionnaire, while secondary data was collected from scholars that have investigated similar research topics. The findings of the study are in agreement with what most of other scholars have reported in their previous research. The findings in this study reveal there is a significant relationship between entrepreneurship education and the development students' entrepreneurial competencies. This implies that skills can be taught and that when students develop these taught skills then they develop a positive attitude toward the intention for self-employment. The results also indicate that there is positive relationship be entrepreneurial competencies and the intention for self-employment. This implies that intention for self-employment is an outcome of the development of entrepreneurial competencies. It is important to note, therefore, that entrepreneurship education is relevant and important since it has the capacity to address the problem of poverty and unemployment among young people most especially school dropouts. For that reason, the teaching of entrepreneurship education in schools should be strengthened and enhanced in secondary schools.