STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN SCIENCE AND SOCIAL SCIENCE EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

Abstract

This study examined the strategies necessary for improving entrepreneurial mindset and academic achievement of undergraduate students in Science and Social Science education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The study adopted ex-post-facto research design. This design investigated the cause and effect relationships between independent and dependent variables. Therefore, the design is suitable for this study since it seeks to identify the strategies adopted to improve undergraduate students entrepreneurial mindset is the cause of their academic achievement in Centre for Entrepreneurial Development (CEDR 342). The population of the study respectively comprised 460 and 512 undergraduate students in Science and Social science education departments, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.  Meanwhile, a sample of 196 and 185 were used for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 3rd year students for 2018/2019 academic session. The reason for purposive sampling was because, 3rd year undergraduate students were taught entrepreneurship courses in the university during the period. The instruments used for this study was a questionnaire tagged “Questionnaire on Improving Entrepreneurial Mindset of Students” (QIEMS), and Entrepreneurial Mindset Students Achievement Test (ESMAT). The QIEMS was adapted, while ESMAT was a data of students’ academic achievement in CEDR 342. The study used mean and standard deviation for research questions while correlation analysis was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study above all found out that improving entrepreneurial mindset is through intellectual and cognitive development. The cognitive development of students in entrepreneurship courses in the university goes a long way in enhancing their entrepreneurial mindset. Though, it was identified that developing lifelong skills for future in school was low, students showed that previously acquired knowledge of entrepreneurial skills was from extension gotten from non-formal or informal education not necessarily from formal education. Therefore, it could be preferable for both formal and informal education to be integrated into the system for proper harnessing of students skill acquisition and fostering entrepreneurial mindset, among others.