PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION ON SELF-EFFICACY FOR EMPLOYABILITY AMONG BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the perceived influence of entrepreneurship education on self-efficacy for employability among business education students in colleges of education in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study was guided by two specific purposes, two research questions, and two null hypotheses. A survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 252 final-year business education students from colleges of education across Adamawa State, which also constituted the entire sample size. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire developed by the researchers, titled the “Questionnaire on Perceived Entrepreneurship Education and Self-Efficacy for Employability” (QPEESE). The validity and reliability of the instrument were established. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) to answer the research questions, while inferential statistics (regression analysis) were used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that entrepreneurship education significantly influences perceived managerial self-efficacy for employability among business education students (p = 0.000). Similarly, entrepreneurship education was found to significantly influence perceived self-efficacy in creative thinking for employability (p = 0.000). The study concluded that entrepreneurship education plays a crucial role in enhancing both managerial and creative thinking self-efficacy, which are essential for the employability of business education students. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that the management of colleges of education should focus on integrating practical, hands-on learning experiences—such as workshops, internships, and real-world business simulations—into entrepreneurship education to enhance students' managerial self-efficacy. Furthermore, institutions should prioritize the recruitment and retention of qualified educators skilled in fostering both managerial and creative thinking competencies.