There
is much efforts and enthusiasm to teach entrepreneurship course using wide
range of method such as venture creation by students, developing formal
business plan, creating out feasibility study etc. This shift from general
education to specifically entrepreneurship education becomes necessary in the
present realities of the need to develop and empower particularly the youth in
the society. There is seeming consensus on the importance of entrepreneurship
in ameliorating some socio-economic problems especially poverty,
unemployment,
and all sort of social vices in the society thus, the focus of teaching and
learning particularly in developing countries where these problems are
predominant call for another approach. This clearly indicates the sheer of
re-orientation towards inculcating values that allow acquisition of necessary
competences to sense of self-reliance, independence, youth empowerment and of
course poverty reduction.
In their opinion, Adejimola and
Olufunmilayo (2009) lamented that “even in the developed countries education
system emphasizes the trial of inquiry-discovery application in teaching”. It
is very apparent that both challenges and opportunities abound to tap, exploit
and possibly turn it into goods and services of commercial values. The task of
universities and other institutions where entrepreneurship education need to be
taught, Daudu (2007) in Akpomi (2009) make an investigation on the modalities
of using entrepreneurship education as a strategy or instrument for channeling
necessary energies of the Nigeria universities facilities and students away
from paid employment to self-employment. Many economic and strategic theories
have been used to provide a framework in which education can be seen as very
important determinant of selection of entrepreneurship or venture formation for
individuals in the course of their studies. There are several attempts to teach
students entrepreneurship using venture creation in order for the student to
acquire business skills and competencies. But not withstanding those with this
kind of approach is perhaps small minority. People also believe that
entrepreneurial behaviour can be learned through experience and discovery.
Hence there is need for learning in which students can experience aspect of
entrepreneurs’ way of life.
Serious importance has been attached to
formal business plan in teaching entrepreneurship by the educators. But Gibbs
in Vincent and Farlow (2008) feels that there is need to have a rethink in the
value of developing business plans as a process of learning and career
development in entrepreneurship. This position was also concurred by Johanisson
(1991) in Vincent and Farlow (2008) to teach individuals to become not only
more enterprising but businessmen as well is an undertaking that is both in
time and scope beyond the capabilities of academic business schools. the issue
here is that plan may be inevitable for entrepreneurs to succeed but emphasis
placed by developing countries plan by the students need to be reduced.
Students are expected to feel and act as entrepreneurs rather than only
assuming or pretending to be. This effort will certainly strengthen their
inspiration and would be indoctrinated towards the culture of entrepreneurship.
The government is expected to play a
greater role in providing the necessary atmosphere and policy framework for the
success of this transformation process. Students while in school will acquire
the necessary skills and training, identify an opportunity to exploit and
eventual creation of their venture. Students must have a serious business idea,
they are of the opinion that good ideas cannot be invented to others. Normally
students were asked to produce a business plan and their assessment is
basically based on that. Therefore they are urging students to provide a
realistic guided experience of the entrepreneurial life, which can be done if
the students are truly committed to their own real ideas and can actually be
entrepreneurs rather than pretenders.
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