Entrepreneurship Curriculum Implementation and Business Start-up Competencies Among Final-year Students in Southwest Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined Entrepreneurship Curriculum Implementation and Business Start -Up Competencies among Final-Year Students in Southwest Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria. The study aimed to assess the influence of curriculum content delivery, teaching methods, assessment practices, and resources on students’ entrepreneurial competencies. The study was guided by four research questions and five hypotheses. A cross -sectional survey design was adopted. The population comprised 7,795 final -year students across three federal colleges of education. A sample of 391 students was selected using a combination of stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected via a 30 -item researcher-developed questionnaire, validated for content, construct, and face validity by three experts. Reliability was established through a pilot test with 20 students, yielding a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.84. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) for research questions and Pearson correlation and regression analyses for hypotheses. Findings revealed that curriculum content, teaching methods, assessment practices, and resource availability significantly influence business start -up competencies, with all hypotheses rejected. Major recommendations include updating curricula, enhancing teaching methods, aligning assessments with real -world tasks, improving resources, implementing mentorship programs, and providing professional development for lecturers to foster entrepreneurial readiness.