Investigating What, Why and Who to Teach Entrepreneurship Course in Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the current state of entrepreneurship education with particular emphasis on core content, objective of entrepreneurship course and entrepreneurship course teachers’ background in four selected public universities of Ethiopia i.e. Baher Dar University, Debre Brihan University, Wollo University and Woldia University. The study used descriptive survey method of research. Both primary and secondary data sources were used.  To select the four universities stratification and proportional sampling method was used. The strata here represent generation that states years of foundation i.e. first generation, second generation and third generation.  50 entrepreneurship course teachers who were conveniently selected filled the questionnaires that was prepared in line with previous work done and entrepreneurship course syllabus was also reviewed.  The result presented in the form of percentage. The result shows that the core content of entrepreneurship courses summarized from entrepreneurship course not well integrated and similarly structured on the basis of the students’ background and the desired entrepreneurial attitude and skills. According to this study the frequently stated intended objective of the course the students are expected to achieve at the end of the course is to prepare business plan and know the importance of entrepreneurship in the economy. There is no sound objective stated in the course syllabus that dictates that students are expected to develop entrepreneurial attitude, behaviors and skills. The study also become to know that despite the core content and objective of the course, teachers background with respect to teaching experience, publication, training and business practice experience is weak. Generally, according to the study the current state of entrepreneurship education practice is said to be infant in its practice and may be weak to enhance the students’ entrepreneurial intention. This research strongly indicated that assigning fresh graduate teachers who did not have experience in teaching entrepreneurship and research in entrepreneurship, training exposure in entrepreneurship or have no their own business is simply just simply telling what entrepreneurship is. The stated core content and expected outcome of the course is also do not indicate that the course designed with greater care and thought in such a way that students who under gone entrepreneurship course intends to choose entrepreneurship after graduating. This can be one key reason why students who undergone via entrepreneurship course were also equally queen for searching job.  Therefore, the ministry of education and the universities themselves have critically visit the course curriculum, provide adequate training for entrepreneurship teachers and greater care has to be taken in assigning teachers. Further research has to be conducted on the influence of core content, objectives and teachers profile towards students’ entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, new model of entrepreneurship course syllabus may be designed and comparison research has to be done with the existing course to check the different of their impact towards entrepreneurial intention.  It might be possible to find one article which is done before this research with emphasis on context of entrepreneurship education in Ethiopia, but there is still shortage of literature to reach to general consensus on the current fact of entrepreneurship education with particular emphasis on why, what and who to teaches entrepreneurship course. This research, therefore, is so much helpful of develop new curriculum, open discussion, and fill the research gap, and create awareness on the existing entrepreneurship course in Ethiopian public universities.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, course; teachers, content, objectives, Ethiopian, universities