The disproportionately high unemployment figures for the youth highlight the importance of finding alternative ways of increasing youth participation in the economy. According to the Western Cape Youth Report there are four major factors that have been identified as having a significant influence on the entrepreneurial environment in South Africa, especially as this relates to the youth, namely education and training; social and cultural norms; access to finance and the regulatory environment. Recent data compilations show that many poor and non–poor people in many developing countries face a high degree of financial exclusion and high barrier in access to finance. Although access to finance is a perennial problem for all small businesses, the youth are particularly vulnerable to this limitation. Many extremely poor households operate their own businesses, but do so without ample means. A particularly pernicious problem is that the school system is not producing functionally literate students. For many years financial literacy has been neglected. There was also general agreement that people should be equipped with social skills, but financial literacy was not necessarily included as one of these skills. Many school–leavers do not have sufficient literacy, numeracy and livelihood skills to be able to participate actively in the economy. Pilot initiatives revealed that students often enter university with little knowledge of how to work out a weekly budget or manage money. Many of them in receipt of bursaries and other financial support soon run out of money and lead a hand–to–mouth existence. A comprehensive and well co–ordinated approach to youth entrepreneurship is needed to increase the chances of success for start–ups as well as the chances of existing businesses to progressing from “micro” to fully–fledged small and medium–sized entities. The main objective was to research the entrepreneurship competencies, skills and knowledge of the EMS teacher who will be instrumental in promoting entrepreneurship under the youth of the country. To meet the research objectives a qualitative approach was selected and a questionnaire was used as the survey instrument. A new questionnaire was developed to assess respondents’ perceptions of the importance of entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and training in teaching EMS. The responses received were analysed and assessed and the findings are embodied in the recommendations and proposals of this dissertation. This study is of interest to policy makers, educational institutions and schools as well as to the Department of Education. The results of the study are intended to encourage the Department of Education to make a serious effort to promote entrepreneurship competence, knowledge and skills of primary school teachers. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Entrepreneurship education has emerged as an alternative to traditional models of sustainable development in Sub-Sahara Africa. Traditional development models focus on economic reforms. In contrast, Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach to development emphasizes the importance of entitlements, choice, freedom, and addressing social and institutional conditions that facilitate development. This is a case study on a similar program, the Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) for Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), in the business and entrepreneurship track. The objective is to examine the impact of MWF on participants in developing entrepreneurial and leadership skills, which has the potential to contribute to the overall growth and development of their communities. This research assesses the effectiveness of entrepreneurship and leadership education programs in successfully developing practical skills among participants. Further goal is to examine the links between sustainable development, entrepreneurship and leadership training programs, in the context of Sen’s capabilities approach to development in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (School of Business and Finance) / Entrepreneurial firms, entrepreneurial capital, entrepreneurial ecosystem and entrepreneurial economy are a few terminologies that have emerged since the resurgence of entrepreneurship, arising from the 1990's entrepreneurial revolution in the United States of America. Entrepreneurship education, a paradigm shift from the conventional, has been identifies as being critical to fostering entrepreneurship, building entrepreneurial capital, growing entrepreneurial economy and ultimately delivering sustainable economic growth and developmend for any nation - emerging or developed. From America to Africa, entrepreneurship modules with varies objectives and designs have multiplied in the last decade.

Tile research focuses on the role played by the school in preraring learners for self-employment. It seeks to establish the extent to which entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and attitudes are being promoted ai school thus equipping learners for ihe world of business once they leave school. The study is undertaken ag~i the background of very high mte of unemployment currently facing South Africa. A nmnber of factors, such as high population growth, globalisation and a variety of other socio-political circlUllStance have resulted in the shrinkage of job opportunities in the formal sector of the economy. The unemployment problem mostly affects the rural schoolleavers, among other groups, in the community. Small bu.'$ine.<Js development is generally seen as the most promising solution to the unemployment problem. Preparing learners for entrepreneurship is therefore the most serious challenge facing schools today. The school is required to deliver the kind of education that will make it possible for learners to start and develop their own businesses once they leave school. Hence the quest for education that is relevant to the needs and aspirations of society. A qualitative study undertaken with rural schoolleavers who own small businesses reveals that the school has not yet taken delibemte steps to tester entrepreneurship among learners thus preparing them for self-employment when they leave school. Again it bas been demonstrated that schools have great potential to inculcate entrepreneurial knowledge, attitudes and skills once they can start working in close co-operation with the community. A shift from traditional approaches to teaching and learning to the progressive (entrepreneurial) approaches can contribute greatly in producing learners who are ready fbr life as independent, creative and influencial business leaders of the future. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

O empreendedorismo é consagrado como o motor econômico da sociedade (SCHUMPETER, 1985). O objetivo deste estudo foi a concepção de um simulador educacional multifuncional para empreendedores, aportando avanços em relação a modelos publicados em periódicos acadêmicos, tendo como prioridade a validação conceitual do simulador. Multifuncional porque simula decisões das diversas áreas de Administração. Os avanços são: 1) a inclusão do Ciclo de Vida das Organizações (CVO) como conceito central do modelo concebido e 2) a modelagem de decisões não cobertas pelos simuladores acadêmicos TEG The Entrepreneurship Game (LOW et al, 1994) e DEAL Executive Deal Making (THAVIKULWAT, 1995). A validação conceitual é aqui entendida como a seleção justificada, com base em extensa revisão de literatura específica e em casos de empresas reais, de cada uma das decisões e suas alternativas modeladas e das características organizacionais que formam o contexto do negócio simulado. Foram selecionadas decisões, suas alternativas e características organizacionais, do estágio de Criação e do estágio de Crescimento, com base em 15 estudos de CVO e na literatura de cada um dos grupos de decisões simuladas (pesquisa e desenvolvimento; preço; comunicação de marketing; administração de vendas e distribuição; proteção intelectual; operações; e gestão de pessoas). O caso simulado foi de um novo negócio de base tecnológica. Os modelos matemáticos primeiramente baseados na literatura foram refinados por meio de 1) aplicações-teste, em graduação e pós-graduação stricto sensu da FEA/USP e graduação da UFF-Volta Redonda, e de 2) entrevistas realizadas com 6 (seis) empreendedores de base tecnológica associados ao CIETEC, incubadora de empresas da USP. Uma característica de destaque deste modelo é o crescimento da complexidade de gestão na transição do estágio de Criação para o estágio de Crescimento. Foram também elaborados e refinados três materiais de apoio: manual do participante, folha de decisão e relatórios de resultados. Cada material possui duas versões: uma para estágio de Criação e outra para o estágio de Crescimento. Este estudo trouxe três contribuições para a literatura de educação vivencial em Empreendedorismo e Administração, todas elas não presentes nos simuladores para empreendedores identificados na literatura, TEG e DEAL: 1) discussão da validade conceitual do modelo; 2) incorporação do conceito de Ciclo de Vida das Organizações; e 3) modelagem de novas decisões e alternativas inerentes ao contexto empreendedor. O estudo prossegue com aplicações diversas do modelo e desenvolvimento de novos modelos, sendo sempre priorizada a busca de validação conceitual. / Entrepreneurship is recognized as the economic engine of a society (SCHUMPETER, 1985). This study focus on the development of a multifunctional management simulation for entrepreneurs, improving current models identified in literature, targeting conceptual validation as key element of the proposed model. Multifunctional means including decisions of diverse areas of Business Administration. There are two aimed improvements: 1) including Organizational Life Cycle (OLC) as key concept behind the proposed model and 2) modeling new decisions not covered by the following academic simulators, TEG The Entrepreneurship Game (LOW et al, 1994) and DEAL Executive Deal Making (THAVIKULWAT, 1995). Conceptual validation means explain logic behind selection of decisions, alternatives and organizational characteristics, based on extensive literature review and based on interviews with real companies. Decisions, alternatives and organizational characteristics of OLC Creation stage and Growth stage were defined based on 15 OLC studies and based on literature of each group of decisions modeled (research and development; price; marketing communication; sales and distribution management; intellectual property; operations; and HR management). A new high tech business was chosen as a case to be modeled. First versions of mathematical models of Creation and Growth stages were refined through 1) tests with undergraduate and graduate students of FEA/USP and UFF-Volta Redonda; and 2) interviews with 6 (six) high tech entrepreneurs at CIETEC, incubation center at USP. A relevant characteristic of the resulting model is the management complexity growth through transition from Creation stage to Growth stage of the business. Three supporting materials were created and refined during this research: students\' manual; decision template; and management and accounting reports. Each material has two versions, one for each stage of OLC modeled. There are three major contributions for experiential learning in Entrepreneurship and Management, all of them not available in TEG and DEAL: 1) conceptual validation of the model; 2) introduction of Organizational Life Cycle as key concept of the simulation; and 3) modeling of new decisions relevant on entrepreneurship context. Next steps include diverse applications of the management simulation developed in this study and also development of new models focusing on conceptual validation.

Entrepreneurship educations in developing countries have not yet been able to take advantage of digital tools. The Ugandian non-profit YoungDrive has 60 coaches teaching entrepreneurship to 12 000 youth in rural areas. The coaches have a problem during and after their education with assessing and improving their abilities to learn and teach entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study was to investigate how an app can be designed to address this issue. Methods within service design, agile development and interaction design has been used and combined to construct and analyse interviews, workshops, question sets, and app tests with the coaches in Uganda and Zambia. In total, three months were spent testing and iterating on low-detailed and high-detailed prototypes. The result is a launched hybrid app for Android, iOS and web. A formative test shows coaches are more reliably correct using an improved design of multiple-choice questions than a standard multiple-choice design. Interviews shows the coaches has become more aware of what they know and do not know, and feels more confidence before their youth lesson with an increased quiz result. Further research should evaluate that the actual quality of the youth lesson improves. Increasingly well-constructed multiple-choice questions with thoughtful feedback could stimulate creativity and problem-solving, deemed important by entrepreneurship education research. After overcoming usability issues, the final app could reach both low and high-order learning objectives within entrepreneurship. The app did seemingly improve the quality of entrepreneurship education for the coaches in this specific developing world context. Further research should also investigate the design and implications of a digital-only entrepreneurship education for the coaches, having in mind that the teacher is believed the main factor of entrepreneurship education. As of now, the app is an effective compliment and assistance to the physical training.

This study explores the role of universities as well as their strategies and extent to which entrepreneurship education is fostered in terms of policy frameworks, the curriculum and stakeholders‟ perceptions of entrepreneurship education. The study was guided by the question: “How do universities in Tanzania foster entrepreneurship education in different fields of study?” Shapero‟s entrepreneurial event model has been adapted to analyze the feasibility and desirability of entrepreneurship education in a university-wide curriculum. This is a case study of two public universities in Tanzania: the University of Dar es Salaam and Mzumbe University. In-depth interviews were conducted with lecturers across disciplines at the selected universities. Some officials from relevant government ministries and agencies were also interviewed. In addition to the interviews, relevant documents from the universities and government were also reviewed. An analysis of the data indicates that entrepreneurship education is not well-integrated within the university-wide curricula because its implementation does not suit the pedagogical needs of some disciplines. Its desirability and feasibility is still debatable because of various factors such as ; the incoherence between national and university policy strategies; complexity of university multidisciplinary structures; variations in stakeholders‟ perceptions; the business-oriented view of entrepreneurship education reflected in the literature and the evolution of the selected universities. However, the role of donor support for the current status of entrepreneurship education is significant by virtue of projects that are attached to some faculties and schools. Through these projects, entrepreneurship-related courses, programmes, centres and staff capacity development have been established. This study recommends that entrepreneurship education should be tailored to enhance the skills necessary for all forms of employment. This should go hand-in-hand with the establishment of boundary crossings between academia and emerging labour market. Donor-oriented projects should be well-negotiated between partners so that entrepreneurship education initiatives are tailored to suit the local context. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The students’ enrollment in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Rwanda keeps growing (MINEDUC, 2018). There is also a simultaneous growth of graduates’ unemployment rates which leaves many of them wonder for their future (NISR, 2017). While employers and educators acknowledge the gap between market and graduates’ employability skills and appeal for joint efforts in providing a long-lasting solution to the issue, there are new market changes which leave many institutions wondering how best and fast they can structure their policies and strategies for skills development (Corominas, 2010). It is true that during the recruitment process employers look for graduates who possess specific curricula skills but also advanced sets of entrepreneurship skills, behaviours and mindset values. For reducing the skills gap, the government of Rwanda and HEIs recommended entrepreneurship education to address both employability skills and entrepreneurship competences. Entrepreneurship skills development can be measured through entrepreneurial orientation (EO). EO involves intentions and actions related to risk-taking, autonomy, proactiveness, innovativeness and competitive aggressiveness which help firms and individuals to deal with uncertainties that characterize the environment in which they operate; to strategically and swiftly take informed decisions that impact their performance and competitiveness (Lumpkin and Dess, 1996; Rauch et al., 2009; Rosenbusch et al., 2013). Studies about entrepreneurship education in Rwanda have identified an entrepreneurship curriculum deficit (too basic in content and more theoretical); a deficit of teachers trained in how to teach entrepreneurship; deficit in supportive schemes for effective teaching; deficit in practical entrepreneurship concepts and tools that stimulate proactive, interactive and creative entrepreneurial skills and mindset (Honeyman, 2016; Malunda, 2014). In this study, the focus is put on the new entrepreneurship teaching methodologies and transmission techniques which converge on the action and experiential learning as an alternative to classical business plan. Action-learning theory capitalises on the potential that human beings have in dealing with difficult challenges and problems through own learning experiences. It acknowledges that individual development takes place through experiential learning. The latter follows pragmatic approaches where individuals come together to exchange, support and challenge each other in action and learning. Associated to action-learning is the action-research which goes through cyclic experiential learning processes; uses participative, qualitative and reflective approaches. As this study deals with EO of students that involves their intentions and actions regarding the future, people acknowledge that actions of peoples are driven by expected consequences which are mostly economically motivated:- the higher the expected benefits the higher the level of individual engagement (expectancy theory) (Renko et al., 2012). Within this framework, the objective of the study was to develop and test a new action-oriented module on undergraduate science students in Rwanda. The purpose was to assess the effects of entrepreneurship education (EE) on students’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO). EO was measured through dimensions of risk taking, autonomy, proactiveness, innovativeness and competitive aggressiveness. The business plan module which is the most frequent model for entrepreneurship teaching was redesigned and delivered to the same target group in a control group. In the design of both modules, common concepts and pedagogies included Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship which followed an instructive method; Business Idea Generation and Selection which followed instructive and experiential methods. Both modules differed in other components. The business plan module covered different “components” by following an instructive method. The action-oriented module covered the Business Model Generation (experiential method) and Rapid Market Appraisal using participatory learning action, exploratory and investigative methods. Two hypotheses were made. First, we assumed a positive relationship between the taught entrepreneurship modules and students’ entrepreneurial orientation. Second, we assumed the new action-oriented module induces higher effects on students’ entrepreneurial mindset values and competences than the traditional business plan. After analyzing the findings, both hypotheses were confirmed. In this experiential and action research process, a mixture of qualitative, quantitative and observation methods were used for data collection. Targeted students were purposively selected from the final or prefinal years in departments of Civil engineering, Biotechnologies and Land Survey. They must have not attended any training in business skills development before. They were randomly split into two groups: the control group (N=49) which learned the business plan; the treatment group (N=68) which followed the New action-oriented module. Qualitative data were collected through: 1) literature review about EE, curriculum review of entrepreneurship courses delivered in different programs at INES-Ruhengeri; 2) not-structured interviews (3 program managers and 3 class representatives); 3) trainers’ observations of the whole teaching process. Quantitative data were collected using a standardized questionnaire covering 5 EO dimensions with 23 indicators. They were measured on a seven Likert scale with 1 = Strongly disagree and 7 = Strongly agree. The questionnaire was administered to both groups before and after training; descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings in the descriptive and inferential statistics showed a general positive trend in students’ mindset change after training. Compared with how they ranked themselves before the training, the differences in the mean averages were positive in 18 out of 23 indicators in the CG. They were 21 out of 23 indicators in the TG. It was also observed that differences in the mean averages were statistically significant in 2 out of 5 dimensions in the CG (risk-taking and innovativeness). However, they were 4 out of 5 dimensions in the TG (risk taking, proactiveness, innovativeness, competitive aggressiveness). Although the CG did not register significant changes in proactiveness and competitive aggressiveness, the TG recorded significant changes in the same dimensions. We argued that such differences originate from teaching pedagogies and tools used in TG. They push more for participatory learning, interaction and fact finding from the market field. On the other side, both groups did not record statistically significant changes in autonomy. This dimension recorded, at the same time, the lowest mean averages in both groups. This situation can be attributed to students’ lifestyle which is mostly characterized by a safe and stable environment at school. It may also be influenced by other local market realities which include financial inaccessibility, lack of start-up capital, weak and insufficient schemes for supporting entrepreneurial learning, especially curricula didactics. The lack of confidence in autonomy is a signal that, after graduation, students are more inclined to becoming intrapreneurial. In the training process, it could be observed that the learning process in the business plan module was a bit challenging compared to the new action-oriented module. Major challenges were associated with reading and understanding business plan concepts (which were new to many students), and applying the concepts to group ideas within the allocated time. Contrary to the business plan, the learning process was a bit easier, flexible and straightforward in the action-oriented module. Though flexible, interactive and reflexive in nature, the new action learning requires more than just the understanding of entrepreneurship concepts and application of tools. Teaching strategies need to go beyond evaluating students’ intensions in entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial career prospects. Pedagogies should give learners the opportunity to develop product or service prototypes as well. Another area of concern is where students must feel the world of entrepreneurship and be ready for opportunity detection and exploitation. The graduates (soon to be) must be put on the map of alertness which is a factor that constitutes a major entrepreneurial trait that interacts with other factors. This study recommends to continuously explore new ways of teaching which predominantly use experiential learning approaches. Furthermore, we recommend that EE objectives and intended purposes of learning should be well streamlined. There should also be enough time for practical teaching and learning to produce proof of concepts (evidence-based learning). Lastly, there should be changes in monitoring and evaluation strategies of the learning process. This study contributes to the theory and didactics of entrepreneurial action and thinking in university education. It introduces new combinations of learning strategies that can help students acquire entrepreneurial skills and competences in a short time. The new training model combines concepts and tools used in business skills and value chain analysis and rests mainly on participatory learning and action learning approaches

This dissertation examines the role that culinary entrepreneurship communities of practice, using Lave and Wenger's Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) model (Lave & Wenger, 1991), can lead to better social and economic inclusion for Middle Eastern Muslim refugee chefs in Utah. The life history approach was used to construct life histories for two Middle Eastern Muslim refugee chefs in Utah who joined the Spice Kitchen Incubator (SKI) program. SKI is a community of practice funded by the International Rescue Committee to assist refugee chefs in the resettlement process. This was an exploratory study, and given the limited number of cases reviewed, the conclusions cannot be generalized. However, this study concludes that SKI, as a community of practice, despite the many difficulties faced by refugee programs in the period 2016-2018 (the study period), had a positive impact on the social and economic inclusion outcomes for the participants.

This thesis investigates the accessibility of formal and informal entrepreneurship education for youths and young adults in India. The study uncovers crucial patterns and indications, emphasising the need for accessible and comprehensive entrepreneurship education. It also highlights the limitations and weaknesses of the research, such as potential biases, small sample size, and challenges in online survey methodology. The existing literature in the field is discussed, noting its limitations in methodology, presentation, and argumentation. The research underscores the pressing need for comprehensive entrepreneurship education that bridges the gap between formal and informal channels. It addresses the heavy reliance on formal education, which has left many students and graduates without the necessary skills to combat high youth unemployment. Informal channels play a significant role but suffer from limited access to resources and quality education, leading to a skill gap among young adults. The findings call for blended learning approaches that integrate formal and informal entrepreneurship education, leveraging technological advancements. By adopting a holistic and inclusive approach, India can unlock its vast entrepreneurial potential, promote job creation, and stimulate economic growth. The thesis underscores the importance of critically evaluating the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education despite substantial investments in this area. In conclusion, enhancing the accessibility of entrepreneurship education for Indian youths and young adults requires addressing barriers, leveraging technology, and fostering a supportive environment. The study acknowledges the limitations and challenges faced in conducting research on this topic but emphasises the significance of striving for high-quality research to inform stakeholders and support the improvement of entrepreneurship in India.