Encouraging Technology Education Students of Tertiary Institutions towards Innovative and Entrepreneurship Skills for Self Reliance in Niger State of Nigeria

Abstract

The study was designed to identified the indicators for encouraging Technology Education students in Tertiary Institution towards innovative and entrepreneurship skills for self reliance in Niger State of Nigeria. The study employed descriptive survey research design. Two research questions guided the study. The population for the study comprises of 172 final year technology education students, 69 from Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna and 103 from College of Education, Minna all in Niger State of Nigeria. There was no sampling as the population is manageable. A structured questionnaire titled “Indicators for Encouraging Technology Education Students towards Innovative and Entrepreneurial Skills” (IETESIES). The questionnaire has four point rating scale and was validated by experts for their critics and suggestion in the Department of Industrial and Technology Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was determined using the Cronbach Alpha method which yielded a mean value of 0.71. Mean was used to answer the research questions. The study revealed that effective policy framework for banks to set aside funds to support small and medium enterprises, sufficient facilities and equipment for innovative and entrepreneurial skills encouragement, competent and innovative instructors or lecturers, curriculum that give room for creative freedom and enough entrepreneurial learning experiences and others are the indicators for encouraging innovative and entrepreneurship skills and also finding revealed that provision of adequate facilities and equipments for innovative and entrepreneurial skills acquisition, provision of conducive teaching and learning environment, banks loan policy frameworks to support small scale and medium enterprises and others are the constraints that hinder effective innovative and entrepreneurship skills acquisition by technology education students for self reliance. Based on the findings it was recommended that government and other philanthropies should be encouraged to developed effective framework and other relevant policies for encouraging technology education students towards innovative and entrepreneurship skills for self reliance and conferences, seminars and workshops should be periodically arranged for teachers and students in order to encourage them for innovative and entrepreneurial skills for self reliance.