Adapting to Curriculum to Promote Entrepreneurial Intentions among the Students of Technical and Vocational Education in Punjab.

Abstract

Youth unemployment of the graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is a problem for the province of Punjab. Entrepreneurs have ability to produce their own job and employment opportunity for others. Entrepreneurship education can play an important role to develop entrepreneurial mind set of the students. National Skill Strategy of Pakistan (2009) emphasizes to encourage entrepreneurship. The study aims to explore entrepreneurial curriculum adaptation process in TVET. It also aims to study the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of the students. The research question under study is “How to adapt entrepreneurship education curriculum in TVET to enhance entrepreneurial intentions among the students’ of TVET in Punjab?” The objectives of the study are; 1) To explore entrepreneurship education curriculum adaptation process in TVET; 2) To find out the “Know About Business” (KAB) curriculum adaptability in TVET; 3) To study the impact of demographics such as gender, region, family work background and personal work experience on the entrepreneurial intentions of the students; and 4) To assess the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of the students. Saskatchewan education (1992) framework was used to explore entrepreneurship curriculum adaptation process in TVET. According to Saskatchewan (1992) framework there are four dimensions of the curriculum adaptation as following; 1- Learning objectives; 2- Curriculum; 3- Instructions; and 4- Educational climate. Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) by Ajzen (1991) was selected to study the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of the students. According to Ajzen (1991) intentions are formed of antecedents such as perceived behavioural control; personal attitude and subjective norms. These factors are combined to affect a persons‟ intentions towards entrepreneurship as career selection. The factor of education has been added in these antecedents to examine the impact of entrepreneurship education. Mixed research approach was used in this study. Semi structured interviews were conducted from entrepreneurship education expert (n=5). Open ended questionnaire was conducted from in service TVET teacher (n=25). Muhlfeld method was used for qualitative data analysis. Curriculum analysis of Know About Business (KAB) modules were conducted to assess the adaptability of the KAB curriculum in TVET. Entrepreneurship education modules were delivered to TVET students at GIII level. Intact group experimental design was used for comparison between control group (the students who have not participated in entrepreneurship education, n=305.) and experimental group (the students who have x participated in entrepreneurship education, n=248.). Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ) was adapted from previous questionnaires to get data from control group and experimental group. t-test and ANOVA were used for analysis purpose. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to measure the relationship between entrepreneurship education and antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions. Embedded experimental design was used to overcome the short comings of the intact group experimental design by conducting semi structured interviews (n=15) from entrepreneurship education participants. Results revealed that it needs to adapt objective, content, pedagogical skills and assessment methods in order to adapt entrepreneurial curriculum in TVET. Curriculum analysis showed that KAB modules were suitable for the adaptation of entrepreneurial curriculum in TVET. Quantitative research results have shown that there was no difference among students from different regions in Punjab, personal work experience and family work background on their intentions to become entrepreneurs. There was significant difference between male and female students‟ intentions towards entrepreneurship. Male students have shown higher intentions towards entrepreneurship than female students. EIQ results revealed that those students who have participated in entrepreneurship education have shown higher intentions towards self-employment than non-participants. The same result was also endorsed through qualitative research utilizing embedded experimental design after intervention. Research has also shown that theory of planned behaviour is applicable for entrepreneurial intentions study with an addition of entrepreneurship education variable. Future study can be conducted to find out impact of entrepreneurship education on business start-up of the TVET students after their graduation.