Perceptions on the role of practical and simulated learning in promoting successful entrepreneurship

  • Received October 5, 2021;
    Accepted November 19, 2021;
    Published November 22, 2021
  • Author(s)
  • DOI
    http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/kpm.05(1).2021.03
  • Article Info
    Volume 5 2021, Issue #1, pp. 29-37
  • TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯ
  • Cited by
    4 articles
  • 525 Views
  • 117 Downloads

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Practical work-based learning (WBL) or simulated learning has been widely recognized as essential for developing desirable cognitive and behavioral qualities among university learners. Despite this recognition, most practical and simulated learning experiences have been directed to facilitate learners’ employability rather than to promote entrepreneurship. The study aimed to examine the perception of students on the usage of WBL to foster entrepreneurial intention at higher education institutions in South Africa. The study employed mixed research methods. The results show that opportunity recognition, desire to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities, increasing knowledge and skills, desire to be involved in starting a business, desire to own or manage a new business, desire to own or manage an old business, attitude towards entrepreneurship, motivation to be an entrepreneur, and fascination with entrepreneurship were key impacts of WBL among entrepreneurship students. Friedman test was carried out to compare the mean ranks of the nine impacts and test whether there were any significant differences in agreeableness to their impact. The test result was significant, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance of 0.023 indicated no significant differences among the nine impact factors, which are not different in their strength as a key result of WBL. The study recommends the adoption of WBL strategies in entrepreneurial programs at universities.

view full abstract hide full abstract
    • Figure 1. WBL impact on entrepreneurial behaviors and development of an entrepreneurship mindset
    • Table 1. Analysis of the secondary data
    • Table 2. Age and gender distributions of respondents
    • Table 3. Age and race distributions of respondents
    • Table 4. Descriptive statistics
    • Table 5. Mean ranks for Friedman and Kendall’s W tests
    • Table 6. Friedman test statistics
    • Table 7. Kendall’s W test statistics
    • Conceptualization
      Thobekani Lose
    • Data curation
      Thobekani Lose
    • Formal Analysis
      Thobekani Lose
    • Investigation
      Thobekani Lose
    • Methodology
      Thobekani Lose
    • Validation
      Thobekani Lose
    • Visualization
      Thobekani Lose