Examining The Role and Nature of Entrepreneurship Education in the uMnambithi Circuit, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v12i3p109Keywords:
Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurship, Socio-economic Factors, Economic growth, Economic and Management ScienceAbstract
This study examined teachers’ understanding of Entrepreneurship Education in the uMnambithi circuit, South Africa. A qualitative approach, interpretivism paradigm, and a multiple case study design were used. We sampled purposively and conveniently five secondary school EMS teachers within the uMnambithi Circuit in KwaZulu-Natal. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, and the data was thematically analysed. To theorise teachers' perceptions of entrepreneurship education, we used the curricular spider-web theory developed by Thijs and Van den Akker (Van den Akker, 2003). The findings of the study revealed that Entrepreneurship Education plays a significant role in economic growth and development. Entrepreneurship Education is a practical subject that relates to learners' lived experiences. In addition, it addresses socioeconomic concerns. We suggest that teachers in Technical Vocational Education and Training as well as teachers in other circuits, districts, and provinces be included in a similar study.
References
Adeel, S., Daniel, A. D., & Botelho, A. (2023). The effect of entrepreneurship education on the determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour among higher education students: A multi-group analysis. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 8(1), 100324.
Adenutsi, D. E. (2023). Entrepreneurship, job creation, income empowerment and poverty reduction in low-income economies. Theoretical Economics Letters, 13(6), 1579–1598.
Ahmad, S. Z., & Buchanan, R. F. (2015). Entrepreneurship education in Malaysian universities. Tertiary Education and Management, 21(4), 349–366.
Ajayi, O. B. (2021). Teachers’ perceptions of the role of entrepreneurship education in the career choice decision-making of business studies learners in Gauteng, South Africa. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 20(6), 244–257. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.6.13
Astiana, M., Malinda, M., Nurbasari, A., & Margaretha, M. (2022). Entrepreneurship education increases entrepreneurial intention among undergraduate students. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(2), 995–1008.
Bauman, A., & Lucy, C. (2021). Enhancing entrepreneurial education: Developing competencies for success. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(1), 100293.
Boubker, O., Arroud, M., & Ouajdouni, A. (2021). Entrepreneurship education versus management students’ entrepreneurial intentions: A PLS-SEM approach. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(1), 100450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2020.100450
Chinyamurindi, W. T. (2021). Entrepreneurial careers: Factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions using a sample of undergraduate exit students. South African Journal of Higher Education, 35(3), 146–162.
Csákné Filep, J., Szennay, Á., & Tímár, G. (2024). Opportunities, motivation, environment GEM 2024 (Project Report). Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem.
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2011). The Sage handbook of qualitative research (4th ed.). Sage.
Dorji, T. (2021). Online teaching and learning. The Druk Journal, 7(1), 58–67.
Eretan, G. O., & Omotoso, K. A. (2024). Entrepreneurship education: Influence, challenges and approaches for enhancement in Nigeria–An empirical study.
Fayolle, A., & Gailly, B. (2008). From craft to science: Teaching models and learning processes in entrepreneurship education. Journal of European Industrial Training, 32(7), 569–593.
Ferguson, T., Roofe, C., & Cook, L. D. (2021). Teachers’ perspectives on sustainability. development: The implications for education for sustainable development. Environmental Education Research, 27(9), 1343–1359.
Hägg, G., & Kurczewska, A. (2022). Entrepreneurship education: Scholarly progress and future challenges. Taylor & Francis.
Igwe, P. A., Madichie, N. O., Chukwuemeka, O., Rahman, M., Ochinanwata, N., &
Uzuegbunam, I. (2022). Pedagogical approaches to responsible entrepreneurship education. Sustainability, 14(15), 9440. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9440
Ismail, A. B., Sawang, S., & Zolin, R. (2018). Entrepreneurship education pedagogy: Teacher-student-centred paradox. Education + Training, 60(2), 168–184.
Iwu, C. G., et al. (2021). Entrepreneurship education, curriculum and lecturer-competency as antecedents of student entrepreneurial intention. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(1), 100295.
Kuratko, D. F. (2005). The emergence of entrepreneurship education: Development, trends, and challenges. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 29(5), 577–597.
Littlewood, D., & Holt, D. (2018). Social entrepreneurship in South Africa: Exploring the influence of environment. Business & Society, 57(3), 525–561.
Makumane, M. A., & Ngcobo, S. (2020). The representation of curricular spider-web model in the Lesotho curriculum and assessment policy framework. TD: The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 17(1), 1–9.
Mankgele, K. P., Ratsoma, J. M., & Ramasobana, M. (2023). The effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention of high school students in Sekhukhune District, South Africa. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 26(1).
Mbonambi, T., Gamede, B. T., & Ajani, O. A. (2023). Investigating the challenges of teaching and learning business studies in South African rural high schools: In pursuit of enhanced classroom practices. Multicultural Education Journal, 9(2), 31–44.
Mdhlalose, D., Fakude, Z., & Ramaphakela, J. (2022). An analysis of the South African history of the culture of teaching and learning. Open Journal of Educational Research, 289–300.
Molise, H. V., Kola, M. I., & Ntshabgase, M. X. (2024). Examining the Continuous Professional Teacher Development Programme in South Africa: A case study of Economics and Management Science teachers in the Thabo-Mafutsanyane District. Noyam E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (EHASS), 4(13), 1567–1580. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202341315
Muchineripi, J., Chinyamurindi, W., & Chimucheka, T. (2019). A narrative analysis of barriers encountered by a sample of immigrant entrepreneurs in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 15(1), 1-9.
Ncube, T. R., & Matlala, M. E. (2024). The impact of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial competences of students in TVET colleges in South Africa. In Managing Higher Education and Enterprises in Developing Countries Beyond COVID-19: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Business and Management Dynamics the Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on the Entrepreneurial Competences of Students in TVET Colleges In South Africa.
Ndou, V. (2021). Social entrepreneurship education: A combination of knowledge exploitation and exploration processes. Administrative Sciences, 11(4), 112.
Neuman, W. L. (2014). Basics of social research: Qualitative & quantitative approaches (7th ed.). Pearson Education Limited. Journal of communication 64, no. 2 (2014): 193-214.
Ntsanwisi, S., & Simelane-Mnisi, S. (2024). Enhancing entrepreneurial education in the South African primary and secondary schools: Perspectives from teachers in the Limpopo Province. Przedsiębiorczość-Edukacja, 20(1), 95–108.
Olumuyiwa, O. A., Kimweli, K. M., & Modise, M. A. (2023). Comparative factors influencing entrepreneurial skills acquisition amongst students in rural universities of Sub-Sahara Africa’s developing nations. Education Sciences, 13(3), 229. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/3/229
Othman, I. W., Mokhtar, S., Tham, A., & Yong, K. (2021). The significance of entrepreneurship education literacy in the era of digital transformation: Graduates of the post-pandemic COVID-19 unemployment crisis. International Journal of Accounting, 6(37).
Porfírio, J., Carrilho, T., Jardim, J., & Wittberg, V. (2022). Fostering entrepreneurship intentions: The role of entrepreneurship education. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 32, 1–10.
Ratten, V., & Jones, P. (2021). Entrepreneurship and management education: Exploring trends and gaps. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(1), 100431.
Silberman, D., Aguinis, H., & Carpenter, R. E. (2023). Using extreme pedagogy to enhance entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 6(3), 546–560. https://doi.org/10.1177/25151274221144218
Soi, C., & Mkulu, D. G. (2022). Enhancing entrepreneurship education in ordinary secondary schools to develop employment opportunities: A case of Kinondoni District, Dar Es Salaam–Tanzania. Journal of Humanities and Education Development, 4(1), 1-10 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/jhed.4.1.20.
Solomon, G. T., Alabduljader, N., & Ramani, R. S. (2019). Knowledge management and social entrepreneurship education: Lessons learned from an exploratory two-country study. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(10), 1984–2006.
Svensson, O. H., Adawi, T., Lundqvist, M., & Middleton, K. W. (2020). Entrepreneurial
Engineering Pedagogy: Models, trade-offs, and discourses. European Journal of Engineering Education, 45(5), 691–710. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2019.1671811
Tiberius, V., & Weyland, M. (2023). Entrepreneurship education or entrepreneurship education? A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 47(1), 134–149.
Valerio, A., Parton, B., & Robb, A. (2014). Entrepreneurship education and training programs around the world: Dimensions for success. World Bank Publications.
Van den Akker, J. (2006). Curriculum development re-invented: Evolving challenges for SLO. In Invitational conference on the occasion of the 30 years SLO 1975–2005: Curriculum development re-invented, 16–31.
Van den Akker, J. (2003). Curriculum perspectives: An introduction. In J. van den Akker, W. Kuiper and U. Hameyer (Eds.), Curriculum landscapes and trends Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1-10.
Venkataraman, S. (2019). The distinctive domain of entrepreneurship research. In Seminal ideas for the next twenty-five years of advances, Emerald Publishing Limited, 5–20.
Waghid, Z. (2019). Examining the business education curricula in South Africa: Towards integrating social entrepreneurship. Education + Training, 61(7/8), 940–962.
Wonder, M. T., & Pfano, M. (2024). Determining entrepreneurship education knowledge role in boosting innovation among students. Gender and Behaviour, 22(1), 22433–22444.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies
International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies applies the
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic Licence (CC BY-NC 2.0)
