The Tendency towards Entrepreneurship Skills among Secondary School Students in Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District, Nigeria

Abstract

The major aim of this study was to determine the relationship between standard values (cooperation, commitment, passion, self-determination) and the tendency towards entrepreneurship skills acquisition among senior secondary school students in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, Nigeria. The study was guided by four purposes, four research questions, and four null hypotheses. A correlational research design was adopted. The population comprised 19,059 Senior Secondary Two (SS2) students from 86 public secondary schools. A sample size of 375 SS2 students was selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure, which included systematic random sampling of four Local Government Areas, lottery random sampling of 25 schools, and random selection of 15 students from each sampled school. A researcher-structured and validated questionnaire titled "Standard Values and Tendency towards Entrepreneurship Skills Acquisition Questionnaire (SVTESAQ)" was used for data collection. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was employed for data analysis. The results showed a very high positive and significant relationship between cooperation (r=0.86), commitment (r=0.74), self-determination (r=0.79) and the tendency towards entrepreneurship skills acquisition. A high positive and significant relationship was also found between passion (r=0.66) and the tendency towards entrepreneurship skills acquisition. Based on the findings, it was concluded that these standard values are crucial for fostering entrepreneurial tendencies. It was recommended, among other things, that students should work corporately and harmoniously during entrepreneurship education to acquire the necessary skills for self-employment.