Barriers to alignment of entrepreneurship curriculum towards the development of graduate entrepreneurs in South Africa’s higher education

Juliet Nwakaego Nwachukwu

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Barriers to alignment of entrepreneurship curriculum towards the development of graduate entrepreneurs in South Africa’s higher education

Authors

Juliet Nwakaego Nwachukwu University of the Western Cape

Vol. 31 No. 1 (2024): Enero - Junio

Abstract

Every discipline’s curriculum is designed to direct a learning outcome which mostly aims to equip the students with the desired skills and knowledge for the specific discipline. Thus, a curriculum designed for entrepreneurship education is no different. It should serve as a key learning tool that inspires the uptake of entrepreneurship upon graduation. However, several factors have been identified as hindering the effectiveness of the curriculum in developing graduate entrepreneurs who can address the challenges of unemployment in South Africa. Hence, the study examines the barriers that affect the alignment of entrepreneurship curriculum with the goal to develop graduate entrepreneurs in South Africa HE. The primary objective is to identify structural challenges that prevent the development of an effective curriculum aimed at fostering entrepreneurial competencies among graduates. A qualitative approach was adopted to collect data from 60 university students through focus group interviews. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the University of the Western Cape's Research Ethics Committee. The identified key findings revealed barriers to curriculum alignment, including lack of a curriculum framework, low learning engagement, the need for dynamic and practical integration, and limited opportunity-driven learning. The study recommends addressing these barriers to facilitate learning that will result in the development of graduate entrepreneurs.

Keywords:

Entrepreneurship curriculum, graduates, alignment, curriculum framework, entrepreneurship education

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