Abstract:

There have been increasing global concern over the continuously expanded rates of unemployment in most developing countries where the youth have been identified as the most affected group.In light of this, entrepreneurship is said to an enduring solution for youth unemployment and low standard of living in African contexts. Increasing attention is given to entrepreneurship as a way out of the vicious cycle of poverty apparent in many developing economies. Entrepreneurship education is perceived as an approach that can achieve sustainable economic development, which has been the objective of developing nations. Despite numerous entreprenuership training programs and the adoption of entrepreneurship courses in institutions, low success rate of entrepreneurship education still remains evident. The focus of our study was to conceptualize entrepreneurship education that stimulates students’ motivation to start their own businesses. We adopted the Entrepreneurial Intention Model (EIM) to explain that students’ motivation to start their businesses is induced by internal and external push and pull factors. Our study conceptualized the EIM theory within a developing economy context, specifically as it relates to entrepreneurship education in Africa. We advanced theoretical understanding about of internal and external factors that influence students’ motive to start their businesses after their university education. Also, our study establishes the need for more design-based entrepreneurship curriculum and action-learning approaches that stimulate students’ interest in both entrepreneurship courses and venture creation.

Keywords:

EIM Theory, Entrepreneurship education, Entrepreneurship design-based learning, Venture creation.