Abstract

BOTHA, Chanté  and  AMARAL, Daniella Teles. Integrating work placements into entrepreneurial education: A student perspective. SAJESBM [online]. 2025, vol.17, n.1, pp.1-11. ISSN 2071-3185.  https://doi.org/10.4102/sajesbm.v17i1.1021.

BACKGROUND: Effective teaching methods are essential for equipping students with entrepreneurial skills. While higher education institutions and educators aim to foster innovative entrepreneurs, the effectiveness of current teaching methods and co-curricular activities in achieving this remains uncertain AIM: This study investigates students' perspectives on incorporating work placements into entrepreneurial education (EE). It also explores their views on the effectiveness of teaching methods and co-curricular activities within this context SETTING: The research focusses on higher education students enrolled in programmes with an entrepreneurial component METHODS: A structured questionnaire was administered to 105 higher education students to evaluate their perspectives on work placements, teaching methods and co-curricular activities in EE. Data were analysed using SPSS, which included demographic statistics and statistical analyses comprising one-sample t-tests and paired-sample tests RESULTS: Students showed a preference for innovative teaching methods over traditional approaches. They highly valued job shadowing, considering it effective as both a teaching method and a co-curricular activity. However, students expressed a preference for work placements to be included as co-curricular activities rather than formal teaching methods CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the importance of integrating practical and experiential learning methods to align with student preferences and enhance the quality of EE CONTRIBUTION: This study offers actionable insights into student preferences, advocating for a shift towards experiential learning. By aligning teaching strategies with these preferences, higher education institutions can create more impactful EE environments

Keywords : entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial education; teaching and learning methods; co-curricular activities; work placements; experiential learning; student-centred learning; South Africa.

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