Practical Delivery of Entrepreneurship Education and Perceived Work Readiness among DELSU Graduates: Implications for Curriculum and Skills Development

Abstract

This study examined whether graduates who rated the practical delivery of their entrepreneurship education more favourably also rated themselves as more ready for work. It is a cross-sectional secondary analysis of existing questionnaire responses from 100 graduates of Delta State University, Abraka (DELSU), 2023/2024 session, who were selected through purposive and convenience sampling; the same responses were used in a related study. The two dimentions used are perceived practical delivery of entrepreneurship education and graduates’ perceptions of the adequacy of practical training tools and facilities. Perceived practical delivery was a five-item composite (α = .83; M = 3.69, SD = 0.86) and perceived work readiness a seven-item self-reported composite (α = .88; M = 4.38, SD = 0.49). The two composites were positively associated (Pearson r = .30, 95% CI [.10, .46], p = .003; Spearman ρ = .35, p < .001). In a simple linear regression, a one-point higher practical-delivery score corresponded to a work-readiness score 0.17 points higher (HC3 95% CI [0.04, 0.30]; R² = .087). A single questionnaire item on the adequacy of tools and facilities for practical vocational training had the lowest agreement (64%) and the strongest item-level rank correlation with work readiness (ρ = .39, p < .001). The findings are correlational, rest on self-reports with near-ceiling readiness ratings, and describe these respondents only. They suggest that practical resources merit attention in Business Administration curriculum review.