IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN PROMOTING INNOVATION AMONG HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT GRADUANDS IN NORTHWEST POLYTECHNICS, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the impact of entrepreneurship education on promoting innovation among Office Technology and Management (OTM) graduates of polytechnics in Katsina State, Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions, from which two research hypotheses were formulated and tested. A survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 222 OTM graduates from the 2020/2021, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023 academic sessions. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select a sample of 150 graduates, ensuring each had an equal chance of being selected. The data collection instrument was an 18-item structured questionnaire titled “Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on Promoting Innovation (IEEPI),” which was validated by three experts from the Department of Vocational Education, Faculty of Education, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. To establish reliability, the instrument was pilot-tested with 10 OTM graduates from polytechnics in Kano State, who were not part of the main study. Analysis using the Cronbach alpha method yielded a coefficient of 0.85. The researcher, assisted by two trained research assistants, administered the questionnaire. The key findings revealed a statistically significant impact of entrepreneurship education on product innovation (ANOVA result: F(1, 132) = 91.794, p = .000 < 0.05, R = .640, R² = .410, regression coefficient B = .531, t = 9.581, p = .000). The test of the second hypothesis also confirmed a statistically significant impact on process innovation (ANOVA results: F(1, 132) = 228.091, p = .000 < 0.05, R = .796, R² = .633, regression coefficient B = .904, t = 15.103, p = .000). The study concluded that entrepreneurship education is a critical driver of both product and process innovation among OTM graduates. It recommended, among other things, that polytechnic administrators and curriculum planners should deepen and expand the integration of practical, hands-on entrepreneurship modules focused on product development to equip students with the necessary skills to conceptualize and launch new or improved products.