Fostering Entrepreneurial Mindset: Insights from Chemistry Students at a South African University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38140/ijer-2025.vol7.s1.05Keywords:
Entrepreneurship education, chemistry students, entrepreneurial mindset, science education, graduate unemploymentAbstract
The evolving labour market contributes to high graduate unemployment, requiring skills and competencies that may not be taught at university. Entrepreneurship education teaches soft skills and attributes that produce multi-skilled graduates who do not solely depend on formal employment after graduation. An entrepreneurial mindset, as a learning outcome of entrepreneurship education, allows a person to create value by identifying and seizing opportunities, making decisions with limited information, and remaining flexible and resilient in frequently complex and uncertain situations. Hence, this study aims to evaluate how entrepreneurship education influences the entrepreneurial mindset of chemistry students at a university in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The paper employed a qualitative research methodology in the form of open-ended questionnaires, adopted Bandura's social cognitive theory, and utilised thematic data analysis to achieve the set aim. The sample size consists of 10 purposively selected participants who attended the course. The key findings indicate that chemistry students understand how the chemistry course teaches them skills in producing everyday products and appreciate the exposure to business venturing through entrepreneurship education. The students identified profitable solutions to societal problems; however, they are unclear about where and how to obtain assistance in turning their ideas into real-life businesses. This study concludes that the course has a positive influence on the entrepreneurial mindset. It recommends that the institution redesign the curriculum to incorporate science-based entrepreneurship education by integrating chemistry and a practical participatory approach that demonstrates entrepreneurship through various production and business development stages.
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