EFFICACY OF SOCIAL STUDIES IN DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS AMONG PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the Efficacy of Social Studies in Developing Entrepreneurial Skills among Pre-Service Teachers in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study used NCEII and NCEIII students of social studies in Federal College of Education, Zaria and Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya-Kafanchan. The study purposively sampled 280 students from the two Colleges of Education. The frequency counts, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the questions raised by the study while t-test independent sample was used in testing the null hypotheses postulated by the study. The study discovered that male and female students agreed that social studies education promotes in the students a high achievement orientation; both male and female students agreed that social studies education inculcates in the students’ the perseverance and persistence to stick to a task until it is completed. However, regardless of their gender and study level the students agreed that social studies education emphasizes on creative problem solving; on the basis of their gender, both male and female students disagreed that social studies education encourage students to set challenging goals and strive after these goals through own effort. The NCEII and NCEIII respondents agreed that Social studies education develop in the students a high propensity to take moderate risks and flexibility. In the light of the above findings, the study recommended as follows; that the teaching of social studies at NCE level should emphasize on setting challenging goals by the students and to show their willingness towards achieving the set goals under the guidance of teachers and/ experts and the need for gender balancing in the teaching and learning of social studies. This will assist in addressing the issues of diverse opinions in relation to gender.