ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR START-UP DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA
This study investigated entrepreneurial mindset development through experiential learning in tertiary institutions in Southwest Nigeria, with emphasis on start-up intention and job creation potential. A correlational survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 332 valid respondents using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were employed using SPSS Version 26. Results showed high mean scores for experiential learning strategies (M = 3.42), entrepreneurial mindset (M = 3.55), start-up intention (M = 3.48), and job creation potential (M = 3.36). Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships among all variables at p < 0.01. Regression results indicated that experiential learning significantly predicted entrepreneurial mindset (β = 0.62, p < 0.001), while entrepreneurial mindset significantly predicted start-up intention (β = 0.71, p < 0.001) and job creation potential (β = 0.68, p < 0.001). The findings confirm that entrepreneurial mindset mediates the relationship between experiential learning and entrepreneurial outcomes. The study concludes that experiential learning is a critical driver of entrepreneurial development and recommends its stronger integration into entrepreneurship education.
