ABSTRACT

Identifying the ways of motivating entrepreneurial skills among Home Science students of MichaelOkpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) was examined The specific objectives of the study were to identify the skills available for Home Science students in the tertiary institutions, identify the factors hindering the acquisition of skills by Home Science students in tertiary institutions and identifying possible factors that can susrain the students of Home Science. Convenient and purposive sampling techniques was used in the study with the help of questionnaire to gather the data. The population of the study comprised of 141 Home Science undergraduate students of MOUAU and a sample size of I 05 respondents was obtained with the use of YaroYamen's formula. The statistical tools used for data analysis were frequency, mean and percentages (%.) table was used to organize the data collected. Frequency and Percentage (%) was used to organize the demographic data of the students while mean was used to analyze the responses to research question. Among the findings of the study was that lack of interest in the course on the part of the students, lack of sufficient time allocated to practical, lack of innovation, lack of creative skills, poor attitude of studem towards practical lessons, and poor use of facilities in the laboratories are the factors hindering the acquisition of skills by students in Home Science department. Furthermore, Lecturers conducting more practical lessons that involve participalion of students, practical materials should be made available and accessible to students by the school management and schools should provide incentive for students of Home Economics. Especially for the graduating students, for easy access to the business world among many others are the Factors that will improve the entrepreneurship skills among home science students. Finally the study revealed that having students state the goals and objectives of the study, !he prac/ical materials should be made available and accessible to sluden/s by the school managemen/, schools providing incentive for studenls of home economics especially for the graduating students, for easy access to the business world The study recommended that the leaching of Home Science courses should be practical oriented as this will help to improve student's creativity and innovativeness.