Journal of Entrepreneurial Strategies in Agriculture

The purpose of research was to investigate influencing of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial spirit and skills of the students in Miandoab agricultural education center. This study was descriptive-correlation research and used survey method. The statistical population of the study consisted of all students in Miandoab educational center who have passed the entrepreneurship 3-credit course. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s table and proportional stratified random sampling technique, 178 students selected as research sample. The validity of the questionnaire was verified through the judgment of a panel of academic staffs in Tarbiat Modares University. To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients calculated for the main scales of the questionnaire (0.60 to 0.85). Based on the results, there were significant differences between entrepreneurial spirit and skills before and after passing the entrepreneurship course. In other words, entrepreneurship education has caused improvement in entrepreneurial sprit and skills of the students. The results of multivariate regression analysis indicated that 36.8 percent (R2­= 0.368) of the variability in education level and location and previous experience of the entrepreneurship capabilities.

Today, entrepreneurship education is needed in universities for progress, production and development. In recent years, the growing unemployment of educated people in the fields of agriculture and natural resources has caused great concern for individuals and society. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting entrepreneurship education of agricultural and natural resources students at Shahrekord University. This research is a descriptive-correlational research. The statistical population of this study included all incoming students of the faculties of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Earth Sciences of Shahrekord University in the academic years 2014-18 (N = 2000). To determine the statistical sample size using Cochran's formula, 322 students were selected as the sample. Data collection tool was a questionnaire whose validity was reviewed and confirmed by the professor of the management department of Payame Noor University of Khansar. To measure the reliability of the questionnaire, the method of calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients was calculated using SPSS software version 23 and showed an acceptable Cronbach's alpha coefficient (a= 0.70-0.86). Inferential statistics and structural equations were used to analyze the data using Amos software. Findings showed that empirical learning, information and communication technology, risk-taking and entrepreneurial characteristics of the learner directly and indirectly affect entrepreneurship education. Therefore, universities should pay attention to the importance of factors affecting entrepreneurship education and make more use of experiential learning and information and communication technology in entrepreneurship education.