INTEGRATING ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS INTO SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS CURRICULA: IMPACT ON INNOVATION AND PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITIES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of integrating entrepreneurial skills into science and mathematics curricula on the innovation and problem-solving abilities of secondary school students in Zaria Education Zone, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The motivation for the study stemmed from growing demands for education systems to cultivate 21st-century competencies such as creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking—skills essential for addressing rising youth unemployment and preparing students for a dynamic global economy. A quasi-experimental design involving pre-test and post-test control groups was employed. A total of 240 Senior Secondary II students from four co-educational public secondary schools were randomly selected, with two schools assigned to the experimental group and two to the control group. The experimental group received instruction in science and mathematics enriched with entrepreneurship-based tasks such as business simulations, product prototyping, and real-world problem-solving. Instruments used for data collection included the Innovation and Problem-Solving Assessment Scale (IPSAS), validated by experts and piloted to establish reliability. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group in both innovation ability and problem-solving performance, with large effect sizes (η² = 0.403 and η² = 0.346, respectively). These results suggest that integrating entrepreneurial skills into science and mathematics teaching enhances students' cognitive and applied competencies. The study concluded that embedding entrepreneurship in STEM education fosters learners' readiness for self-employment, innovation-driven careers, and lifelong learning. It recommends curriculum reform, teacher capacity development, and a shift toward experiential, application-oriented instructional strategies to meet global educational and economic development targets.