ENTREPRENEURSHIP INVENTIVENESS AMONG UPPER BASIC SCIENCE STUDENTS EXPOSED TO ETHNO-SCIENCE INSTRUCTION IN MAKURDI

The entrepreneurship inventiveness among upper basic science students exposed to Ethno-Science Instruction (ESI) in Makurdi was studied using pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. Out of the 1,613 upper-basic II students in the 25 upper basic schools (under Benue State Universal Basic Education Board) in Makurdi, a multistage sample of 40 students in two schools was drawn for the study. Entrepreneurship Inventiveness Observation Checklist with a reliability coefficient of 0.76 determined using a split-half method and Cronbach Alpha statistic was used for data collection. Data were analysed using mean and ANCOVA. Findings revealed that ESI had significant impact on the development of students’ entrepreneurship inventiveness without disparity in ability level. Conclusively, the acquisition of entrepreneurship inventiveness is not dependent on students’ academic ability but the Instructional approach they are exposed to. Thus, ESI was recommended for teaching science at basic schools.