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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BUSINESS EDUCATION AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

International Journal of Business Education and Management Studies (IJBEMS)

Current Issue

Digital Literacy and Entrepreneurial Competencies of Business Education Students in Colleges of Education in Northeastern Nigeria

IJBEMS  ·  Vol 9 Issue 1 2026  ·  2026-05-29
Publication Details
Author(s)
Aroyehun Hafsat Odunola¹; Prof. Shehu Paul Yaduma²; Dr. Ngozi Ibelegbu A.³
Article Type
Research Article
Issue
Vol 9 Issue 1 2026
Volume
9
Number
1
Pages
119-140
Publication Date
2026-05-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20686965
Abstract
The rapid diffusion of digital technologies has fundamentally transformed the landscape of business education, necessitating new competency frameworks that integrate digital literacy with entrepreneurial skills. This study examined digital literacy and entrepreneurial competencies specifically critical thinking and opportunity recognition of business education students in Colleges of Education in Northeastern Nigeria. Adopting a descriptive survey design, the study drew on a stratified random sample of 320 participants comprising 220 students and 100 lecturers from six Colleges of Education across the region. A validated, 22-item structured questionnaire (Cronbach's α = .889) served as the primary data-collection instrument. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and independent-samples t-tests were employed for data analysis, with a decision rule of x̄ ≥ 2.50 and α = .05. Findings revealed that students possessed moderate-to-high levels of digital literacy skills (grand mean = 3.39), moderate critical thinking skills (grand mean = 3.44), and moderate opportunity-recognition skills (grand mean = 3.44). All three hypotheses were retained at α = .05, indicating no statistically significant gender differences in digital literacy acquisition, and no significant differences in the perceptions of students and lecturers regarding critical thinking and opportunity-recognition skills. The study concludes that whilst digital literacy competencies are emerging among business education students, systemic integration of digital tools into entrepreneurship-oriented curricula remains imperative. Recommendations are offered for curriculum reform, capacity building, and policy intervention.
Keywords
digital literacy business education critical thinking opportunity recognition entrepreneurial competencies Colleges of Education Nigeria