Early Childhood Edupreneurship in Rivers State: Nurturing Innovation in Education

Abstract

The study examined early childhood edupreneurship in Rivers State: nurturing innovation in education. The research design used for the study is the descriptive survey design. Three objectives and research questions guided the study. The population of the study was 411 (137 headteachers and 274 educators) from early childhood education centers attached to public primary schools in Rivers State. Simple random sampling was used to select 69 headteachers and 137 educators which amounts to 206 respondents. The instrument used for data collection in this study was a fixed response questionnaire, titled Early Childhood Edupreneurship: Nurturing Innovation in Education Questionnaire. The data obtained were collated, organized, analyzed, and presented using suitable statistical tools such as mean and standard deviation in answering the research questions. The findings revealed that, respondents agreed on all the variable items concerning how innovative educational practices can be effectively integrated into early childhood education programmes, the role government policies and regulatory frameworks play in promoting early childhood edupreneurship, and strategies that can be employed to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood education and the role of edupreneurship in Rivers State. It was recommended that the state government should establish policies that encourage and support the integration of innovative practices in ECE. This includes setting standards for curriculum innovation, technology use, and professional development, the government should develop and implement clear regulatory frameworks that provide guidance for starting and operating early childhood education businesses, and the government should implement a comprehensive public awareness campaign to educate communities about the benefits of early childhood education and the role of edupreneurship.