Mathematics Education and Entrepreneurial Skills Development, among Junior Secondary School Students in Tai Local Government Area Rivers State

The paper examined Mathematics Education and Entrepreneurial Skills Development, among Junior Secondary School Students’ in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State. Descriptive research design was employed for the study. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study consisted of 2000 JSS3 students from ten (10) public secondary schools in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State. Simple random sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 333 JSS3 students, using Taro Yamane to determine the sample size. Self-structured instrument titled ‘’Mathematics Education and Entrepreneurial Skills Development Questionnaire’’ was used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was established through Cronbach Alpha which yielded reliability coefficient of 0.84. Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the research questions, while simple regression associated with t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there was no significant difference on the extent integrating entrepreneurial skills training into Mathematics education for problem-solving abilities there was no significant difference on the effectiveness pedagogical approaches to merge with mathematics education with entrepreneurial skill development. Finally, there is significant difference on the role hands-on practical application played in enhancing the assimilation of mathematical concepts in entrepreneurial skill development for Junior Secondary School students in Tai Local Government Area. The study recommended school management should encourage collaborative learning and critical thinking by integrating entrepreneurial skills development with mathematics education. This can be done through group projects, allowing students to brainstorm solutions to entrepreneurial challenges using mathematical principles. Teachers with a strong Mathematical foundation who are diverse in content and subject matter should encourage students to explore diverse business ideas, promoting creativity and innovation alongside mathematical proficiency.