COLLABORATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING PRACTICES FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS ACQUISITION IN HOME ECONOMICS FOR QUALITY EDUCATION IN LAGOS STATE NIGERIA

This study explores the effectiveness of collaborative teaching and learning strategies for entrepreneurship skills acquisition among Home Economics students in Lagos State. The research focuses on the demographics of the participants, collaborative learning practices, the effects of collaboration in Home Economics entrepreneurship education, obstacles to collaborative learning and identifies the most effective collaborative learning practices for the 21st century. The population of this study consists of all levels’ of home economics students in tertiary institutions in Lagos State, Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select three tertiary institutions offering home economics course in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State. The participants were drawn from the University of Lagos, Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka, and Yaba College of Technology. The instrument used for this study was a structured questionnaire. Face validity of the instrument was ascertained by three experts in home economics.The reliability coefficient obtained through Cronbach alph formula was 0.84 which shows that the instrument was reliable. The descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used for the research questions raised. The findings indicate that collaborative learning methods received positive feedback from the participants, suggesting agreement and support for these approaches. Collaborative learning was found to improve students' understanding, knowledge, engagement, confidence, motivation, problem-solving skills, and social awareness. Teacher support was identified as a crucial factor in facilitating collaborative learning experiences. However, several obstacles were identified, including communication difficulties, low levels of interaction, challenges in group formation, lack of collaborative skills, and time management issues. The study also highlights the most effective collaborative learning practices for Home Economics education, including Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in Foods and Nutrition, Home Management Think-Pair-Share, and Guided Design in Textiles & Clothing. Recommendations are provided to address the identified barriers, including the need to teach collaboration skills acquisition explicitly and create a supportive and inclusive learning environment.