Author(s): Nailya Sh. Chemborisova, Aleksander L. Litinski, Lubov A. Almetkina, Ekaterina V. Bulankina,
In modern conditions, one of the university functions is to train specialists who have advanced entrepreneurial skills, are competitive in the labor market and are ready for self-realization. The purpose of this research is to highlight the basic entrepreneurial skills of students and to determine the role of project-based learning in their formation. On our research we have used a combination of statistical analysis and questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of 16 entrepreneurial skills, including technical, managerial, entrepreneurial and personal skills. To assess the responses of students a 3-point Likert Scale was used. The study involved 140 students from 2 universities of Omsk. All the participants were full-time students of the Faculty of Economics aged 21 to 23 years. The study revealed that the level of entrepreneurial skills of students after the project activity based on the business game “Business Consultant” is 12% higher than that of the control group. The indicator of 13 out of 16 assessed skills increased by 8% ± 4%. The exception was the skills of “communication”, “use of information and communication technologies” and “search and discovery of new business opportunities”, which decreased by 3%. Project-based learning helped the students to learn how to evaluate project risks and make decisions.
The research can affect the quality of the basic entrepreneurial skills formation among students. The introduction of project-based learning in education will strengthen the position of the university in the market of education by quickly adapting to external changes, as well as improve the competitiveness of graduates.