An examination of the impact of the productive generations program on the entrepreneurial skills of students with learning disabilities

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of the Productive Generations Program on the entrepreneurial skills of Students with Learning Disabilities in relation to local products based on agriculture and livestock in their region. The study was conducted with 17 seventh-grade Students with Learning Disabilities enrolled in middle schools located in the city center of a province in Eastern Türkiye. The research was designed as a single-group pretest–post-test quasi-experimental study. Data were collected through a scenario-based entrepreneurial skills interview form consisting of semi-structured questions. The data were analyzed using entrepreneurial skills assessment rubrics, while statistical analyses employed the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and descriptive analysis techniques. The findings revealed a significant difference between pre-and post-intervention interview scores. A significant increase was observed in the students’ mean scores regarding entrepreneurial skills associated with the economically valuable local products of their region after the intervention. Following the program, the majority of students reached a moderate level of entrepreneurial skills, although none achieved an advanced level. The results demonstrate that the Productive Generations Program is effective in enhancing the entrepreneurial skills of Students with Learning Disabilities concerning local products with economic value in their geographical context. However, it was concluded that the program content needs to be further developed to enable students to attain higher levels of entrepreneurial skills.