The effect of education on women entrepreneurship according to the opinions of women entrepreneurs

The aim of this research is to examine the effect of education on women's entrepreneurship.For this purpose, demographic characteristics, educational characteristics and entrepreneurial characteristics of women entrepreneurs were examined.This research, in which qualitative and quantitative methods were used together, was prepared in a mixed research model. Opinions of women entrepreneurs on education and entrepreneurship were taken with the questionnaire developed by the researcher and the semi-structured interview form.Since a stratified sample selection was used in the quantitative dimension of the research, a questionnaire was applied to 384 women entrepreneurs included in the research with the sample size calculation formula developed by Cochran. In the qualitative dimension of the research, 20 women entrepreneurs who participated in the research were selected with the purposeful sampling technique.Interviews were held with women entrepreneurs operating in different provinces, having different business sizes and producing products and services in different sectors. In the quantitative part of the study, it has been observed that the education of women entrepreneurs has a limited contribution to women being entrepreneurs, that women entrepreneurs tend to receive training from relevant institutions, individuals and organizations on the issues they lack, and that women entrepreneurs experience various difficulties in obtaining loans and grants.In the qualitative part of the research, it has been evaluated that the definition of entrepreneurship differs according to women entrepreneurs, the personality traits sought to be an entrepreneur vary, and that education can have positive and different effects on being a woman entrepreneur. As a result, it is suggested that the education process, which is effective on women's entrepreneurship activities, should be investigated in depth by expanding the sample in future studies and by considering the concepts of women's entrepreneurship and education from different perspectives. Key Words:Education, Female Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship