Jaana Seikkula‐Leino, Elena Ruskovaara, Markku Ikavalko, Johanna Mattila and Tiina Rytkola
The aim of this paper is to show how entrepreneurship education focuses on the teacher's learning and reflection and how, according to the data, undeveloped reflections impede the…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to show how entrepreneurship education focuses on the teacher's learning and reflection and how, according to the data, undeveloped reflections impede the development of entrepreneurship education.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected through content typing in 2008 from 29 teachers at the basic, upper secondary and vocational educational levels. The focus is on self‐reflection – how and what teachers reflect on when writing about entrepreneurship education.
Findings
The teachers stress the need for coordination between subjects in developing a more entrepreneurially oriented working community. There appears to be confusion between aims and practices in entrepreneurship education: when asked to give the aims, the teachers describe the practices. Moreover, they “outsource” themselves but refer to aims from the pupils' perspective.
Research limitations/implications
This study only presents preliminary data from the project.
Practical implications/implications
The development of teacher learning in terms of reflection, which should be developed in their basic and in‐service training; the implementation of changes in the educational arena, such as curriculum reform, from the perspective of learning and reflection; and the connection between aims and results in the context of entrepreneurship education.
Originality/value
The approach taken to teacher learning and reflection in the context of entrepreneurship education has so far been an unexplored field of research. Moreover, our article highlights the crucial factor, the development of the teacher's learning, in the context of entrepreneurship education which, according to our results, has received far too little attention in the discourse on entrepreneuship education, and thus also in the strengthening of entrepreneurship. Our article introduces new trends for international research on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education, in which increasing attention should be paid to the learning processes of teachers and instructors.
Details
Keywords
This study focuses on the implementation of entrepreneurship education in non-business education at the basic education level and in class-teacher education in Finland. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This study focuses on the implementation of entrepreneurship education in non-business education at the basic education level and in class-teacher education in Finland. The subject to learn was music, which did not include any entrepreneurial content. Accordingly, this study looks closely at the way learners behave when studying music. The purpose of this paper is to see whether entrepreneurial behaviour is appropriate in non-business education.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used the action research approach; in particular, it used the special teacher-as-researcher method. The analysis was based on content analysis.
Findings
In this study, the teacher-researcher looked at entrepreneurial learning as experimenting with alternative learning methods and different learning contents. To ensure that every learner received the support they needed in their self-chosen tasks, peer learning was encouraged. Learners got the support they needed both from each other and from the teacher-researcher.
Practical implications
Although this study was only carried once during some music lessons in one particular comprehensive school and once in one class-teacher education in Finland, the findings may prompt teachers in other subjects and other countries to add entrepreneurial activities to their learning environments.
Originality/value
There is a lack of research into entrepreneurship education practices at lower educational levels and where education is not business-oriented. Using the entrepreneurial approach in general education raises another question: is the approach suitable for every learner? Neither of these facets has been studied in depth.