Aim(s):

This comparative overvie

w analyses information available on primary and secondary education in the Eurydice Network, representing 31 European countries. It has four chapters covering:

1. National strategies and action plans to encourage the integration of entrepreneurship education.

 

2. How entrepreneurship education is currently being addressed in national educational steering documents in terms of general approaches and subject curricula.

 

3. Specific learning outcomes defined for entrepreneurship education and any practical guidelines to support teachers.

 

4. Initiatives to promote entrepreneurship education and the current situation on educational reforms impacting on the subject.

Key Findings:

According to the Key Competence Framework (E.U.,2006) the entrepreneurship key competence refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation and risk taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. Developing mind-sets, generic attributes and skills that are the foundations of entrepreneurship can be complemented by imparting more specific knowledge about business according to the level and type of education.

Attitudes

Category 1. Self-awareness and self-confidence are the entrepreneurial attitudes which constitute the basis for all other aspects of entrepreneurship. They entail discovering and trusting in one's own abilities which then allow individuals to turn their creative ideas into action. In many countries, these attitudes might be pursued as general education goals.

Category 2. Taking the initiative and risk taking, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving are also fundamental, but they are also specific attributes of an ‘enterprising self’.

Knowledge

Category 1. Knowledge of career opportunities and the world of work are learning outcomes that are not exclusively related to entrepreneurship, but usually form part of students’ general preparation for their future career choices. However, a sound knowledge of the nature of work and different types of work involve an understanding of what it is to be an entrepreneur. This knowledge also allows students to define and prepare their place in the world of work with a well-developed awareness of opportunities and constraints.

 

Category 2. Economic and financial literacy including knowledge of concepts and processes that can be applied to entrepreneurship.

Category 3. Knowledge of business organisation and processes is specific knowledge of the environment in which entrepreneurship is often applied.

Skills

Category 1. Communication, presentation and planning skills as well as team work are transversal skills essential to entrepreneurs.

Category 2. Practical exploration of entrepreneurial opportunities includes the various stages of the business set up process, including designing and implementing a business plan. p 19

Developed from Heinonen & Poikkijoki (2006). and incorporating issues from EC (2007) on the “Key competences for lifelong learning – European Reference Framework” and NESTA (2009) ”The identification and measurement of innovative characteristics of young people.”

Focus of Study

This comparative overview was focused on Primary and Secondary Education for Entrepreneurship and analysed national strategies and policy documents, specified learning outcomes, initiatives and examples of current practice received from the Eurydice Network of 31 European countries

Authority and Credibility:

This research was undertaken by the Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency

(EACEA) of the EU so has a great deal of authority within the EU and beyond. This is part of the Eurydice Network serves mainly those involved in educational policy-making at national, regional and local levels, as well as in the European Union institutions. It focuses primarily on the way education in Europe is structured and organised at all levels

Implications & Comments:

Entrepreneurial learning outcomes most often referred to in Primary education are those linked to attitudes, specifically entrepreneurial attitudes of ‘taking the initiative and risk taking, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving’. At this level of education, no country defines learning outcomes linked to practical entrepreneurial skills despite the widespread support for experiential learning.

In secondary schools, the most widely applied category of learning outcomes for entrepreneurship education is for  attitudes ‘taking the initiative and risk taking, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving’. The number of countries promoting learning outcomes linked to entrepreneurial knowledge increases with the level of education.

Common features amongst guidelines and teaching materials include building on active and participatory teaching methods with a practical, project-based approach, promoting practical experience through workshops, cooperation with different organisations and enterprises, including learning settings outside school, and centrally the hands-on approach of setting up and running student firms. These may involve a number of ministries as well as input from business and local and national organisations that promote business.

 

Bibliographic Information

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. (2012). Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe: National Strategies, Curricula and Learning Outcomes. European Commission, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. Brussels: Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. Retrieved from http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/...

 

 

7) Towards Greater Cooperation and Coherence in Entrepreneurship Education Report and Evaluation of the Pilot Action High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship Education

Authors Andrew McCoshan

Date March 2010

Aim(s):

The documents attempts to develop the education for entrepreneurship agenda across the countries of the EU by facilitating enhance cooperation and coherence based upon a proposed model for EE identifying building blocks that can be put in place. This report was initiated by DG Enterprise and Industry and DG Education and Culture

Key Findings:

A model of entrepreneurship for education is proposed that encompasses;

• A conceptual shift from entrepreneurship education as 'how to run a business' to how to develop a general set of competences applicable in all walks of life and experienced within and across all phases of the curriculum;
• The development of a shared vision shared at national level by all the key stakeholders, resulting in learning outcomes, and objectives, targets and indicators with opportunities for intergovernmental collaboration; and
• Developing more systematic and sustainable approaches by teachers, schools, and businesses by local, regional and national organisations and support infrastructures involving teacher training, teaching resources and tools, mechanisms to share good practice, clusters and partnerships.

 

A competency model is also suggested and key factors for EU developments in EE are identified and discussed.

The report proposes key features of an ‘Effective Entrepreneurship Education Environment’

• Quality exposure to enterprising individuals;
• An understanding amongst the students of the motivation and objectives behind the exercises that they are taking part in, e.g. to develop competences related to creativity and initiative, and the skills needed to take risks, as well as to run businesses effectively

• Experiential and hands-on learning to enable students to have fun, retain the outcomes of the learning experience and gain a sense of accomplishment that builds their self-confidence;
• Tasks which give learners responsibility and ownership of activities in order to promote the emergence and implementation of innovative approaches to problem solving; and
• Teachers with 'know-how' of enterprise principles, of how to communicate and enthuse people about the central issues and of how to support students' self-directed learning

Section 4.4.4

Focus of Study

The development of education for entrepreneurship across the countries of the EU as part of the Education 2020 policy.

Authority and Credibility:

This is an authoritative and influential document that has guided policy development and project funding within this area across the EU. The document was underpinned by the opinions of high level policy makers within the EU.

Implications & Comments:

First, within a system strongly characterised by voluntarism, teachers have often played the key role, taking the first steps in the teaching of entrepreneurship education and in shaping current practice. This is the case even in countries where entrepreneurship education might be said to be most widely available and well developed, such as the UK before the recent development stimulated by central government.

Secondly, entrepreneurship education has tended not to be treated systematically in the curriculum. Instead, it is typically an extra-curricular activity, added at the margins of mainstream education, reliant on the enthusiasm of individual teachers and schools.
This has meant:

1. the focus has tended to be on topics more directly related to how businesses function or on giving students a general appreciation of the world of work rather than more general competences related to entrepreneurship per se;
2.  it tends to consist of providing opportunities to interact with businesses rather than on developing competences like creativity and risk-taking; and
3.  it tends not to be assessed as part of the mainstream curriculum: teachers and schools instead rely on in-house prizes and awards, or take part in competitions run by well-known organisations such as Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise (JA-YE), outside of mainstream qualifications.

 

Thirdly, the lack of systematic treatment of entrepreneurship education means that teachers have drawn on a variety of resources to support their teaching, very often developed and provided by private business and/or non-profit organisations (see below). The range of approaches, methods and tools includes using virtual simulations of business situations, practical, hands-on experience of businesses, and 'Enterprise Days/Weeks' where students develop ideas, carry out activities such as market research and design and turn  their ideas into mock products or services. In all these cases, entrepreneurship education offers alternative methods to mainstream teaching practice.

Fourthly, a significant role is played by private businesses, associations and organisations. Most prominent amongst these are organisations with international profiles:

The report outlines a matrix of development stages for EE spanning several years and mapping different actions to the various stakeholders across the EU in the process. The report envisages a radical development in pedagogy where the aim is “to empower students through the development of autonomy in learning, to reduce hierarchical relationships within schools,”  section 3.3.1

The need for coherent pathways of progression opportunities that builds bridged between different courses is also identified which might be facilitated by National and European Qualifications Frameworks

Frequently assessment and recognition of EE is dependent upon externally sponsored competitions and prizes that might result in haphazard provision despite the high status of some of the competitions.

Stresses the importance of the development of local entrepreneurship ecosystems that support education and involve a range of businesses and organisations. This may be facilitated in countries where there are string traditions of local business collaboration such as chambers of commerce.  

Bibliographic Information

McCoshan, A. (March 2010). Towards Greater Cooperation and Coherence in Entrepreneurship Education Report and Evaluation of the Pilot Action High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship. Brussels: European Commission. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/e...

 

 

 

8) Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Authors:  Luke Pittaway and Jason Cope

Enterprise and Regional Development Unit, Sheffield University Management School

Date: 2006

Aim(s):

The purpose of this paper is to explore different themes within entrepreneurship education within higher education via the use of a systematic literature review (SLR)

Key Findings:

There  are many educational aspects covered within the domain including: employability skills; social enterprise; self-employment; venture creation; employment in small businesses; small business management; and the management of high growth ventures. Inevitably, the skills and theoretical knowledge required in each domain is interrelated but exclusive and each domain may be more relevant to certain students and graduates than others. Likewise questions can be asked about pedagogy. The underpinning pedagogy that constitutes 'enterprise' or 'entrepreneurship' education constitutes a range of forms (Gibb,1996) and institutional approaches to implementation have varied considerably (Pittaway and Cope,2006).

Entrepreneurship programs developed by universities for commercialisation, outreach or academic entrepreneurship can help to raise awareness of enterprise opportunities for students and build a positive orientation to entrepreneurship, but there is little evidence that this leads to activity or the creation of new venture creation. More research should be undertaken to identify what works and why within explicit policy contexts.  p19

The review located a range of teaching methods including use of the classics, action learning, new venture simulations, technology simulations, the development of actual ventures, skills based courses, video role plays, experiential learning and mentoring. There was even debate as to whether or not.  p. 19

Most studies focus upon a case study that promotes a particular method rather than comparing or evaluating processes and methods within a holistic framework. .  P.20 Further, research needs to be more evaluative, longitudinal and contextual to examine the link between entrepreneurship education and graduate entrepreneurship.  p24

Research should also consider the broader societal impact of entrepreneurial education rather than focus upon narrow instrumental policy goals so that the justification for E.E. is not just based upon economic utility. p24

Focus of Study

This was a systematic narrative review of research literature dealing with enterprise and entrepreneurship in higher education. It was carried out in 2006 but remains an important review of the area.

Authority and Credibility:

This is a systematic review of literature in the area that reviews the field according to set inclusion criteria working from selected articles in refereed journals. Relevant journal articles were ranked according to their citations. Though the use of citations may be sometimes an indicator of popularity, controversy or conformity to a zeitgeist, it can be considered to be a robust measure of authority and credibility.

The review acknowledges that it has little to say on the policy context for E.E. as the authors suggest that evaluations of policy in this are more likely to be published as government documents than as refereed journal articles.

Due to the use of quality criteria applied to a wide range of relevant respected peer reviewed research articles this review has significant credibility. 

Implications & Comments:

...debates about appropriate pedagogy sit within the context of what entrepreneurship education is understood to 'mean' or what entrepreneurship 'is' or what it is trying to do, axioms which are themselves guided by contextual factors.

The systemic nature of entrepreneurship education is, however, complicated by the fact that there is little clarify about what the outputs are designed to 'be' (eg graduate ventures; general education; business education; improved employability; enterprise skills) This lack of clarity about the intended outputs leads to significant diversity surrounding the inputs (e.g. contradictory policies; major differences over pedagogy; and differences in institutional implementation.)  

Bibliographic Information

Pittaway, L., & Cope, J. (2006). Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of the Evidence Working Paper 002/2006. Sheffield University Management School, Enterprise and Regional Development Unit. London: National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship. Retrieved from http://gees.pbworks.com/f/entrepreneurshipeducation.pdf

 

 

Summary Implications:
 

System Wide:

Framework for policy development
This includes political backing through inclusion of EE by establishing a common EU framework integrated into existing EU monitoring, the launch of national and regional strategies, ensuring coherent funding and recognising career structures. 
Source: The Oslo Agenda

…Entrepreneurship education needed to become more commonly treated as a key competence across subjects rather than a business related and or separate subject. Individual teachers were seen as central key but the evidence shows that they also need external support.

Develop national strategies based on a share vision of the teacher as facilitator and coach. Make E.E. a mandatory part of the curriculum with minimum standards in quality frameworks and labelled recognition for innovative practice. Put in place assessment measures that are sympathetic to the advocated teaching approaches for E.E. Ensure that there are incentives for entrepreneurial teachers including rewards, tool kits, resource centres and recognised centred of expertise.  Develop communication channels between all stakeholders and establish communities of entrepreneurial teachers.
Source: The Budapest Agenda Item 2 : Entrepreneurship Education: Enabling Teachers as a Critical Success Factor

For public authorities:

These recommendations include:

• Developing an overall strategy for entrepreneurship education in schools. In this
   strategy, student company programmes should be highlighted as one important option within the established curricula.

• Setting up regular cooperation between different ministries, business associations,
  non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, municipalities, with the objective of further promoting activities based on the student company methodology.
• Cooperating in particular with those organisations (such as NGOs) that are widely
  disseminating these programmes, and involve them in national plans for
  entrepreneurship education.
• Endorse, and actively promote student company activities to schools, heads of school and teachers.
• Ensure that legal and administrative barriers to the setting up and implementation
  of mini-companies are removed;

Source: Best Procedure Project: Mini-Companies in Secondary Education

At Regional and Community Level:

These programmes can represent an important instrument within regional development policies. In fact, especially in less developed or more isolated regions, activities may have positive effects in increasing the number of school leavers to remain in the area by building direct links with the local community.
Source: Best Procedure Project: Mini-Companies in Secondary Education

Building links and opening education to the outside world

This includes enhancing the contribution of intermediary organisations dedicated to the dissemination of entrepreneurship activities within schools and universities, and to building links between education and the business world, encouraging the contribution of private partners in E.E. as part of their corporate social responsibility and supporting research to improve the educational contribution of businesses within schools. This would include the development of pedagogical abilities of entrepreneurs and business partners. Centre of Educational Expertise in E.E. should be recognised.
Source: Oslo Agenda

Large corporations for example may be willing participants in collaborations with schools, but though they may offer good experience of the private sector that is not the same as offering the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial skills. Careful selection of partners is therefore required.
p. 31
Source: Entrepreneurship Education: Enabling Teachers as a Critical Success Factor

Whole School Issues

Few English primary or secondary schools surveyed had a coherent programme of enterprise education to develop economic and business understanding and enterprise and financial capability for all children and young people or had appropriate learning outcomes for these areas. This meant that learners gained limited understanding of the economy, interest rates and their impact, recession, inflation, why prices vary and the ownership of companies.

Activities in these areas were judged as aiding the development good problem-solving and team working skills, including negotiation, cooperation, planning and organisation. Source Ofsted 2011

When primary schools taught and reinforced concepts across different curriculum areas pupils gained appropriate levels of understanding about money, including earning, spending and saving and the distinction between wants and needs. 
Source Economics, Business and Enterprise Education June 2011, No 100086

Support to Educational Establishments

This involves improved integration of E.E. programmes into the curriculum and their inclusion in Primary schools, encouraging curricular reform through piloting, comparison and sharing of practice based pedagogies and sustainable funding for activity in this area. Establishing university centres and research to access impact using common frameworks derived from successful programmes.
Source: Oslo Agenda

Entrepreneurial schools

…have a dedicated and committed school management which supports entrepreneurship education for all students based on a forward looking ethos willing to embrace change and a vision of how entrepreneurship education fits into the broader curriculum and development plan. transversal, creative and entrepreneurial skills are nurtured by the regular use of activity based learning and student centred methods in teaching.
Source: Entrepreneurship Education - A Guide for Educators

Assessment:

Vocational business courses tended to be assessed wholly or mainly by internally set and marked assignments relying on written submissions.

The lack of clear learning outcomes in these areas meant that learners gained limited understanding of the economy, interest rates and their impact, recession, inflation, why prices vary and the ownership of companies.

This was held to be due to a narrow and simplistic approach to the identification of assessment criteria that was common on such courses, and the fact that assignments were designed only to ensure that students were able to demonstrate these criteria in their written submissions

Even coursework that achieved high grades was often descriptive, included little evidence of first-hand research or direct contact with businesses, and lacked evidence of analysis or evaluation.
Source: Economics, Business and Enterprise Education June 2011, No 100086

Regular evaluation of the activities are carried out including student feedback using concrete learning outcomes that are also defined and assessed as part of formal exams. Positive student feedback is seen as a driver for the development of entrepreneurial learning.

Source: Entrepreneurship Education - A Guide for Educators

Student assessment methods are also needed which evaluate them against appropriate criteria related more to the essential features of entrepreneurship such as learning from mistakes, risk taking, innovation and creativity, rather than knowledge acquisition. If such methods don’t change, the job of the teacher as facilitator will be impossible to realise fully in practice
Source: Entrepreneurship Education: Enabling Teachers as a Critical Success Factor

 

Entrepreneurial learning outcomes most often referred to in primary education are those linked to attitudes, specifically entrepreneurial attitudes of ‘taking the initiative and risk taking, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving’. At this level of education, no country defines learning outcomes linked to practical entrepreneurial skills despite the widespread support for experiential learning.  

In secondary schools, the most widely applied category of learning outcomes for entrepreneurship education is for  attitudes ‘taking the initiative and risk taking, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving’. The number of countries promoting learning outcomes linked to entrepreneurial knowledge increases with the level of education.
Source: Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe: National Strategies, Curricula and Learning Outcomes

Course Organisation and Management

Poorer courses provided insufficient opportunities for students to engage directly with businesses and employers thus providing opportunities for first-hand research or direct contact with businesses that could enhance the quality of learning, relevance of assessment and level of discussion. (Ofsted,2011)

 

Common features amongst guidelines and teaching materials include building on active and participatory teaching methods with a practical, project-based approach, promoting practical experience through workshops, cooperation with different organisations and enterprises, including learning settings outside school, and centrally the hands-on approach of setting up and running student firms. These may involve a number of ministries as well as input from business and local and national organisations that promote business

Source: Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe: National Strategies, Curricula and Learning Outcomes

 

At the level of the school and education authority.

..Entrepreneurship education has tended not to be treated systematically in the curriculum. Instead, it is typically an extra-curricular activity, added at the margins of mainstream education, reliant on the enthusiasm of individual teachers and schools.
Source: Towards Greater Cooperation and Coherence in Entrepreneurship Education Report and Evaluation of the Pilot Action High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship Education

Obstacles lie with the reluctance of schools and teachers to become involved when programmes are not backed up, recognized or recommended by the educational authorities. These programmes often require additional time and effort from teachers that go beyond the classroom and the normal school day so that some teachers are reluctant to become involved if such work is not recognised by the school.

The inclusion of student company programmes as an option in framework curricula established at national or regional level has a positive effect on their dissemination and their success, for instance by raising the motivation of teachers.
Source: Best Procedure Project: Mini-Companies in Secondary Education

Develop development plans in schools that communicate a vision of E.E. and have clear objectives action plans that fully involve the potential contribution of students, alumni, businesses and the local community. Support the development of E.E. with leadership roles including the appointment of a coordinator for E.E.  EU wide initiatives should further E.E. developments in schools whilst school to school level co-operation should be facilitated.
Source: Budapest Agenda Item 4: Entrepreneurship Education: Enabling Teachers as a Critical Success Factor.

Classroom Pedagogy
 

The use of teachers’ questioning to extend and deepen understanding was often weak;   In some cases there was an over-reliance on a limited range of activities and missed opportunities to engage students by building on their existing knowledge and experience.

Successful courses made effective use of real-world examples and of information and communication technology (ICT). 
Source: Economics, Business and Enterprise Education June 2011, No 100086

In primary schools, the activities and tasks to be performed are simpler, and programmes have a shorter duration than found in secondary schools (for instance 2-3 months, or just the time needed to develop a specific project). The methodology will be more oriented towards learning by playing, through experimentation and games. Emphasis will be rather on attitudes (team working, initiative etc.) than on business skills. Activities already existing inside the school will be often used (like organising a bazaar, raising money for a school trip, etc.), or the student company may be organised around a certain event (like selling products at a Christmas Fair).
Source: Best Procedure Project: Mini-Companies

Key features of an ‘Effective Entrepreneurship Education Environment’

• Quality exposure to enterprising individuals;
• An understanding amongst the students of the motivation and objectives behind the exercises that they are taking part in, e.g. to develop competences related to creativity and initiative, and the skills needed to take risks, as well as to run businesses effectively

• Experiential and hands-on learning to enable students to have fun, retain the outcomes of the learning experience and gain a sense of accomplishment that builds their self-confidence;
• Tasks which give learners responsibility and ownership of activities in order to promote the emergence and implementation of innovative approaches to problem solving; and
• Teachers with 'know-how' of enterprise principles, of how to communicate and enthuse people about the central issues and of how to support students' self-directed learning

Source: Towards Greater Cooperation and Coherence in Entrepreneurship Education Report and Evaluation of the Pilot Action High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship Education Section 4.4.4

Professional Development
 

Many of the teachers deployed to deliver aspects of enterprise education were non specialists and subject-specific professional development for teachers was patchy. This needs to be more substantial that updating sessions by exam boards.

There were few examples of teachers in 11 to 16 schools sharing good practice with specialist teachers in neighbouring schools or in wider subject networks. 
Source Economics, Business and Enterprise Education June 2011, No 100086

Teachers, the critical success factor: Teachers need the right sort of support: i.e. sound research to understand teachers' conceptions of and approaches to entrepreneurship education; effective teacher training, both initial and continuing; on-going support like tools to exchange good practice, the development of banks of content, tools, methodologies and resources, the establishment of effective support networks.
Source: Towards Greater Cooperation and Coherence in Entrepreneurship Education Report and Evaluation of the Pilot Action High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship Education

A Vision of Entrepreneurial Teachers

They reward individual initiative, responsibility taking and risk taking and are ready to accept failure as an integral part of a learning process. They also need to know how to manage and mitigate risks to avoid what might be a costly waste of time, skill and commitment. Entrepreneurial teachers know how to mitigate risks.

 Entrepreneurial teachers have strong team working skills, are networkers who regularly exchange approaches and resources with their peers to support innovation and creativity in teaching and learning.
Source: Entrepreneurship Education - A Guide for Educators

Prioritise entrepreneurial skills in selection and recruitment.. Build on existing active earning opportunities and links to form a school strategy that includes appropriate assessment methods.  Set up links with entrepreneurs and businesses and develop mentorship programmes. Ensure national strategies support professional development with funding based upon good practice criteria. Encourage all teachers to ‘buy in’ to professional development in E.E. possibly through the use of ‘champions.
Source: Budapest Agenda Item 3: Entrepreneurship Education: Enabling Teachers as a Critical Success Factor

For Teacher Educators:

The report identifies a need to develop an environment that enables innovation in teacher education by overcoming negative notions of ‘entrepreneurship’ and recognising social entrepreneurship. This is supported by concrete and tangibly defined learning outcomes for entrepreneurial teaching with developed and quality assured assessment methods for entrepreneurship education pedagogy informed by student feedback. Networks dealing with this area help to share the practice of teacher educators and can lobby for the development of this area. Source: Entrepreneurship Education - A Guide for Educators

For Teacher Training and Longer Term Professional Development
Teacher training in this area should be linked to national curriculum reforms and involve innovative methods that may include the world of work or mini companies. The extraordinary effort sometimes required by teachers in this area should be recognised at school level.  Support for teacher mobility to develop these skills may be supported by the Community Lifelong Learning Programme.

Source: Oslo Agenda
 

Entrepreneurial teacher training programmes should utilise entrepreneurial methods to address the teachers’ own potential for entrepreneurial capacity, not as an isolated skill, but as a concept that requires key competences such as creativity, technological awareness and project management. Training programmes should show how, in every curriculum, there are starting points for entrepreneurial teaching and learning that can build on existing entrepreneurial activities of teachers, demonstrating how their existing methods already fit to the concept.

Courses should s focus on practical approaches and include active, participatory methods that create ownership and are assessed through clearly defined learning outcomes.
Source: Entrepreneurship Education - A Guide for Educators

Entrepreneurship modules should be compulsory for all student teachers. The curriculum should use the same pedagogy as that preferred for use with students that emphasises active learning, authentic tasks and practical tasks. There should be a continuity of experience between teacher education programmes and host schools with opportunities for internships, placements and shadowing built on sustainable and systematic business partnerships.
Take into account existing entrepreneurial skills among candidates and build on them in set tasks. Develops assessment methods for transversal entrepreneurial skills.

 In-service training provided needs to stimulate take-up and promote courses based on consultations with schools and teachers about their development needs. These courses can have a sustained impact when teachers and learners are encouraged to make plans based upon ongoing evaluations and exchanges about teaching and learning.

Source: Budapest Agenda Item 1 : Entrepreneurship Education: Enabling Teachers as a Critical Success Factor

Research

Most studies focus upon a case study that promotes a particular method rather than comparing or evaluating processes and methods within a holistic framework. .  P.20 Further, research needs to be more evaluative, longitudinal and contextual to examine the link between entrepreneurship education and graduate entrepreneurship.  p24

Research should also consider the broader societal impact of entrepreneurial education rather than focus upon narrow instrumental policy goals so that the justification for E.E. is not just based upon economic utility. p24

Source: Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

 

 

 

 

 

Definitions & Issues

Entrepreneurship

…refers to an individual's ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, sense of initiative, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. The entrepreneurship competence includes therefore transversal skills and attitudes as well as more specialised knowledge and business skills. In a broad sense, entrepreneurship should be considered as a Mind-set that supports everyone in day-to-day life at home and in society, and provides a foundation for entrepreneurs establishing a social or commercial activity. Entrepreneurship is a key competence for lifelong learning, as defined in the 2006 European Framework for Key Competences. 
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/education-training-entrepreneurship/index_en.htm

Entrepreneurship education

.. is thus about life-wide as well as lifelong competence development.
Source: Enabling Teachers as a Critical Success Factor 1.1

..It should develop both general competences, e.g. self-confidence, adaptability, risk-assessment, creativity, and specific business skills and knowledge, It should no longer be just an extra-curricular activity, but instead be embedded in the curriculum across all educational levels/types.

To move entrepreneurship education from being an extra-curricular 'add-on' to an integral part of the curriculum involves:

• changes in teaching methods: greater use of experiential learning and a new coach/moderator role for teachers which helps students to become more independent and to take the initiative in their education;

• changes in the education context, which takes students out of the classroom into the local community and real businesses, and which establishes less hierarchical relationships within schools;

Source: Mini Companies in Secondary Education: Final Report of the Expert Group.  p III

“Entrepreneurship education is more than preparation on how to run a business. It is about how to develop the entrepreneurial attitudes, skills and knowledge which, in short, should enable a student to ‘turn ideas into action’. “
Source:  Entrepreneurship Education – A Guide for Educators

Financial Capability

 …is concerned with the personal management of money. Developing an understanding of earning, spending and saving in order to distinguish and prioritise between needs and wants thus making informed decisions as a consumer.
Source: http://www.pfeg.org/planning-teaching/introduction-what-financial-education

What is meant by financial education?

“Financial education is a programme of study that aims to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage their money well.  High quality teaching ensures that learners  grow to understand their attitude to risk, and become aware of their own behaviour and emotions when making financial decisions. It is also achieved through applied learning, for example as a context for teaching mathematics, where students grasp mathematical concepts through real-life scenario”
Source: http://www.pfeg.org/policy-campaigning/personal-finance-education-what-it

Enterprise Education:

“Economics, business and enterprise education is about equipping children and young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding to help them make sense of the complex and dynamic economic, business and financial environment in which they live. It should help them leave school well-informed and well-prepared to function as consumers, employees and potential employers”.  Source: Economics, Business and Enterprise Education June 2011, No 100086

The UK New Labour Government guidance document on Enterprise Education (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2010) also saw entrepreneurship as a leadership activity but one that could develop useful skills and competencies that business needed even if the individual did not succeed on their individual endeavours. This was seen as building confidence, to make young people more enterprising, resourceful and flexible. Enterprise Education was seen as providing young people with high quality, interesting and useful learning experiences that would help them later on in whatever career path they eventually took.
Source: Department for Children, Schools and Families (2010)

Intrapreneurship

…is proposed as a term to emphasise skills developed through entrepreneurial activity that may be usefully employed within an existing business or organisation.
Source: Entrepreneurship Education:  A Guide for Educators

Changing perspectives on the function of EE and the consequent role of the teacher

Some sources identity a need for a conceptual shift from entrepreneurship education as 'how to run a business' to how to develop a general set of competences applicable in all walks of life, and experience their application at school; and from being a curriculum 'add on' mainly available at upper secondary level to being an integral part of the curriculum at all stages;
Source: Towards Greater Cooperation and Coherence in Entrepreneurship Education Report and Evaluation of the Pilot Action High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship Education

The Entrepreneurial Mind-set

The research carried out in Swedish schools (Berglund & Holmgren, 2007) suggested that entrepreneurship education was translated by teachers and school administrators from a "narrow" understanding of business creation into a broader concept best described as an attitude, or a way of relating to the world. More specifically, teachers said that in delivering entrepreneurship education they were encouraging a way of relating to the world which is characterized by "creativity, reflexivity and power of initiative”. This is consistent with teachers' natural interest in "learning for life".
Source: (The Oslo Agenda) Entrepreneurship Education in Europe: Fostering Entrepreneurial Mind-sets Through Education and Learning

 

 

Examples & Resources

The Personal Finance Education Group

(pfeg) quality assures and provides resources to support personal finance education and advice and professional development for teachers involved in delivering personal finance education.
Source: http://www.pfeg.org/policy-campaigning/personal-finance-education-what-it

Young Enterprise

is a not-for-profit business and enterprise education charity that aims ‘to inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise’. Its main programme in secondary schools, involves groups of students (aged 15-19) attempting to generate profits by forming a business, electing a board of directors from among themselves, raising share capital and then creating, marketing and selling products.  
Source: http://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/cbi-supports-young-enterprise/

PFEG and Young Enterprise merged in September 2014.

My Money Week

is a national activity week in the United Kingdom for primary and secondary schools that provides an opportunity for young people to gain skills, knowledge and confidence in money matters required by society.
Source: http://www.pfeg.org/projects-funding/projects/my-money-week

JA-YE

This uses hands-on experiences to help young people understand the economics of life with enterprise and economic education programmes designed for young people ages 6-25 and implemented through a partnership between local businesses and schools.

Source: Presentation by Björn Sandström of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket) delivered to the HLRP second cluster meeting held in Stockholm 24th April 2009. 16 Presentation by Björn Sandström of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket) delivered to the HLRP second cluster meeting held in Stockholm 24th April 2009. 17

Developing Entrepreneurship Education 'Champions'

Another area where teacher training is important is in the development of more senior staff, who can become 'champions' for entrepreneurship within their schools. In the UK, HTI, a not-for-profit organisation working in the field of leadership development at the interface between education and business operates a range of programmes to engage business leaders in an ongoing partnership with the education sector.. Activities include the "Stretch" programme that supports secondments of senior teachers into businesses (for periods ranging from four weeks to six months or longer), and the "Take5" initiative which helps businesses to develop their staff through challenging assignments in the education sector.

Student Mini-Companies in Secondary Education

This approach is based on the assumption that the best way of learning about entrepreneurship is through direct experience and practice. Mini-companies run by students at school develop on a small scale a real economic activity, or simulate in a realistic way the operations of firms. While not disregarding other pedagogical tools, mini-companies are an important option within any strategy for stimulating entrepreneurial attitudes and skills.

The Expert Report on the role of student companies in secondary education looks at the different methods and providers of such programmes. It shows how concrete examples can be successfully implemented, and looks at possible obstacles and difficulties. The report proposes a set of recommendations - addressing all the actors concerned - on how to increase the presence of these methodologies in education systems and their take-up by schools.

Source: Final report of the Expert Group, September 2005 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/education-training-entrepreneurship/mini-companies/index_en.htm

 

Video Example: Teachers TV: Enterprise Education : The Deep End
 

This fourteen minute programme shows how a secondary school in Bradford are running a sub aqua business within the school aimed principally at local primary schools. The video shows the different roles and motivations that pupils have in participating in this mini enterprise. The issues of health and safety that are clearly central to this endeavour are not considered in the video but must have an impact on resourcing. To what extent is this reliant on the good will and commitment of the teachers in ensuring that safety is paramount.

A Year 11 Ilkley Grammar School student Nik has a placement with a Bradford design company and takes on the challenge of specifying, designing and costing a consumer magazine. The pupil experiences a real business environment where he has to show initiative in a range of business related skills to create new enterprise. There is the issue of equity of access for all students to quality placements which is not discussed in the programme.

Source: Teachers TV programme (2010) hosted on the Times Educational Supplement Web Site Accessed 05/03/2015
https://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/teachers-tv-enterprise-education-the-deep-end-6046830

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

Studies Included in the E.E. MESH.:

ECORYS UK Limited. (2011). Entrepreneurship Education: Enabling Teachers as a Critical Success Factor: A report on Teacher Education and Training to prepare teachers for the challenge of entrepreneurship education. Brussels: European Commission- DG Enterprise and Industry. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/f...

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. (2012). Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe: National Strategies, Curricula and Learning Outcomes. European Commission, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. Brussels: Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. Retrieved from http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/...

Enterprise & Industry Directorate-General. (2005). Mini Companies in Secondary Education: Final Report of the Expert Group. Brussels: European Commission. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/e...

Entrepreneurship 2020 Unit. (2014). Entrepreneurship Education - A guide for Educators. Brusells: European Commission: Director- General for Enterprise and Industry. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/7465

European Commission. (2006). The Oslo Agenda for Entrepreneurship Education. Brussels: European Commission. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/files/support_measures/train...

McCoshan, A. (March 2010). Towards Greater Cooperation and Coherence in Entrepreneurship Education Report and Evaluation of the Pilot Action High Level Reflection Panels on Entrepreneurship. Brussels: European Commission. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/e...

OFSTED. (2011). Economics, Business and Enterprise Education, No. 100086. London: OFSTED. Retrieved from http://www.enterprisingyorkshire.co.uk/documents/uploads/Economics business and enterprise education.pdf

Pittaway, L., & Cope, J. (2006). Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Review of the Evidence Working Paper 002/2006. Sheffield University Management School, Enterprise and Regional Development Unit. London: National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship. Retrieved from http://gees.pbworks.com/f/entrepreneurshipeducation.pdf

 

 

 

 

References:

 Berglund & Holmgren, 2007 The Introduction of Entrepreneurship in Contemporary Swedish Education Policy: Ugly duckling or Beautiful Swan? Conference: European Conference on Educational Research 2008, From Teaching to Learning, Gothenburg

Department for Children, Schools and Families. (2010, April). A Guide to Enterprise Education for Enterprise Co-ordinators Teachers and Leaders in Schools. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from National Archives: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/http://www.educ...

E.U. Commission (2006) Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on key competences for lifelong learning [Official Journal L 394 of 30.12.2006]. Brussels European Commission
URL accessed 02/03/2015
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/education_training_youth/lifelong_learning/c11090_en.htm

Gibb, A.,(1996) Entrepreneurship and small business management: Can we afford to neglect them in the twenty-first century business school?   British Journal of Management, 7(4), 309-321.

Heinonen & Poikkijoki (2006). An entrepreneurial-directed approach to entrepreneurship education: mission impossible? Journal of Management Development, 25(1)

Lucas, B. & Claxton, G. (2009) Wider Skills for Learning: What are they, how can they be cultivated, how can they be measured and why are they important for innovation? London: NESTA
Url accessed 02/03/2015 http://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/wider_skills_for_learning_report.pdf

Ministry of Education Norway (2008) “See the opportunities and make them work” Strategy for Entrepreneurship in Education and Training,  Ministry of Education Oslo URL accessed 28/02/2015 https://www.regjeringen.no/globalassets/upload/kd/vedlegg/grunnskole/strategiplaner/see_the_opportunities_and_make_them_work_2204-2008.pdf

Pittaway, L. A., & Cope, J. P. (2007). Entrepreneurship education: a systematic review of the evidence. International Small Business Journal, 25(5), 479-510.

Redecker, C., Leis, M., Leendertse, M., Punie, Y., Gijsbers, G., Kirschner, P. Stoyanov, S. and Hoogveld, B. (2011) The Future of Learning: Preparing for Change. European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Prospective Technological Studies EUR 24960 EN Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union
Url accessed 10/02/2015
 http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=4719