Philosophies of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education: Teaching - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Philosophies of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education: ‘Teaching Pigeons to Dance?’

Paul D. Hannon Acting CEO National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship

Why do we do what we do the way we do it!!

The purpose and aspirations for entrepreneurship education are driven by many contrasting and perhaps conflicting beliefs emanating from some core, deeply rooted philosophical underpinnings. A personal journey to explore the implications of applying adult- educational philosophies to the phenomenon of entrepreneurship education and a typology of entrepreneurship-education roles.

Initiating a philosophy of entrepreneurship education

Gaining an insight and clarification of a philosophy of entrepreneurship education is both fundamental and essential in building a robust and coherent educational field in HE. HE. There are five main underpinning educational philosophies that have emerged during the last century: liberalist; progressive; behaviourist; humanistic; radicalist.

Liberalist Progressive Behaviourist Humanistic Radicalist Purpose

Broad approach to stimulate intellectual, spiritual and moral interest and development Focused on practical knowledge and skills that enhance individual effectiveness in society Meeting the needs of society and industry through compliance with identified standards of skills and behaviour Personal growth and self-actualisation As a catalyst for fundamental social, political and/or economic change in society

Learning

A ‘Renaissance person’ who always Individuals have unlimited potential Learners are significantly influenced Learners are highly motivated to learn Learning through collective action and

A framework of philosophies of education

Learning Approach

person’ who always wants to develop and learn and seek knowledge unlimited potential and learning is focused around their needs, interests and experiences significantly influenced by their learning environment and context motivated to learn and assume responsibility for their own learning collective action and reflection on personal history and culture

Educator Role

Leading the learning and development process, transferring knowledge Stimulating, instigating, evaluating and

• rganising the

learning through an experiential process Managing, predicting and directing learning

• utcomes

Facilitating, and promoting learning as a partner, but not directing Suggesting but not determining the learning direction; equality of teacher and learner

Most importantly:

• our own personal beliefs and values about our role, the role
• f education, and the place of entrepreneurship within higher

education and society.

• we need to start with the self: our own personal philosophy

The Importance of a Philosophy

‘philosophy can inform practice, provide guidelines for policy decisions, and guide administrators, teachers, and counselors in their everyday practice: "Philosophy contributes to

• professionalism. Having a philosophic orientation separates

the professional continuing educator from the paraprofessional in that professionals are aware of what they the professional continuing educator from the paraprofessional in that professionals are aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it. …… It thus can be motivating, inspiring, energizing to the practitioner" (Merriam, 1982)

Underlying philosophy drives thinking, behaviour and action

“Many adult education practitioners engaged in the daily tasks of program planning, administration, or teaching have little time to reflect upon the meaning and direction of their

• activity. The educator is generally more concerned with skills

than with principles, with means than with ends, with details than with principles, with means than with ends, with details than with the whole picture. Yet all practitioners make decisions and act in ways that presuppose certain values and

• beliefs. Whether or not it is articulated, a philosophical
• rientation underlies most individual and institutional

practices in adult education”. (Darkenwald and Merriam, 1982)

……… and we change

• ver time!

……. and so does society.

Liberalist Progressive Behaviourist Humanistic Radicalist Purpose

To develop understanding and insights from an intellectual exploration of the world of entrepreneurship To fulfil individual potential within an entrepreneurial society and economy To acquire a predetermined set of entrepreneurial capabilities at a specified standard of application To self-develop and achieve personal growth within an entrepreneurial context To exploit entrepreneurship as a tool for socioeconomic and political change for individuals, communities, society

Educator Role

GURU: Provide of access to leading experts and GUIDE: Creating entrepreneurial, CONTROLLER: Monitoring and directing learners HELPER: Facilitating a co- learning process with CO-ORDINATOR: Learning through collective action;

Applying to entrepreneurship education

Role

leading experts and successful entrepreneurs for transmitting knowledge entrepreneurial, experiential learning environments and processes directing learners towards achieving intended entrepreneurial capabilities learning process with peers and entrepreneurs collective action; equality between learner and educator

Learner Aspirations

Intellectual stimulus and challenge about entrepreneurship; seeking academic recognition and peer engagement Making a successful contribution and maximising entrepreneurial

• pportunity;

recognition from the external environment Becoming the specified entrepreneurial type; independent recognition and award Continual personal and professional growth and development; peer recognition Changing the status quo ( re. gender, ethnicity, social status); recognition through successful policy change

Learner Profiles

Researchers; professionals; academics; commentators; successful entrepreneurs Latent entrepreneurs; new and existing entrepreneurs; educators; intrapreneurs; professionals Latent entrepreneurs; new and existing entrepreneurs; educators; professionals Researchers; professionals; academics; successful entrepreneurs; educators; intrapreneurs Politicians; policy- makers; activists; professionals; researchers; entrepreneurs; educators

GURU GUIDE CONTROLLER HELPER CO- ORDINATOR Educator emphasis

Expert, judge, strongly-defined, gate-keeper Facilitator, seeking understanding, a resource base Leader / manager of learning process; encouraging defined behaviours Coach / mentor in a co-learning process Challenger, change- catalyst

Andragogic approaches

Didactic, broad, holistic, content- centred Pragmatic, learner- centred, learning spaces Active enquiry, practical, systems orientation,

• utcomes focus

Experiential, personal development Social activism

Entrepreneurship Educator Types

approaches

centred spaces

• utcomes focus

Indicative programme examples

Understanding entrepreneurship; theories/models of entrepreneurship; entrepreneurship policies; entrepreneur types Starting a business; new venture creation; business growth; intrapreneurship Becoming a successful entrepreneur; behaviours of entrepreneurs; effective business plans Being entrepreneurial or enterprising in any context; achieving your personal potential Social and community entrepreneurship; entrepreneurship and local regeneration

Educator capabilities

Knowledge, judgement, expertise, orator,

• bjectivity, author

Flexibility, individualism, discovery, resource access, making things happen Managing diverse learning environments, scientific method, evaluation and measurement Motivation and coaching, self- understanding, self- efficacy Freedom, releasing control, problem- posing, critical thinking, empowering others

• and why

‘teaching pigeons to dance’?

Teaching pigeons to dance does not mean that pigeons ‘feel’ what it is like to be a dancer! Teaching students the basics of entrepreneurship does not mean the students ‘feel’ what it is like to be entrepreneurial! mean the students ‘feel’ what it is like to be entrepreneurial!

Summary

There is a need for:

• a more sophisticated approach to entrepreneurship

education design and delivery that acknowledges the wide educational philosophical and conceptual base and the educational philosophical and conceptual base and the complexity of the learner environment

• going beyond learning to dance to becoming dancers
• integrating theory with practice, teaching with research and

learning, entrepreneurship with education

What about your personal educator journey? Why do you do what you do in the way you do it?

• What personal self-beliefs/philosophies shape your approach

to curricula design/learner support?

• What typology do you fit?

What roles are you going to experiment with?

• What roles are you going to experiment with?

Thank You