A longitudinal reflection of blended/reflexive enterprise and entrepreneurial education

Abstract

This article seeks to investigate the experiences, aspirations and outcomes of participants on the MA Business and Enterprise Development (MA BED) programme at the Newport Business School as interpreted through their own reflective practice. The development of an enterprise programme within the Newport Business School arose from the need to provide relevant enterprise-related education and support to students seeking to develop their enterprise skills and entrepreneurial aspirations; it also complemented government policy at the time. The investigation takes a longitudinal approach and further seeks to explore the pedagogic success (or not) of a blended enterprise education and entrepreneurship education masters programme from the participants’ standpoint. Results suggest that a blended/reflective pedagogic approach to enterprise and entrepreneurship education has value in developing a wider range of skills within participants and also has a greater effect on aspiration. In this case ‘aspiration’ appears to be closely linked to an individual’s confidence (a likelihood that they will be positively predisposed to negative circumstances) which in turn has a disproportionate (positive) effect on their ability to identify and rationalise opportunity. The latter reference to rationalisation appears linked to the higher-level thinking (reflective practice: both reflection and reflexivity) and analytical skills developed throughout the masters programme.