Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes and impressions of pre-service Further Education teachers towards enterprise education. It also looks at the potential impact on their future teaching practices and aspirations. This study builds on the literature in this area by bringing a teacher education focus and by providing views from the underserved further education sector.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach was used to evaluate pre-service further education teachers' understanding of and attitudes towards, enterprise education. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 students in their final year of an initial teacher education degree.FindingsFindings emerged through constant comparative analysis of interview transcripts. These findings indicate that exposure to enterprise education greatly increased understanding of its importance and relevance, while also encouraging pre-service further education teachers to recognise the benefits of incorporating enterprise education into their classrooms of the future.Originality/valueWhile there is an array of literature on entrepreneurship and enterprise education outside of business contents, very few studies exist, which examine enterprise education in an initial teacher education context. Fewer still examine enterprise education from the perspective of further education. This study provides a unique qualitative view of pre-service further education teachers' impressions of enterprise education and their aspirations for the future.

Highlights

  • We live in a dynamic and rapidly changing society, which requires individuals to have the capacity to operate in uncertain and challenging economic and social environments (Barnett, 2004; T€aks, 2015; Tynjala and Gijbels, 2012)

  • While many courses in further education and vocational education include enterprise education or elements of it, the sector is underserved with regard to research on the potential impact this can have on teachers and students within the sector (Galvao et al, 2018)

  • We unpack for the reader what enterprise education is, and why we must consider developing an enterprising mindset in the further education and training system

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Summary

Introduction

We live in a dynamic and rapidly changing society, which requires individuals to have the capacity to operate in uncertain and challenging economic and social environments (Barnett, 2004; T€aks, 2015; Tynjala and Gijbels, 2012). Enterprise education is more nuanced in its goals, focussing instead on the development of a wide range of behaviours, attributes and skills which enable individuals to act in innovative ways in a wide variety of contexts (QAA, 2018; Bridge et al, 2010). This distinction is encapsulated well by Bridge (2017), who states that enterprise education builds towards enterprise for life and entrepreneurship education builds towards enterprise for new venture creation. When framed in this way, educators can begin to broadly understand enterprise education as a vehicle through which students can learn: how to be creative and innovative (Hameed and Irfan, 2019); to spot opportunities and develop solutions in a range of social, political, environmental and business contexts (Rae and Woodier-Harris, 2013; Rae, 2006); and have the confidence and resilience to turn these ideas into action

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