Entrepreneurship pedagogies in lifelong learning: Emergence of criticality?

Abstract

Abstract The present paper aims to address an instructional perspective for entrepreneurship courses introduced to lifelong learners. The new approach combines critical thinking with experiential learning in a common framework able to facilitate entrepreneurship education for various heterogeneous populations through lifelong learning or vocational training. The proposed approach utilizes critical instruction embedded in experiential learning as to resolve possible disorientation of learners during the common experiential/reflective instruction for entrepreneurship. A critical-thinking-deviation from Kolb's experiential learning model is introduced and preliminarily tested empirically for two different groups of adult learners. Suggested conceptualization through critical instruction is expected either to resolve disorienting situations or to lead to postponement of courses and reconsideration of the theoretical framework. The latter is due to the emancipatory nature of critical instruction and depends on both learners' intrinsic needs, assumptions and on the specific framework under which entrepreneurship education is promoted. Empirical evidence for the dual consequence, due to the adoption of critical instruction, is illustrated for the two groups of learners. The theoretical scope of the paper concerns the appropriateness and the consistency of the suggested critical-experiential teaching for entrepreneurship designed for adult learners. Implications concern entrepreneurship curricula, innovative instruction and trainers' training.