Possibilities for Developing Business Potential in Economic Education. Examples of Implementation in Slovakia and the Czech Republic

Abstract

(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)IntroductionIn terms of formal education in Czech Republic and Slovakia entrepreneurial potential is developed on basis of education. The objective of education is to help transfer knowledge, focusing on active identifying and using market opportunities, on ability and willingness to take risks, to proceed tenaciously, to acquire knowledge and then to acquire skills in activities which would be targeted towards building an effective business and doing business. It combines knowledge of with development of key competencies in relation to entrepreneurship, which are at level of secondary education in Czech Republic regarded as competencies to seek employment and entrepreneurial activities and in Slovak Republic as initiative and entrepreneurship. In tertiary education, it is a purposeful forming of motivation and students' attitude to and development of professional skills important for being successful in business in fields which they are professionally trained for (Chromy, 2016). On basis of content analysis and own research authors aim to compare approaches to development of entrepreneurial potential and their educational effect in Slovakia and in Czech Republic. The authors research is based upon generalized scientific results of authors Turek in Slovak Republic and Malach in Czech Republic, which are most important researchers involved in research for a long-term period. However, article is focused on authors' own authentic experience of scientific projects and on educational activities to develop entrepreneurial potential of students. At their current and former workplaces both authors have been involved in research and pedagogically engaged since 2008 up to now. The basic premise of authors' research, which main hypothesis comes out of, is based on assumption that contemporary curriculum of secondary and tertiary education does not create conditions favourable for development of entrepreneurial potential of students, with all consequences that are recognized further in paper in selected sub-hypotheses. To achieve objectives and verify hypotheses combined portfolio of research methods was used, mainly based on natural pedagogical experiment and exploratory methods.1.Literature ReviewAccording to Turek (2010), education is mainly related to initiative, creativity, responsibility, independent thinking and willingness of individuals to take business risks. In Czech educational environment comprehensively conceived curriculum of education was developed by Malach (2008a), in which following fact is emphasized: development of general business presumptions, abilities and skills as a basic competence called the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship must also be complemented by mastering system of professionally differentiated knowledge about business. Emphasising more concept of responsible should in turn lead to situation that a career in business should become more interesting for young people entering labour market. Hoppe (2016) states how different concept of at various levels of educational system in Sweden is - in primary education term is used to promote independence in solving problems, in secondary education it is associated with establishment of enterprises and in creation of a business plan (entrepreneurship). In 2011 in tertiary education there started pilot projects aimed at promoting in specific fields of health and social care. In 2013, then this effort was extended to wider promotion of entrepreneurial education at universities, while in 2014 pilot projects aimed at promoting entrepreneurial culture started. At beginning there were problems without not having a clear implementation strategy. …