Original scientific paper

Enterprise education – the perspective of teachers in compulsory schools

Baranović Branislava orcid.org/0000-0001-6768-3596 ; Institut for Social Research in Zagreb
Štibrić Marina ; Institut for Social Research in Zagreb
Domović Vlatka orcid.org/0000-0001-5794-6786 ; Faculty of Teacher Education of the University in Zagreb

Abstract

The paper offers the results of an empirical study of enterprise education in Croatian compulsory schools. The entrepreneurship competence are not only the necessary qualifications and knowledge of economics for starting and running the business, but also personal characteristics and skills of individuals who wish to lead a successful professional and social life. The study was conducted in 2006 on a sample of 688 teachers from 25 primary schools in different regions of Croatia. The purpose was to find out how the teachers felt about the school activities and teaching methods which try to develop children’s entrepreneurial skills and how they assessed children’s entrepreneurial potential and behaviour. The aim was also to see if there were any differences in the teachers’ perception due to the lenght of their experience or position (the first four years or the last four years of compulsory school). The results show that more than 50% of all teachers occasionally organize and take part in those school activities which encourage children’s entrepreneurial skills. Teachers in the first four classes of compulsory school generally make a higher evaluation of their pupils’ entrepreneurial characteristics than those in the last four years of compulsory school. Teachers with longer experience have a more active approach to those school activities and teaching methods which encourage entrepreneurship competence. According to their teachers’ evaluation, characteristics of entrepreneurial behaviour that most pupils show are openness about changes and new experiences, readiness for cooperation and dialogue with their peers and strong motivation for achievement. About one third of all examinees think that this is true for most or all pupils in their schools; for other characteristics the percentage is lower. The study results show that enterprise education should be a regular part of compulsory education which implies clearly defined planning and school curriculums.

Keywords

enterprise education; entrepreneurship competence; compulsory education; classroom and subject teachers; lenght of teachers’ experience; teaching methods; school activities

Hrčak ID:

20662

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/20662

Publication date:

20.2.2008.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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