Entrepreneurship in art and engineering education in university settings

Abstract

Over the past decades, higher education institutions have been introducing entrepreneurship education into curriculum or university events and services in response to the need to create more opportunities, new innovations, and promote growth in the society. However, there are questions in entrepreneurship education, including what entrepreneurship education should include, what should be the outcomes, and how student learning could be assessed. This thesis aimed to shed light on entrepreneurship education in higher education settings, referring to a university in Hong Kong where disciplines are embedding entrepreneurship education into curriculum. Focusing on the engineering discipline where entrepreneurship education is rapidly developing and the arts discipline where entrepreneurship education is relatively overlooked, a mixed methods research approach was adopted. This study was undertaken in two phases. The first phase of this study adapted questionnaires to investigate students’ perceptions on entrepreneurship education in university settings. The quantitative study provided support for and deepen understandings of the qualitative approach of interviews in the second phase of this study. In the first phase, student perceptions on entrepreneurship education within higher education, their motivating factors and deterring factors towards entrepreneurship as a career, and perceptions towards outcomes and assessments in entrepreneurship education were investigated. With semi-structured individual interviews, the second phase of this study investigated in-depth perspectives of students, educators and professionals from the disciplines of arts and engineering on entrepreneurship education. The qualitative research focused on participant perceptions regarding the philosophical aspect and the didactical practices in entrepreneurship education. The philosophical aspect explored conceptualisations and meanings of entrepreneurship education, and the respective roles of teachers and students. The didactical practices explored target audience, contents, pedagogies, outcomes, assessments and evaluations, of entrepreneurship education. Findings from the first phase of this study were further explored. Multiple cases from the second phase of this study showed that perceptions of each individual differed. However, considering main themes derived from each case study, there were major similarities between perceptions from the arts and the engineering disciplines, as well as between student, educators and professionals. Based on the findings from the two phases of this study, perceptions from different social roles and disciplines were compared and contrasted, and the context of entrepreneurship education for the engineering and arts discipline within higher education was negotiated. Findings suggested that entrepreneurship education was understood as education regarding entrepreneurship, as well as entrepreneurial understandings, competencies, values and spirits. Students were to take active roles, with educators as advisors and supporters. Entrepreneurship education was perceived in relevance to arts and engineering education. In addition, a range of objectives, contents, pedagogies and results of entrepreneurship education were identified. Frameworks were offered on arts entrepreneurship education and engineering entrepreneurship education respectively. The thesis concluded with implications for disciplinary entrepreneurship education, as well as entrepreneurship education in higher education. Suggestions were offered towards promoting, developing and evaluating disciplinary and cross-disciplinary entrepreneurship education within university settings, and further research in andragogy and heutagogy approaches, entrepreneurial assessments, and cross-disciplinary or transdisciplinary entrepreneurship education is encouraged.