Threshold Concepts in Entrepreneurship – the Entrepreneurs’ Perspective

Hatt, Lucy (2018) Threshold Concepts in Entrepreneurship – the Entrepreneurs’ Perspective. Education + Training, 60 (2). pp. 155-167. ISSN 0040-0912

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2017-0119

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present research into the entrepreneurs’ perspective of concepts critical to thinking as an entrepreneur, in order to inform enterprise and entrepreneurship course design in higher education.

Approach: Taking a social constructivist approach, using a Delphi-style method, semistructured interviews with entrepreneurs were conducted, transcribed, thematically coded and analysed, and a list of candidate threshold concepts drawn up. Two rounds of Delphi were conducted with the entrepreneur panel and consensus was reached on a final collection of threshold concepts in entrepreneurship.

Findings: The threshold concepts identified are “I can create value” (or self-efficacy), “I see opportunities” (or opportunity), “I can manage risk” (or risk), “I know what’s important” (or focus) and “I take action” (or impact).

Implications: Entrepreneurship is generally regarded as an important factor in economic growth, and higher education an appropriate place for the development of entrepreneurship. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding how best to educate students for entrepreneurship in higher education or indeed what educating students for entrepreneurship really means. Identifying threshold concepts in entrepreneurship using the lived experience of entrepreneurs is likely to open up new and more effective approaches to teaching this multidisciplinary subject area.

Value: This study contributes to the call for more research-grounded discussion on the quality of entrepreneurship education initiatives, particularly in relation to what makes pedagogical innovations effective by suggesting 5 entrepreneurship threshold concepts. These entrepreneurship threshold concepts can be used to set out a structure for the design and (re)development of enterprise and entrepreneurship curricula, as well as enabling more constructively aligned assessments.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: threshold concepts, Entrepreneurship education, Delphi, entrepreneur, pedagogical approach, practitioner perspective
Subjects: N100 Business studies
Department: Faculties > Business and Law > Newcastle Business School
Depositing User: Paul Burns
Date Deposited: 30 Nov 2017 12:32
Last Modified: 31 Jul 2021 20:50
URI: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/32709

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