Researching education: Five further readings on enterprise education

Welcome to this month's edition of Researching education: Five further readings. In this series, we take a look at some further readings available on a particular topic, including open access research papers from various online databases, and Teacher archive content you might not have come across yet.

We recently brought you news of how teachers can get involved in a novel research project mapping enterprise education in schools by sharing their perspectives and experiences in a nationwide survey. To continue the theme, in our latest edition of Researching Education: Five further readings, we're looking at five resources on the topic of enterprise education.

Here, you can read about the benefits of integrating entrepreneurial skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs, the entrepreneurial learning strategy in South Australia, and a guidance note on entrepreneurial competencies from the OECD.

  1. The Paradigm Shifters: Entrepreneurial Learning in Schools. This report from the Mitchell Institute is featured in the Cunningham Library Catalogue, an open access resource filled with links and references to Australian education research material including journals, government reports and books. You can access other resources on the topic of enterprise education in the catalogue here.

The Paradigm Shifters: Entrepreneurial Learning in Schools communicates the findings from an initiative undertaken between 2016 and 2017 with the Mitchell Institute, VASSP (Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals), NSWSPC (New South Wales Secondary Principals' Council) and 21 government schools from NSW and Victoria. ‘They committed to create the conditions, or extend what they already had in place, to develop young people who are more entrepreneurial-minded,' the report reads.

  1. How entrepreneurial skills can strengthen your STEM program. This article from Monash University STEM experts Lucas Johnson and Jennifer Mansfield argues for the implementation of entrepreneurial education within STEM programs. ‘Schools are positioned well for gradually introducing enterprise skills and attributes as they offer a supportive, risk-reduced environment where students can develop empathy, and develop resilience by viewing failures as opportunities for learning,' they write.
  2. The new basics: big data reveals the skills young people need for the new work order. The Foundation for Young Australians have prepared this paper as part of their New Work Order series. Here, they analyse the data available on the future of work, discuss industry demand for enterprise skills and how we can help prepare young people for life after school.
  3. Entrepreneurial Learning strategy. This paper from the Government of South Australia Department for Education outlines their entrepreneurial learning strategy. ‘This Entrepreneurial Learning strategy aims to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in our young people that helps them succeed. In doing so, we will see that their individual successes can lead to a thriving, entrepreneurial future for South Australia,' the Minister for Education, Hon John Gardner MP outlines in his foreword.There are three goals: young people engage in learning that develops an entrepreneurial mindset; schools embed entrepreneurial learning; and South Australia benefits from entrepreneurial young people in their curriculum and culture.
  4. Guidance note for teachers and school managers: From creativity to initiative – building entrepreneurial competencies in schools. The OECD has published a draft guidance report on the entrepreneurial school, the outward looking school and ecosystems, resources for entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial education in practice.

A reminder that you can find out more about the research project and Australia's largest national teacher survey on enterprise education, from Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research at Queensland University of Technology, and the Australian Council for Educational Research, in our article here, and you can complete the survey here.

If you'd like to access more resources on enterprise education, you can browse the resources available on this topic at EdResearch Online here. EdResearch Online is another online database contains hundreds of articles from Australian education journals, some of which are open access.

The Cunningham Library membership is open to individuals, schools and organisations. Membership includes access to a comprehensive collection of education research literature; weekday alerts to a selection of Australian education news; fast supply of articles and books from the collection; support in finding research; and an integrated online search tool that works across all our resources.

To become a library member, visit the website.