Experiential learning in entrepreneurship education

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of social learning in entrepreneurship education conducted by the universities on the development of entrepreneurial behaviors of the course participants. Primary data are collected from 185 students of extension courses on entrepreneurship offered by three Sri Lankan universities namely, University of Colombo, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and University of Moratuwa. According to the factor analysis result, social learning process comprised four factors, namely attention, retention, motoric reproduction and motivation. The results show that social learning exists in entrepreneurship education and it positively impacts the development of entrepreneurial behaviors namely planning activities, establishing legitimacy and market behavior. Specially, motoric reproduction was found to be significant predictor of all three entrepreneurial behaviors. Further, entrepreneurs shall engage in social learning in entrepreneurship education to develop their entrepreneurial learning. The research provides important insights to the higher education sector in framing the delivery of its entrepreneurship courses to ensure effectiveness in entrepreneurship education. Nevertheless, this study affirms the existing arguments on the association between social learning and entrepreneurship development through a quantitative analysis.

This paper presents a meta-analysis grounded on a previously conducted systematic literature review on game-based learning (GBL) in Entrepreneurship Education (EE), with a particular focus on comparing the design principles, pedagogical value, and learning outcomes of experiential versus non-experiential game-like methodologies. While existing literature provides rich taxonomies of GBL tools and learning intentions, there is a gap in understanding how differing instructional approaches shape entrepreneurial competence development—particularly in terms of depth, engagement, and transferability of knowledge and skills. Experiential GBL approaches — such as role-playing scenarios, makerspace projects, entrepreneurial challenges, and serious games — immerse learners in problem-centered, often collaborative environments that mirror real-life entrepreneurial dynamics. These formats emphasize learning through doing, reflection, and iteration, and are deeply rooted in constructivist and transformative learning theories. In contrast, non-experiential approaches — such as gamified quizzes, flashcards, point systems, and digital badges — aim to increase engagement and motivation through extrinsic rewards, but often limit the learner’s active agency and emotional investment in the process. Our analysis indicates that experiential methodologies consistently show stronger results in fostering higher-order entrepreneurial competencies, such as creativity, opportunity recognition, resilience, and decision-making under uncertainty. These formats promote not only cognitive learning but also personal growth, self-efficacy, and teamwork. However, their implementation requires greater time, instructor preparation, and contextual adaptability. Non-experiential formats offer scalability, consistency, and ease of assessment, making them suitable for foundational knowledge acquisition or large-scale learning environments, yet may lack the depth needed for transformational outcomes. The paper concludes with implications for course and curriculum design in higher education, drawing on an applied example from a university-level entrepreneurship course that embodies experiential GBL principles. This serves as a case study for translating meta-analytic insights into actionable educational practice and provides a roadmap for educators and institutions seeking to enhance EE through game-based strategies tailored to their specific goals and constraints

This article problematises the critical subject of the decolonisation of the university and theological education in South Africa from the neo-colonisation of commercialisation and commodification. The article, written from a decolonial perspective, serves as an epistemic critique of the cultures of corporatisation, rationalisation and entrepreneurship in higher education driven by the marketisation of society by the neoliberal institutions of globalisation. The article engages the role of decolonising theological education by drawing insights from African/Black theologies, the discourse on Africanisation and liberation to counter the strangulation and dominance of the commodification and commercialisation of theological education and prosperity theology in Africa, particularly in South Africa.

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) phased out the National Diploma: Surveying and the B-Tech: Surveying qualifications and introduced a new qualification, Bachelor of the Built Environment (BBE): Geomatics in January 2018. Work integrated learning (WIL), which is also referred to as experiential learning (EL), emphasises workplace learning encompassing a career-focused educational strategy, inclusive of classroom-based and workplace-based forms of learning that are appropriate for a professional qualification. WIL has become an integral part of the teaching and learning pedagogy within the surveying profession at a national diploma level across many of the technikons and universities of technology (UoTs) nationally over the past few decades, including the DUT. WIL has become widely recognised as the cornerstone of student development because this interaction with industry encourages students to understand and appreciate the mechanisms of real WPL and the dynamics of a professional working environment, with the opportunity to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses while inculcating a sense of work identity and professionalism. Sattler (2011) explained that the term WIL is often used interchangeably with work-based learning, practice-based learning, work-related learning, vocational learning, experiential learning, co-operative education, clinical education, internship, practicum, and field education etc. For the purposes of this study, the terms ‘experiential learning’ and ‘work integrated learning’ will be used interchangeably. WIL has now been excluded from the new BBE: Geomatics qualification, as this qualification seeks to be more academically oriented and aligned. However, the lack of a WIL component could possibly result in a graduate who exhibits deficiencies in practical knowledge, technical skills, and work-related proficiencies when compared to the traditional survey technician/technologist that industry has become accustomed to over the years, which may have further detrimental consequences for the learner and the industry sector. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate and evaluate the historical impact of EL in terms of the impact on the student’s personal and professional development, in the National Diploma: Surveying programme, and to evaluate the relevance of WIL in the geomatics programme at the DUT. Data was collected through interactions with industry practitioners within the surveying and geomatics fraternity in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) region. The motivation for the study was to increase our understanding of industry’s perspectives on WIL to assist in terms of informed decision making and best practices, which will be beneficial to all stakeholders. There is an abundance of supporting literature highlighting the relevance and benefits of WIL which has been widely acknowledged as a vehicle for contributing to student development and increasing graduate employability outcomes. Dressler and Keeling (2011, cited in Baker 2014), summarised over 100 research publications on the benefits of WIL, regarding academic, personal, professional, and work skill development aspects. Smith (2012, cited in Wingrove and Turner 2015) explains that WIL creates the opportunity for higher education institutions (HEIs) to design, refine and teach curricula that are responsive to current and future workplace requirements, equipping students with the knowledge and capabilities to actively engage with industry and community partners, and improve work readiness. The study was conducted by employing a mixed-method approach incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative method however was the predominant technique since it constituted a significant part of the study. Quantitative techniques involve data collection, organisation, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of numerical data in both tabular and graphical formats. Appropriate statistical techniques were applied through the use of SPSS data analysis software. The qualitative method involved brief analysis of employer comments from the experiential training (ET) report data set and feedback from the open-ended question on both questionnaire surveys. The findings confirmed that the EL in the National Diploma: Surveying had a positive and meaningful impact on the development of the Diploma graduate. Further, the findings are that there is significant consensus from industry and students regarding the importance and relevance of WIL in promoting an enriching career focused education, and in facilitating the acquisition of discipline knowledge, practical proficiency, graduate attributes, employability skills, and core competencies that will culminate in an all-round holistic graduate to meet the needs of a modern workforce for the various industry sectors. Some of the recommendations arising from the study to support informed decision making going forward include: implementation of a six or twelve month WIL programme, increase in industry engagement and collaboration, implementation of WIL simulation methods, establishment of a survey camp, WIL staff industry secondment, and reintroduction of the WIL empowerment project.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an in-depth analysis of the current state of research related to Education for Entrepreneurship in Higher Education. Education for entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing fields within academic training worldwide, which is a good indicator of the importance that entrepreneurship and the creation of companies have for the economic development of any society. Education for entrepreneurship is essential, not only to promote an entrepreneurial spirit among young people but also to provide the basic skills, knowledge and innovative attitudes to carry out new business models successfully.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive bibliometric study was carried out with analysis of citations of 164 articles included in the multidisciplinary database Scopus (Elsevier) until 2017.FindingsThe results obtained show a growing interest of the scientific community in its study, as shown by the significant increase both in the number of articles and their citations in recent years.Research limitations/implicationsIn any bibliometric study, the limitation involved when analysing the results, the choice of a specific database and a specific search equation must be taken into account. With respect to the search terms, those used in this research may not be possible, the inclusion of new terms will alter the results. On the other hand, the aim was not to evaluate the quality of the content of the selected articles at any time, an objective that can be considered in a subsequent investigation, but a descriptive-quantitative analysis of the works and citations related to Education for Entrepreneurship in Higher Education, present in Scopus. To expand the present study, it would be interesting to examine the documents indexed in other databases (Redalyc, Scielo, ProQuest, Directory of Open Access Journals[DOAJ]), together with the possibility of including comparative and overlapping studies between them.Originality/valueThe purpose of this work is to serve as a reference for researchers who are developing their studies in the general field of education for entrepreneurship and more specifically in the field of higher education, to improve their knowledge on the most relevant articles, the most productive authors or the key scientific journals that address this topic.

The development of entrepreneurial mindsets and competencies is a key differentiator of entrepreneurship education, yet traditional, individualist, functional approaches to entrepreneurship education do not adequately support this and appropriate tools and techniques remain unclear. This learning innovation is an approach to directly support the development of entrepreneurial mindsets and competencies in entrepreneurship education through socially-situated experiential learning in a structured way. It uses flashmobs as a heutagogical entrepreneurship education technique, which engages students in self-directed learning through real social action. By careful framing around appropriate entrepreneurship theory, combined with coaching and facilitation, we show how it is possible for entrepreneurship educators to support students in developing a critical reflective appraisal of their own ways of thinking and latent entrepreneurial competencies when facing challenges that require an entrepreneurial response while simultaneously providing the platform for students to embark on their journey of entrepreneurial self-discovery through both experiential and existential learning. We contribute by providing a heutagogical tool to be used either iteratively as the launch-pad into traditional andragogical methods in new venture creation or as the embarkation into new heutagogical programs, which emphasize self-directed entrepreneurial learning.

Experiential learning in entrepreneurship education: A systematic literature review

The need for developing new entrepreneurial ways of thinking and acting has been in the agenda for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union countries. In line with their agenda, the Nordic Council of Ministers has been preoccupied with the development of entrepreneurial mindsets among the adult population. Seeking to meet the urgent need for developing entrepreneurial thinking, the Nordic Network for Adult Learning, together with the Nordic Council of Ministers, has elaborated and tested a Scandinavian model for stimulating entrepreneurial mindsets through the transformative learning circles. Based on the study of the TLC pilot project, this chapter explores the process of facilitation of entrepreneurial learning. The literature on entrepreneurial learning and education emphasises on the importance of facilitation; however, this issue is yet to be addressed in-depth. This chapter seeks to fill in this gap and contribute to our understanding of the role that facilitators play in the entrepreneurial and transformative learning processes. Drawing on the social constructionist approach to learning, this chapter discusses how facilitators and learners (entrepreneurs) become co-creators of knowledge and learning experiences.

PurposeAlthough entrepreneurial learning is widely believed as an important factor in shaping one’s entrepreneurial intention, research finds little consistent results on the direct effect of entrepreneurial learning on one’s entrepreneurial intention. To solve the conflicted effects of entrepreneurial learning, the purpose of this paper is to explore how entrepreneurial learning may impact individual entrepreneurial intention.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the authors proposed and tested on a three mediating effect model, in which entrepreneurial learning is associated with entrepreneurial intention through attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control toward entrepreneurship. Moreover, the moderating role of prior exposure to entrepreneurship was proposed and tested. Based on a sample of 200 university students who have taken entrepreneurial courses in Hong Kong, the hierarchical regressions and moderated mediation tests were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe authors find that the positive relationship between entrepreneurial learning and entrepreneurial intention is significantly mediated by attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control toward entrepreneurship; and the mediating effects of entrepreneurial learning on entrepreneurial intention via attitudes and perceived behavioral control respectively, is moderated by exposure to entrepreneurship.Originality/valueContributing to the literature of entrepreneurship education, this study identifies individuals who exposed to the same entrepreneurship education may perform differently in entrepreneurial learning. The findings also help us to better understand the mechanism through which and under which context one’s entrepreneurial learning may enhance his/her entrepreneurial intention.

South Africa became a co-signatory to the Washington Accord for engineers in 1999, and later a founding co-signatory to the Sydney Accord for technologists in 2001 and the Dublin Accord for technicians in 2002, and plays a leading role in engineering education in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper describes the evolution of engineering education in South Africa, the impact of an unprecedented educational transition caused by recent changes in national policy, which might influence mobility and the international recognition of qualifications, and an industry-informed future direction for engineering education at South African universities of technology.Background: It was only in 1968 that the Professional Engineers Act governing the professional registration of engineers was promulgated in South Africa. The formal recognition of other members of the engineering team and associated qualifications, in particular technicians and technologists, began only after the recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry into the Training, Use and Status of Engineering Technicians in the Republic of South Africa, commonly known as the Goode Report after the chairman of the committee, R.C.J. Goode, was published in 1978. International recognition was attained only much later, when in 1999 the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) became a co-signatory to the Washington Accord for engineers, and later a founding co-signatory to the Sydney and Dublin Accords. These initiatives eased the mobility of engineering practitioners and the recognition of qualifications in co-signatory countries.Purpose: Although the adoption of the recommendations of the Goode Report created a stable environment for the training of the engineering team in the Southern African environment, in December 2012, the Minister of Higher Education and Training approved a revised Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) published in the Government Gazette No. 36003, which is creating a disruptive influence on the qualifications offered by universities of technology, international comparability, and industry expectations. This paper investigates whether the core recommendations of the Goode Report are still relevant, valid, and worth considering during a time when Universities of Technology (UoTs) in South Africa are experiencing an unprecedented transition which may influence mobility and the international recognition of qualifications.Method: A questionnaire, which focused on the expected competencies and attributes required from South African University of Technology (UoT) graduates, was developed. The graduate competencies and attributes were derived from those defined by the International Engineering Alliance. The questionnaire also probed stakeholder views on Work Integrated Learning (WIL), currently a standard component of South African university of technology qualifications. The questionnaire was distributed to 110 stakeholders, and 54% responded.Results: Based on the analysis of the stakeholder questionnaires, it is clear that there is a niche for South African universities of technology to focus on Sydney Accord type qualifications for technologists. Although there was overwhelming support for workplace-based WIL, significant uncertainty regarding long-term industry partnerships to ensure suitable workplace placement for students, emerged.KeywordsAccreditationBaccalaureate institutionsInternational comparabilityDublin AccordEngineering curriculumSydney AccordUniversities of technologyWashington AccordWork Integrated Learning

PurposeEntrepreneurial learning is an important area of enquiry which is not well understood in either the academic study of entrepreneurship or the practical development of new entrepreneurs. The article aims to explore two questions: first, how do people learn to work in entrepreneurial ways – are there significant processes and experiences in their learning, which can be related to existing learning theories? Second, can a useful framework to understand entrepreneurial learning be developed and applied both in entrepreneurial practice and conceptually by educators?Design/methodology/approachThe article includes a brief critical review of the theoretical literature in the areas of entrepreneurship and learning. Thematic discourse analysis is used to interpret the life story narratives of three entrepreneurs in the creative industries. Material from their learning experiences is used to support the development of a conceptual model. This demonstrates connections between the emergence of entrepreneurial identity, learning as a social process, opportunity recognition, and venture formation as a negotiated activity.FindingsThe principal finding is to propose a conceptual framework of entrepreneurial learning as a triadic model, including major themes of personal and social emergence, contextual learning, the negotiated enterprise, and a group of 11 related sub‐themes.Practical implicationsApplications of the model in entrepreneurship education, work‐based learning and practice, are proposed, within and beyond the context of the creative media industry.Originality/valueThe paper develops an original and distinctive conceptual understanding of entrepreneurial learning through analysis of entrepreneurs' experiences, based on a social learning and constructionist perspective.

PurposeThe study aims to identify the status quo of artificial intelligence in entrepreneurship education with a view to identifying potential research gaps, especially in the adoption of certain intelligent technologies and pedagogical designs applied in this domain.Design/methodology/approachA scoping review was conducted using six inclusive and exclusive criteria agreed upon by the author team. The collected studies, which focused on the adoption of AI in entrepreneurship education, were analysed by the team with regards to various aspects including the definition of intelligent technology, research question, educational purpose, research method, sample size, research quality and publication. The results of this analysis were presented in tables and figures.FindingsEducators introduced big data and algorithms of machine learning in entrepreneurship education. Big data analytics use multimodal data to improve the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education and spot entrepreneurial opportunities. Entrepreneurial analytics analysis entrepreneurial projects with low costs and high effectiveness. Machine learning releases educators’ burdens and improves the accuracy of the assessment. However, AI in entrepreneurship education needs more sophisticated pedagogical designs in diagnosis, prediction, intervention, prevention and recommendation, combined with specific entrepreneurial learning content and entrepreneurial procedure, obeying entrepreneurial pedagogy.Originality/valueThis study holds significant implications as it can shift the focus of entrepreneurs and educators towards the educational potential of artificial intelligence, prompting them to consider the ways in which it can be used effectively. By providing valuable insights, the study can stimulate further research and exploration, potentially opening up new avenues for the application of artificial intelligence in entrepreneurship education.

IN RECENT YEARS, there has emerged a burgeoning literature on education policy in South Africa informed by the nature of the current transition and history of educational struggles under apartheid. The article by Curtin on the political economy of education in South Africa recently published in this journal, misrepresents in substantial measure current policy directions in education.1 The starting premise of Curtin's article is that the African National Congress (ANC) 'alternative budget' presented in 1992 is synonymous with ANC education policy. This policy, it is argued, is characterized by an emphasis on primary education at the expense of post-primary, and the introduction of a system of user charges. It is underpinned by the same economic model, human capital theory, on which Verwoerd's policy was based. The emphasis on primary education in contemporary South Africa is flawed, it is argued, first because 'South Africa has already achieved universal primary and lower secondary education for blacks' (p. 417); second because it suggests restriction and exclusion of blacks from higher education; third because of 'the basic errors in the education policy model applied by the ANC and its advisors' (p. 424) (which derive from an uncritical model of rates of return analysis and the association, in more recent developments of the model, with intelligence theories); and fourth, because there is a divergence of these assumptions from those of standard investment analysis. The argument alights on key issues of debate and contestation in South African education policy: the role of ideas and ideology in shaping its contours, the content of education policy in transition, and the continuities and discontinuities with past policy and practice. The attention given to human capital theory is particularly apposite, since it reflects a phenomenon widely observed in the developing world: the resuscitation of neoliberalism under the auspices of financial institutions such as the World Bank associate.2 In South Africa as elsewhere however this requires demonstration, exploration and explanation rather than assertion and reference to one public intervention in the press.

Research Aims: This study analyzes trends, patterns, and future directions of green entrepreneurship in higher education using a bibliometric approach. By mapping scientific production, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution, it provides insights into its academic development and policy implications. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed bibliometric analysis using publications retrieved from the Scopus database. A keyword-based search strategy was used to identify relevant articles, which resulted in 48 final publications for analysis. Two analysis tools, VOSviewer and R Studio (Biblioshiny), were used to analyze co-citations, co-occurrence networks, author productivity evaluation, and keyword analysis. Research Findings: Research on green entrepreneurship in higher education is growing, with a focus on social sciences and business management. Developed countries lead in scientific production, while developing nations like Indonesia and Pakistan are emerging contributors. The field is shifting towards understanding how education fosters green entrepreneurial intentions. However, gaps remain in evaluating the real-world impact of green entrepreneurship programs. Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study systematically maps the evolution of green entrepreneurship research, emphasizing its multidisciplinary nature and the need for better integration of environmental and technological aspects. It highlights curriculum development, learning models, and policy effectiveness as key future research areas while underscoring the potential for global collaboration in fostering sustainable entrepreneurship. Keywords: Green Entrepreneurship, Higher Education, Bibliometric, VOSviewer, R Studio

The present conceptual article discusses non-cognitive aspects of entrepreneurial learning. Entrepreneurs are known to undergo extreme experience phases during establishing their firms where peak experience, peak performance and flow counteract. As a result, increasing anxiety and stress may hamper their performance. Non-cognitive skills that consider simultaneously mental processes, emotions and spirit in connection with the human neurophysiological system in a holistic, human learning process, could appear more efficient in describing how entrepreneurial learning occurs in stressful situations. In the present discussion somatic learning education is suggested as a possibility to enhance entrepreneurial learning, creativity and performance in stressful situations. As non-cognitive entrepreneurial skills have been overlooked in the extant literature, the present discussion initiates a discussion for further research in the field. The concepts of holistic entrepreneurial learning, embodiment and somatic learning are described while their relevance to stressful business start-upping and entrepreneurial well-being is sought. The article concludes with relevant research questions for further examination. Keywords: Entrepreneurial education, Embodiment, Somatics, Peak performance, Peak experience, Flow, Well-being, Stress regulation, Innovation, Creativity.