Teaching Social Entrepreneurship in Higher Education: Active Pedagogy in a Deweyan Perspective

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship education has achieved academic recognition as a subject matter and field of research. However, there is no consensus about how this subject should be taught. The paper explores the potential of active pedagogy for social entrepreneurship education, presenting a Deweyan perspective focussed on reflection and ownership of learning. It draws on a three-year interinstitutional project that aimed at disseminating active pedagogy among in-service teachers in Latin America, and it presents the case of a Brazilian university, where the project was implemented. Findings show that reflecting on concrete cases regarding local social issues triggered students' empathy and fostered proactive attitudes. By using reflection-based active pedagogy, participant teachers developed a higher level of awareness about their need for constant self-assessment. The paper concludes that social entrepreneurship education can benefit from a stronger focus on empowerment, as a first step for social change.

Social Entrepreneurship Education at Croatian Universities

“…In doing so, professors can support students with design thinking principles that are particularly appropriate and useful when starting social enterprises (Kickul et al, 2018). Reflection and critical thinking about real problems in local communities can lead to a greater understanding of society's issues, and networking for future projects (Pischetola & Martins, 2021). At the institutional level, service learning significantly influences environmental sustainability commitment in higher education (Alfirević et al, 2022).…”

The impact of social entrepreneurship education on students' competencies and intentions: a systematic review

“…Another study based on a qualitative approach involving interviews with teachers participating in social entrepreneurship courses and focus groups with learners indicates a positive impact of active pedagogy on student empathy (Pischetola & Martins, 2021). The results showed that reflecting on concrete cases of local social problems triggered empathy among students.…”

“…Using experiential learning with income-generating projects also led to the development of communication skills, as well as the generation of new ideas and empathy (Chang et al 2014). Active pedagogy with a perspective focused on reflection has lead to an increase of "social and behavioural competencies" compared to those based on "leadership, making and organisation" (Pischetola & Martins, 2021).…”

“…Along with the expansion of initiatives to introduce SEE programs, the development of research in this field has also begun. However, given the complexity of the knowledge and skills promoted through social entrepreneurship (SE) courses, research in the field has so far failed to indicate teaching methods widely used by SE teachers (Pischetola & Martins, 2021). Besides, the existing disagreement among scholars on how to balance business and social goals through social entrepreneurial activities amplifies the existing challenges in SEE (Tracey & Phillips, 2006).…”

Factors affecting social entrepreneurial intentions in a Portuguese higher education institution

“…In a society marked by inequalities and socio-environmental problems, recently aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic as recognized in Quantin and Tubert-Bitter (2022) and Serpa and Ferreira (2022), social entrepreneurship succeeds in strengthening the role of education to promote projects and practices that provide students with the chance to recognize their potential to transform and generate positive impact. The challenge of teaching social entrepreneurship has been taken up by several higher education institutions by building specific training programs for it (Pischetola et al , 2021; Pizarro and Graybeal, 2022; Talmage and Gassert, 2022). Knowledge of entrepreneurial intention has been an important element to characterize the impact and achievement of educational programs supporting the teaching of entrepreneurship.…”