Educator Challenges in the Development and Delivery of Constructivist Active and Experiential Entrepreneurship Classrooms in Chinese Vocational Higher Education

Bell, Robin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7325-4277 and Liu, P. (2019) Educator Challenges in the Development and Delivery of Constructivist Active and Experiential Entrepreneurship Classrooms in Chinese Vocational Higher Education. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 26 (2). pp. 209-227. ISSN 1462-6004

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Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this research is to investigate the perceived challenges that Chinese vocational college educators face in developing and delivering constructivist active and experiential entrepreneurship education.

Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data were collected from twenty-four focus groups of educators who had been tasked with embedding constructivist entrepreneurship education into their teaching and curriculum, at four different vocational colleges situated in four different provinces in China. The data was coded and analysed for emerging themes using a process of bottom up thematic analysis.

Findings
A range of concerns were identified from the focus groups and these could be divided into five main challenges, which were the role of the educator in the constructivist learning process and their ability to control the process; the educators’ perceived student reaction to the process and their engagement with it; the time and technology required to deliver the process; the link between constructivist learning and industry; and the educators’ perception of the requirements to meet internal expectations.

Research limitations/implications
This research explores the educators’ perceptions of the challenges they face in developing and delivering active and experiential constructivist entrepreneurship education. Whilst these concerns may impact how the educators’ approach the task, these concerns are only perceived, as the educators’ have not yet implemented the introduction of constructivist entrepreneurship education, when other challenges may become evident.

Originality/value
Encouragement by the Chinese government to develop and deliver constructivist active and experiential entrepreneurship education has resulted in a number of tensions and challenges. Entrepreneurship education in China is still relatively young and under researched and this research contributes to the literature by exploring the challenges that educators face in developing and delivering constructivist entrepreneurship education in Chinese vocational colleges.

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