Teaching with an Entrepreneurial Mindset
Ilana Shapira, Simon Fraser University (Canada)
Abstract
At first glance, it might seem that entrepreneurship and education exist in separate and contradictory realms. Furthermore, there may be concerns that entrepreneurship poses a threat to fundamental educational values. However, upon closer examination, this research discovers significant parallels between these seemingly disparate fields. This autoethnographic research project tells the story of a professional transformation from working as a high school educator to entrepreneurship, developing a holistic solution for Hebrew language educators. The solution takes the form of an innovative online platform, offering teachers a non-linear, adaptable curriculum enriched with authentic teaching materials, a wide, diverse array of topics, digital teaching tools, and professional guidelines.
This interdisciplinary study sheds light on the entrepreneurial journey intertwined with educational research. It evolves around the conspicuous gap between theoretical reconceptualization of key educational processes and their practical implementation in classrooms—a gap that often manifests a lack of intellectual independence among teachers. Remarkably, the research highlights substantial similarities between entrepreneurship and education, both in theory and practice. It argues that the entrepreneurial process mirrors real-life inquiry-based learning, embodying core contemporary educational values such as empathy, imagination, and active engagement. Furthermore, by embracing entrepreneurial principles and mindsets, education has the potential to bridge the longstanding chasm between theoretical frameworks and the day-to-day realities of teaching, empowering educators to cultivate intellectual independence.
Keywords: Entrepreneurship, autoethnographic research, contemporary educational, intellectual independence, inquiry-based learning
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