The Impact of Entrepreneurial Teaching: The Mediating Effect of the Teacher’s Ease of Performing University–Business Collaboration

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is a multifaceted phenomenon that has a vital role in Finnish society. It has become a top priority in national government policies because of its significance as a driver of economic growth, creativity, and innovation. The crucial role of entrepreneurship has also been reflected in educational policies. The research field of entrepreneurship education has increased substantially during the last fifteen years. Several studies reveal the significance of entrepreneurship education, the essential elements of entrepreneurial learning, and the impact of entrepreneurship education on students’ entrepreneurial competences. According to a number of studies, teachers play a crucial role in enhancing students’ entrepreneurial competences. Collaboration between universities and businesses has been evoked as a good practice in entrepreneurship education. Nevertheless, there is still a great need for research on the relationship between the teachers in charge of entrepreneurship education and the implementations of university–business collaboration. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of entrepreneurial teaching on teaching practices in entrepreneurship education. The authors of this paper contribute to deepening knowledge about this relation. They also increase the knowledge about the supportive role of university–business collaboration to teachers’ adoption and diffusion of entrepreneurial teaching through a control variable of the ease of university–business collaboration. The empirical data for this study come from Finland, collected through an Internet survey. The results show that the teacher’s perception of the ease of engaging in university–business collaboration has an indirect effect on the teaching practices used. On the other hand, the teacher’s ability to implement entrepreneurial teaching has a positive direct relation to the ease of performing university–business collaboration, affecting also the use of versatile teaching methods.