Innovation and Entrepreneurship Can Be Learned and Built on/Inovativnost i poduzetništvo može se naučiti i nadograditi

Abstract

Abstract 

Global competition has created considerable uncertainty among many young people. Therefore, the education and motivation of young people who takes initiatives at all levels of education is an extremely important part of lifelong learning and education, and also forms an important part of general human education. The main purpose of this study is to verify the hypothesis that long-lasting innovation-entrepreneurial education has an effect on improving innovation and entrepreneurial skills in pupils. The study involved 146 fourteen- and fifteen-year-old pupils from 22 Slovenian primary schools who participated in entrepreneurial  workshops for one year. The instruments used in the research were a questionnaire for measuring innovative behaviour, and a knowledge test. The data were collected before and upon the completion of the entrepreneurial workshops. The findings show that innovation as well as entrepreneurial skills can be developed and taught, and they also suggest that entrepreneurial circles are a good way of promoting creativity and innovation in schools. Innovation is an activity that can be learned through education to improve basic entrepreneurial skills and the development of entrepreneurial competence. From the perspective of sustainable solutions, approaches are coming to the fore that emphasize creative problem-solving among young people; such an ability is not only a universally useful skill, but is also the essence of entrepreneurial thinking and acting. 

Key words: entrepreneurial skills; innovation development; primary school.

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Sažetak 

Globalna je konkurencija stvorila znatnu nesigurnost među mnogim mladim ljudima. Stoga je obrazovanje i motivacija mladih ljudi koji preuzimaju inicijativu na svim razinama obrazovanja iznimno važan dio cjeloživotnoga učenja i obrazovanja, a također čini važan dio općega ljudskog obrazovanja. Glavni je cilj ovoga istraživanja provjeriti hipotezu prema kojoj dugotrajno inovativno i poduzetničko obrazovanje utječe na poboljšanje inovativnosti i poduzetničkih vještina učenika. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 146 četrnaestogodišnjaka i petnaestogodišnjaka iz 22 slovenske osnovne škole koji su bili uključeni u poduzetničke radionice u trajanju od jedne godine. Instrumenti korišteni u istraživanju su upitnik za mjerenje inovativnoga ponašanja i test znanja. Podatci su prikupljeni prije i po završetku poduzetničkih radionica. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da se inovativnost, kao i poduzetničke vještine, mogu razviti i naučiti, ali i ukazuju na to da su poduzetnički krugovi dobar način promicanja kreativnosti i inovativnosti u školama. Inovativnost je aktivnost koja se može naučiti putem obrazovanja s ciljem poboljšanja temeljnih poduzetničkih vještina i razvoja poduzetničke kompetencije. Iz perspektive održivih rješenja do izražaja dolaze pristupi koji naglašavaju kreativno rješavanje problema među mladima; navedena sposobnost nije samo univerzalno korisna vještina već je i bit poduzetničkoga razmišljanja i djelovanja. 

Ključne riječi: osnovna škola; poduzetničke vještine; razvoj inovativnosti.