THE PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION

Auli Ojala
Dr, Ms., University of Tampere, Finland, auli.ojala2@gmail.com

Abstract

12-year old Finnish school children get familiar with working life by coming to work for one day in Me and MyCity learning environment. The children practice financial employment and entrepreneurial skills in the miniature societies of the Me and MyCity project.

In 2013, Tampere joined the Finnish Me and MyCity project, which is now also expanding to other Finnish towns. Me and MyCity societies are miniature towns with companies and public services. Pupils work in the companies of these towns for one day earning virtual salary and functioning as mini-society`s citizens and consumers. The design of this project is to investigate Me and MyCity as a teaching method of three aspects: principals, teachers and pupils.

The research object comprised 37 schools and principals, teachers and 220 pupils. The schools are located in Tampere and in five municipalities around Tampere. The study of this project is: principals’ teachers’ and students’ perceptions of entrepreneurship education and Me and MyCity learning environment. The theoretic frame of reference is based on Phenomenal learning and Finnish core curriculum 2016 for sixth-graders. The study employs Strauss’s grounded theory approach. The empirical material of study was gathered using various information acquisition methods: interviews, questionnaire, record interviews and field diaries based on observation.

Conclusions: According the research findings the principals´ swot analysis shows their unsure to define possibilities of the schools and entrepreneurship education, the teachers consider Me and MyCity as teaching method relevant and good for the pupils, still the teaching material is looking too theoretical. The pupils like to visit Me and MyCity and like to work in the profession they had chosen.

Keywords: National Finnish Core Curriculum 2016, working skills, phenomenon-based learning, computer-aided learning, self-evaluation, entrepreneurship education, teaching method, working life and competence.