An in-Depth Analysis Essay

Volume 5, September 2010 The International Journal of Research and Review 51 An In-depth Analysis of the Entrepreneurship Education in the Philippines: An Initiative Towards the Development of a Framework for a Professional Teaching Competency Program for Entrepreneurship Educators Maria Luisa B. Gatchalian Miriam College Abstract This research paper is a descriptive study, which aims to identify the training needs of entrepreneurship educators and practices in entrepreneurship education in the Philippines. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and one-on-one interviews are conducted using structured and unstructured interview guides, which revealed the respondents’ answers, thought patterns, expressions and insights on an array of questions pertaining to entrepreneurship education in the Philippines. The result shows that students assign the highest importance to the personal qualities of entrepreneurship educators (e. g. human and motivating, etc. ) and teaching methodology and delivery (e. g. innovative and interactive) among other qualities (e. g. educational attainment). Entrepreneurship educators ascribe most importance on personalized, experience and project-based learning. However, they assert that this teaching practice should be complemented by a manageable class size, program support facilities and teaching skills enhancement (e. g. , mentoring, etc. ) among others. The school administrators play an important role in setting the direction and progression of the entrepreneurship program in their respective institutions against the background of numerous challenges in managing resources to support its needs. This study highlights that entrepreneurship education in tertiary level is best achieved through a well-designed curriculum, effective teaching model grounded on personalized and experience-based learning, and strong institutional support. Keywords: teaching and learning needs, entrepreneurship education, and tertiary level. Introduction Entrepreneurship education is a recent trend in new course development as against the traditional courses that have gained formal recognition in higher-level institutions. Entrepreneurship courses are now finding their way into formal education as subjects or full degree courses in the tertiary level. Unlike traditional business courses, which have developed and evolved over many decades in universities all over the world in conjunction with active practicing business operations, formal entrepreneurship teaching in the tertiary level is a relatively young course. Professional development of entrepreneurship educators, however, is not as institutionalized as the development of teachers for traditional business courses. MBAs and PhDs in general business and in management fill the faculty rooms of colleges and universities, but educators who hold masters and doctorate degrees in entrepreneurship are rare. Even teaching information and resources are not well known or are not available in many schools, making it difficult for budding entrepreneurs to find the sources they need. Entrepreneurship education is, by nature, highly experiential and interactive. Course requirements are mostly output and result oriented,  © 2010 Time Taylor International ? ISSN 2094-1420 Volume 5, September 2010 The International Journal of Research and Review 52 prototype development, hands-on training and other practical applications that require mentoring and close monitoring of students’ progress at each developmental stage. Teaching college teens to become entrepreneurs takes a different set of skills, insights or sensitivity and teaching approaches to connect, motivate and engage them to. The uniqueness of the student needs and the course requirements entails specific teaching skills to match both. One of the perceived tools to address and match these needs is to first conduct an assessment of the qualities, competencies, methods and techniques and other factors that are important to students, educators, and school administrators. There are new challenges of the learning dynamics of emerging youth in the 21st century. Among them are the uses and matching of modern communication technologies with appropriate teaching methodologies, which the new generation is well adapted to but a good number of educators are not. These are only a few examples of the specialized skills and knowledge that are needed to upgrade entrepreneurship training in the tertiary level. Likewise, course management and its administration are also faced more than ever, with challenges and limitations that behoove everyone to deal creatively with. The study is grounded on the premise that if the educational system is to breed entrepreneurs as the future economic movers, it is but appropriate that the learning source, or the educators should be well equipped and sensitive to their needs and learning dynamics who are ? nolonger-children but not-yet adults.? In the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has pushed the formal integration of entrepreneurship education pursuant to Republic Act No. 7722 as embodied in Memorandum Order No. 17 (CMO # 17) Series of 2005 – Curriculum Requirement for Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship (BS Entrepreneurship). This document contains the new academic and developmental thrusts of the Entrepreneurship Programs and Courses in the Tertiary Level. It is also important to note that based on the CHED directory in the National Capital Region, there has been an increase in colleges and universities offering business and entrepreneurship courses. Some have indicated the integration of entrepreneurship in their schools, as a full course leading to a degree, a track, or as a major subject. There are already concerted efforts in the government and the private sector to advance entrepreneurship education as a long-term solution to economic advancement. It follows then that the future offering of the course on entrepreneurship will increase, and programs will take on a newer form as it evolves and develops over time. One of the concrete efforts to meet these new challenges is the formation of Entrepreneurship Educators of the Philippines (ENEDA). The main thrust of the organization is to assist all its members in accessing or actually developing for their immediate use all the relevant knowledge and skills needed in teaching college students to become  © 2010 Time Taylor International ? ISSN 2094-1420