Marilyn L. Kourilsky

Entrepreneurship and female youth: knowledge, attitudes, gender differences, and educational practices

Abstract Rapid expansion of creative opportunity recognition and business venture development suggests that the United States is experiencing a sea change with respect to entrepreneurship. Although trends and projections indicate that women will play an increasingly important role in the entrepreneurial development of the economy, little is known about what female youth either understand or think about entrepreneurship. Prompted by these underlying considerations, this study investigates survey data from a national sample of female and male high school students concerning their entrepreneurship knowledge and attitudes—and whether there are any significant gender differences in these areas. The Gallup Organization collected the study data from a sample that included approximately 1,000 males and females. The results derived from logit analysis of the data suggest that there are many similarities between females and males with respect to their knowledge of and opinions about entrepreneurship; however, they also exhibit significant gender differences in several areas. The studys findings lead to important curricular implications for entrepreneurship education in the nations schools, especially in relation to females. Both males and females exhibit a low level of entrepreneurship knowledge. Females, however, are more aware of their deficiencies in this knowledge area than are their male counterparts. Both sexes believe that further education can correct the knowledge problem. Although very interested in starting a business, females still are significantly less likely than males (62% vs. 72%) to want to start a business of their own. Both females and males overwhelmingly believe in the importance of giving back to the community—which goes beyond providing jobs. The findings of this study also suggest a significant paradox in the “pre-entrepreneurial” characteristics of female and male youth. Whereas the majority of students aspire to start their own businesses, they hold certain views that could be detrimental to entrepreneurial success. For example, more than half of the youth sampled believe that price changes are objectionable business responses to shifts in the cost of production or to changes in market demand. This pattern of response, moreover, is significantly more apparent in females than in males. The results of this study provide compelling evidence in support of the need to initiate or improve the entrepreneurship education of our nations youth. Their contributions may be strongly influenced by the foundation for entrepreneurship that is provided in the formative years of their education. Entrepreneurship education should focus on key entrepreneurship concepts, as well as the fundamental linkages between the dynamics and assumptions of a competitive market system and the concepts and practices of entrepreneurship. Two examples of educational programs that meet the particular needs of female youth with respect to these issues, as well as other key requirements for entrepreneurship education, are described in the final section of the study.

Entrepreneurial Attitudes and Knowledge of Black Youth

This study investigates the attitudes towards, education in, and knowledge of entrepreneurship of black youth using results from a national survey that was administered to a random sample of youth, ages 14 to 19. Survey responses reveal that black youth—more so than white youth—strongly desire to start businesses, want more entrepreneurship taught in their schools, and believe successful entrepreneurs have a responsibility to give back to the community. Limited access to role models, inadequate knowledge, and discomfort with some of the rationing mechanisms of competitive markets may limit the potential for black youth to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations. Implications of the survey results for black entrepreneurship are presented along with an educational initiative that models the potential impact of suitably designed and validated curricula.

Mini-Society and Yess! Learning Theory in Action

This analysis endeavours to demonstrate the mechanism by which incorporation of validated learning principles into a curriculum can maximise its potential effectiveness and impact on both cognitive and affective outcomes. The intent of this demonstration is to highlight for prospective curriculum innovators the importance of having a solid learning theory infrastructure in their target curricula. First, the article describes the experience-based Mini-Society framework and its embedded entrepreneurship curriculum, YESS! (Youth Empowerment and Self-Sufficiency). The analysis which follows explores how four research-informed learning theories were incorporated into the foundation of Mini-Society and YESS! and how their incorporation influenced the impact of these programmes.

Bridging the Gap between the Act of Invention and Creating a Business Venture: An Empirical Investigation

This study investigated the effects of Entrepreneur Invention Society - an experienced-based instructional intervention - on childrens knowledge of entrepreneurship and on their perceptions of business locus of control. 193 sixth-grade students, randomly assigned to eight classes, participated in the study; there were 95 males and 98 females. 101 of the participants were in the experimental group and 92 were in the control. The experimental group experienced the curriculum for a total of 30 hours over three months. The goal of the intervention was to integrate the process of invention with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of entrepreneurship. The control group spent an equivalent amount of time participating in science education units on inventors and the invention process. The experimental and control groups were post-tested on knowledge of entrepreneurship and business locus of control, both of which were impacted positively by Entrepreneur Invention Society. No significant gender differences were found. The discussion highlights the importance of instructional interventions that appear to be effective in enhancing entrepreneurship concept acquisition as well as internal locus of control.