ASSESSMENT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS BY SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the views of social studies teachers on entrepreneurship skills. The present study was conducted with phenomenology design. The study data was collected with semi-structured interviews. Criterion sampling was used in the research. The study criterion included the social studies teachers that instructed the course in 5th and 6th grades and ten social studies teachers participated in the current study. Data collected in the study were analyzed with content analysis. Teachers described entrepreneurship skills with risk taking, curiosity, being brave, discovering needs, generating ideas, thinking differently, being confident, active, and prioritizing the social welfare. Teachers emphasized mental, emotional and social traits among the behavior of the students with entrepreneurship skills. They mentioned environmental, familial, personal and education-related points on the factors that affect entrepreneurial skills were analyzed. Upskilling better entrepreneurship skills within the context of educational and instructional activities, the teachers provided information by utilizing the environment. Majority of teachers mentioned that they conducted various activities and utilized the material for the students to acquire entrepreneurship skills. Several teachers measured the students’ entrepreneurship skills via observations in the process. Furthermore, social studies teachers suggested that entrepreneurship should be instructed more clearly in educational activities.