Entrepreneurship Education: Unveiling Motivation in Student-Educator Relationships

Objectives: This article explores the educator-student relationship within Entrepreneurship Education (EE) programs. It adopts the self-determination theory as a theoretical lens to investigate how the educator-student relationship can enhance students' motivation, engagement and active participation, as well as the overall effectiveness of EE programmes. Prior Work: Entrepreneurship education has been the subject of numerous analyses and investigations, covering the content and goals of educational programs, pedagogical approaches and teaching practices, student learning processes, and the outcomes and effectiveness of teaching programs. In contrast, only a few studies have addressed the role of educators and how they can influence students’ engagement within EE programs. It is, therefore, important to fill this gap and investigate educator-student interaction, as it can be key in facilitating or hindering student learning. Approach: The results of an analysis of educator-student relationships involved in an optional EE workshop offered by an Italian university are presented and discussed. Data are collected using various sources: participatory observation, focus groups, narratives and semi-structured interviews of faculty and students. Results: Findings show that educators’ ability to meet students’ needs of relatedness is an essential condition for student motivation, engagement and active participation in an EE program. Relatedness can be as crucial as, if not more important than, educators’ autonomy and competence. It suggests that fostering an environment of psychological safety and mutual respect can significantly enhance the educational experience, potentially leading to improved learning outcomes and increased student satisfaction. Implications and Value: From a theoretical point of view, this study contributes to broadening knowledge about EE programs and understanding factors that enhance students’ motivation towards entrepreneurship learning. Findings also offer practical implications, as they provide useful suggestions to improve the effectiveness of EE initiatives.