Using Business Games in Primary Education

Author(s):

Helen Tsakiridou(submitting)Konstantinos Stergiou(presenting)Maria Tarsi Efthimia Tsakiridou

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

20. Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments

Format:

Paper

Session Information

20 SES 12, Exploring Sutdents' National and Euorpean Identities at Three European Schools- An Extended Session with Focus on the European Perspective; Interculturality; Identity and Inclusion and Qualities of Learning within Volunteering in the Global South

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-11

09:00-10:30

Room:

665.Oktatóterem [C]

Chair:

Raimonda Bruneviciute

Contribution

Europe’s competitiveness, innovation and economic growth depend on being able to produce future leaders with the skills and attitudes to be entrepreneurial in their professional lives, whether by creating their own companies or innovating in larger organizations. For this reason, entrepreneurship education is currently being promoted in most European countries as it is the first and arguably the most important step for embedding an innovative culture in Europe (Wilson, 2008). In order to make a success of the Lisbon strategy for growth and employment, Europe needs to stimulate the entrepreneurial mindsets of young people, encourage innovative business start-ups, and foster a culture that is friendlier to entrepreneurship and to the growth of small and medium-sized businesses (European Commission. Final Report of the Expert Group, 2008). The important role of education in promoting more entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviours, starting even at primary school, is now widely recognized. This great emphasis on the field of entrepreneurship education in the educational systems of the most European countries (Vestergaard, Moberg, & Jørgensen, 2012) has created several different educational approaches in the corresponding field. Specific strategies/action plans focused exclusively on the integration of entrepreneurship education; broader educational or economic strategies which incorporate objectives for entrepreneurship education; individual or multiple initiatives related to entrepreneurship education (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, 2012) are only some examples. In Greece, entrepreneurship education is part of the strategy for the New School since 2010, which follows the educational strategic objectives common to the EU, among which is improving innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. However, yet, there are no subjects integrated in the school curriculum directly connected to entrepreneurship. A question that might occur is if educational approaches like the ones mentioned above are effective on achieving educational goals. For this reason, in recent years a number of evaluation studies have addressed whether entrepreneurship education is effective in reaching its stated goals (Huber, Sloof, & Van Praag, 2012). Results show that efforts already being done in primary education in Greece are not enough and more long-lasting plans coherent with the future goals of entrepreneurship education should be considered, (Tsakiridou & Stergiou, 2012). This study aims to examine if an educational program, like the program of the Educational Non-profit organization, Junior Achievement “JA More than Money” can be useful and effective in succeeding the National goals on entrepreneurship education, if applied in the Primary Education schools in Greece. The program has been successfully implemented in Greece by the Greek organization “Somateio Epiheirimatikotitas Neon” who is the official representative of JA Worldwide in Greece. In this study, we explore opportunities for such educational programs to have a positive effect on aspects of an educational system aimed at achieving specific goals such as preparing children to be skilled members of the workforce and to be informed and productive citizens (Zapata-Rivera & Bauer, 2012). More specifically the study focuses on the evaluation of how JA More than Money can affect student knowledge, behaviours, and attitudes on the topics of financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness.

Method

For the purpose of the study the educational program JA More than Money was used which is a global financial educational program, implemented by JA Worldwide in many countries in the world, that teaches basic financial skills to students (Takyi-Laryea, Belarmino, & JBS International, 2013). The program teaches 5th and 6th grade students about spending, sharing, and saving money as well as ways of earning money through entrepreneurship or employment. The program consists of six sessions (each one lasts for 60 minutes in the school class) which are the following: Money in the Bank: Students learn to manage a bank account, to reinforce their money-management skills. A Sense of Worth: Students identify businesses they can start or jobs they can perform to earn money focusing on developing a positive work ethic. Balancing Act: Students identify personal skills and interests and connect them with possible business opportunities. Building a Business: Students explore their jobs skills and the types of businesses in which they are interested identifying the basic steps for starting and operating a small business. Using this information, students develop a business plan. Get SMART: The concept of making consumer decisions is introduced through role-playing. What’s the Catch?: Students learn to recognize deceptive advertising and the importance of ethical business practices. In order to measure the possible effects of the implementation of the educational program a questionnaire was used. The questionnaire, based on JA Worldwide (2013), was used before the implementation of the project (Pre-Test) and after the project was finished (Post-Test) and included questions regarding entrepreneurship and financial literacy. These questions were based directly on the content from the six sessions in the JA More than Money curriculum. Also items on the student pre- and post-test survey measured behaviour and attitudes with regard to personal finances, sense of control about a future career, and commitment to school. In order to compare students’ pre and post tests descriptive statistics as well as the Paired Samples t-test technique was used. The survey took place in the 5th Primary School of Florina, in Greece (School Year 2013-2014) and the total sample of students who participated in the study consisted of 12 boys and 9 girls all 5th graders. There is a second survey running this school year (2014-2015), in the same primary school concerning 5th graders willing to offer results for comparison between the two school years.

Expected Outcomes

Findings show students’ significant increase in knowledge of financial concepts as well as improved financial behaviours and attitudes. Specifically, results of the Pre-test show that the 75% of students knew what an entrepreneur is, 65% knew the meaning of interest, while 40% could distinguish the best example of money management and the characteristics of an intelligent consumer, respectively. The question for start-up costs seemed particularly difficult because only 30% responded correctly. The Post-test gave significant different results as the 85% gave correct responses for the meaning of the entrepreneur and the 75% for the meaning of interest. Noteworthy is the better understanding which developed the students for proper money management (65%). The answers to the features of a smart consumer improved by 15% and for start-up costs for a business by 5%. Students who increased their knowledge scores after the program were more likely to increase their positive behaviours and attitudes related to personal finance, career, and education. In particular, before the program, 90% agreed on the idea of saving money just in case of a need, but after the program this belief increased to 95%. In the Pre-test the 85% believed that a good performance in school ensures simultaneously a good job but after the program that percentage decreased by 10%. Before the program the 80% doesn’t believe that finding a job is a matter of luck and in the Post-Test the 90% of the students believes so. The 80% disagreed on the idea that other people will decide what they will do when they grow up and expressed their positive disposition towards school (90%). In the Post-test almost half of participants disagreed with the position that other people will decide on their future course (55.5%) and 80% said they prefer school.

References

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. (2012). Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe. National Strategies, Curricula and Learning Outcomes. European Commission. Final Report of the Expert Group. (2008). Best Procedure Project: Entrepreneurship in Higher Education, Especially in non-Business studies. Huber, L. R., Sloof, R., & Van Praag, M. (2012). The Effect of Early Entrepreneurship Education: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment. Bonn: Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). Takyi-Laryea, A., Belarmino, J., & JBS International, I. (2013). Summative Evaluation Report JA More than Money 2012-2013. Tsakiridou, H. & Stergiou, K. (2014). Entrepreneurship Competences and Entrepreneurial Intentions of students in Primary Education. Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education (JHSSE), 1(9), 106-117. Vestergaard, L., Moberg, K., & Jørgensen, C. (2012). Impact of Entrepreneurship Education in Denmark 2011. The Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship - Young Enterprise. Wilson, K. (2008). Entrepreneurship Education in Europe. Entrepreneurship and Higher Education, σσ. 119-138. Zapata-Rivera, D., & Bauer, M. (2012). Exploring the Role of Games in Educational Assessment. Technology-Based Assessments for 21st Century Skills: Theoretical and Practical Implications from Modern Research, σσ. 147-169.

Author Information

Helen Tsakiridou (submitting)

University of Western Macedonia

Primary Education

Florina

Konstantinos Stergiou (presenting)

University of Western Macedonia

Primary Education

Florina

Maria Tarsi

University of Western Macedonia, Greece

Efthimia Tsakiridou

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

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