YVI Project - Results 2010-14

Developing entrepreneurship education in Finnish teacher education

YVI PROJECT

Experiences and results 2010-14

Entrepreneurial - together!

More than thirty organisations in Finland have participated in YVI Project in order to develop entrepreneurship education in Finnish teacher education. Results and achievements, presented in this brief brochure, are truly worth showing and sharing.

Entrepreneurship education is an infinite source of inspiration for enthusiasts in education and development. I would like to express my most sincere thanks to all YVI partners and supporters for their endeavours and great work. The project may be ending, but work and development continue - with old friends and new acquaintances! Therefore, if any thoughts, comments, or suggestions should arise, do not hesitate to contact us. Let’s be entrepreneurial, across all borders - together!

Jaana Seikkula-Leino Project manager, YVI Project, University of Turku Professor, Lappeenranta University of Technology jaana.seikkula-leino@utu.fi, Tel. +358 (0)50 530 5902

YVI Project (2010-14) is coordinated by the University of Turku, Teacher Training School.

The project is ESF-funded, with the Finnish National Board of Education as the financing authority and with additional funding from the Development Centre Opinkirjo, Turku Region Development Centre and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The Foundation for Economic Education has also supported YVI´s activities.

YVI Project´s focus areas in developing entrepreneurship education: pedagogics in vocational and academic teacher education; networks and co-operation; YVI learning environment for entrepreneurship education; strategies and curricula; multidisciplinary research.

A FEW STORIES

about YVI and entrepreneurship education

We wanted to take teacher education to authentic learning environments of entrepreneurship. Therefore our cooperation (in YVI) with a vocational college (Omnia), given its versatile learning environments, has been worth all efforts.

In addition, experiencing such a rich, long and intensive cooperation is valuable as such. We can say that in this sense, the goals set for the project were exceeded.

YVI Project enabled creating a network for entrepreneurship education in the whole region of Oulu. The network brings together several educational institutions, enterprises and other organisations. The path of entrepreneurship education from early childhood education to actual worklife is made concrete.

We will continue in the spirit created during YVI. The project was significant in giving our work a direction.

Heli Potinkara, teacher educator, HAAGA-HELIA School of Vocational Teacher Education

Martti Pietilä, teacher educator, School of Vocational Teacher Education at Oulu University of Applied Sciences

We had in mind, the whole time, that what we do in the project should benefit all functions in our school: basic education, upper secondary education, development, and teacher education.

All individuals with an enterprising attitude and behaviour are most valuable as teachers, employees, and in the third sector.

Our activities and expertise on entrepreneurship education increased substantially as a result of YVI Project. At the same time, the modes of operation we developed during the project became an established part of our school’s activities.

In 2020, entrepreneurship education will be an informality, in a sense. Entrepreneurship will no longer be just one model of education, or a separate subject to be taught, but rather an attitude or a mode of operation that carries through schools years, further studies, work and career, even past-time activities.

Pasi Hieta, vice principal of basic education, Oulu University Teacher Training School

Seppo Torikka, Deputy Director of Turku Region Development Centre, on future visions of entrepreneurship education

In YVI 2010-13: Teacher training schools and teacher education departments of the University of Turku (in Turku and Rauma), University of Jyväskylä Teacher Training School, Viikki Teacher Training School of the University of Helsinki, Oulu University Teacher Training School and Teacher Training School and teacher education department in Kajaani, Teacher Training School and Faculty of Education of the University of Lapland; Turku University of Applied Sciences, Centre for Training and Development of Lappeenranta University of Technology, Ruralia Institute of the University of Helsinki; HAAGA-HELIA School of Vocational Teacher Education, Oulu Region Join Authority for Education: School of Vocational Teacher Education at Oulu University of Applied Sciences and Oulu Vocational College / FINPEC, HAMK University of Applied Sciences / Vocational Teacher Education Unit, Teacher Education College of JAMK University of Applied Sciences, School of Vocational Teacher Education at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Teacher Training School and the teacher education department of the University of Tampere, Development Centre Opinkirjo, The Joint Authority of Education in Espoo Region Omnia / InnoOmnia, YES centres, Junior Achievement - Young Enterprise Finland, Finnish 4H Federation, Economic Information Office, Federation of Finnish Enterprises, Regional Organisation of Enterprises in the South-West Region, Pellervo Confederation of Finnish Cooperatives and the Co-operative Delegation, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Turku Region Development Centre, Finland Chamber of Commerce.

RESULTS AND ACTIVITIES of YVI Project in 2010-14

• Collaborative development of entrepreneurship education curricula in teacher education

Results of the development process include new courses of entrepreneurship education in both vocational and academic teacher education, and integration of entrepreneurship education more thoroughly in practical teacher training periods.

• Creation and strengthening of networks and new models of cooperation

Development teams, regional networks and other forms of cooperation were created and promoted.

Networking contests were organised for raising awareness of the effects of networking and for providing good practices for dissemination.

• YVI learning environment for entrepreneurship education (www.yvi.fi, in Finnish)

YVI learning environment gathers all material, tools and information produced in the project. The aim is to help teachers, teacher educators and all parties interested find information and tools for planning, implementing and assessing, and networking in entrepreneurship education.

• New pedagogical models and tools for entrepreneurship education

Models, contents and tools were created for planning and implementing entrepreneurship education in practice, including YVI measurement tool for self-evaluation for teacher educators, and YVI engine for idea generation and networking among students and pupils. Experiences and practices are disseminated through YVI Project´s own publications as well as in other media.

• Influence in strategies and curricula

YVI has influenced the inclusion of entrepreneurship education in documents that steer education in national and regional levels. The importance of entrepreneurship education in developing Finnish education on the whole has been communicated to political and educational decision-makers.

• Education and training

National YVI seminars of entrepreneurship education were organised in 2011 and 2012. Education and training activities include the internal development events in different organisations, visits to educational institutions, and presentations in seminars and other events.

• Multidisciplinary research

Over forty research articles as well as several doctor´s and master´s theses have been produced within the project. A multidisciplinary research group was formed for enhancing research activities. Research results have been presented in several seminars and conferences in Finland and elsewhere in Europe.

• Internal and external communications

Communications during YVI Project include several newsletters, releases, reports and a magazine with a circulation of 79.000 in Finland. YVI Project partners have spread information on YVI and entrepreneurship education through their own channels of communication.

YVI learning environment, as well as other cases of entrepreneurship education in Finland, are mentioned in the following publications of the European Commission: Building entrepreneurial mindsets and skills in the EU (2012), Entrepreneurship Education: A Guide for Educators (2013).

Greeting from the President of the Republic of Finland Sauli NiinistĂś Entrepreneurship education is of great significance. By encouraging enterprising behaviour, and by supporting assiduous practice of worklife skills, we help young people find their place in society.

A proactive mindset and a can-do attitude are needed when responding to challenges of the current economic situation. Fostering the sense of responsibility and initiative, as well as the spirit of collaboration, bear fruit for years to come. I believe that these qualities are essential in sustaining vital communities.

Teachers and other professionals of education are in a key position in enabling learners’ creative thinking. Through actions taken in YVI, a development project on entrepreneurship education in teacher education, learners become more apt to detect their opportunities and transform their ideas into practice. Deepening the co-operation between different organisations, in turn, broadens the networks of experts, and helps create new modes of operation.

Educators, developers in projects, all of you who promote entrepreneurship in your daily work: you deserve our gratitude. I wish you success in your endeavours and a good summer.

The greeting was originally published in YVI news magazine in spring 2013.

YVI Project - a Best Practice project of the European Commission and the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2011.

YVI Project contact information: Project manager Jaana Seikkula-Leino jaana.seikkula-leino@utu.fi, tel. +358 (0)50 530 5902