Entrepreneurship Learning Strategy in College to Create Student
Character
Arina Hidayati, Siswandari Siswandari and Wiedy Murtini
Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Indonesia
Keywords: Entrepreneurship Learning, Higher Education, Character of Student.
Abstract: High education is one of formal education channel aiming to produce students in accordance with business
and industrial realms’ demand. Entrepreneurship is one alternative to meet the need for entrepreneur character.
For the implementation of entrepreneurship education in college can run optimally, an appropriate learning
strategy is required. An entrepreneurship learning strategy functioning to create student character is taught by
holding on character education principles. Those character education principles, among others, are: (1)
sustainable, (2) consistent with triple helix concept, and (3) consistent with college culture. Considering the
principle of character education, entrepreneurship learning strategy is taught by adapting to the
entrepreneurship learning outcome. The learning strategy applied to achieve the learning about
entrepreneurship is success story. Meanwhile, that for achieving learning for entrepreneurship, learning
through entrepreneurship and learning embedded entrepreneurship can be taught through learning practice
and simulation.This research employed literature review method, by analyzing some journals related to
entrepreneurship education in college, entrepreneurship learning and education character. This research aimed
to give a description to the readers regarding the entrepreneurship learning strategy in collect that can create
the students’ character.
1 INTRODUCTION
Entrepreneurship education starts to attract the
researchers’ attention in the world. The researchers’
interest in revealing entrepreneurship is due to many
reasons. It is because, Khan (2008) mentioned that
entrepreneur is now required predominantly in work
and business realms. In addition, entrepreneur plays
one of important parts in growing a state’s economy
(Norashmah, Othman, and Faridah, 2010; Szirmai et
al., 2011: 26). These two reasons confirm Fayolle
(Match and Ball, 2016) to organize entrepreneurship
in formal education. High education is one of formal
education channels starts to be interested in teaching
entrepreneurship. Instead the fact in some states
shows that college is the primary priority in educating
entrepreneurship (Gerba, 2013). Gerba (2013)
mentioned that the entrepreneurship education at
college is expected to develop students’ skill to open
independent business or to have career in job market.
This research emphasizes on entrepreneurship
learning that can prepare entrepreneur character. It is
due to Ghina’s (2014: 338) argument stating that the
graduates who can apply entrepreneur behavior can
be successful according to the sector they are
preoccupied with (both independent entrepreneur and
worker).
Trend of entrepreneurship education in Indonesia
is manifested into entrepreneurship program held by
High Education (thereafter called Dikti). Diktioffers
some programs: (a) Entrepreneur Student Program
(thereafter called PWM), (b) Entrepreneurship
Lecturing Program, (c) Entrepreneurship
Apprenticeship Program, (d) Business Lecturing
Program, (e) New Entrepreneurship Incubator, (e)
New Entrepreneurship Incubator, (f) Student
Creativity Program (Wiratno: 2012). Through six
programs launched by Dikti, the students are expected
to win the work and business competition. However,
the implementation of entrepreneurship education
program in Indonesian college has not produced
ready-to-work graduates yet. It is indicated with the
unemployment rate increasing over semester
(www.bps.go.id). In addition, the relevance of
graduates from Indonesian college has not been
consistent with the market demand (Murtini, 2010).
In addition, only very small number of Indonesian
people chooses to be entrepreneur (54%) compared
Hidayati, A., Siswandari, S. and Murtini, W.
Entrepreneurship Learning Strategy in College to Create Student Character.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (ICEEE 2017), pages 123-127
ISBN: 978-989-758-308-7
Copyright © 2017 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
123

with Malaysian (77%) and Thailand (76%) (Ghina,
2014: 333).
One factor affecting the quality of education is
learning process. Rahmayanti and Singgih (2008)
mentions that learning process is an important aspect
in education. Thus, it can be interpreted that a clear
learning process is expected to produce
entrepreneurship education graduates that can be
competitive globally. This study is different from the
previous ones. It is because this research aims to
reveal the entrepreneurship learning focusing on the
creation of students’ character. Meanwhile, other
researches focused more on entrepreneurship to
change mindset and entrepreneurial skill. This
research aimed to give a description about
entrepreneurship learning strategy in collect that can
create the students’ character.
2 METHODS
This research employed a literature review method. In
implementing literature review, the author passed
through some steps. They were (1) Selection of
Database, (2) Script Reduction, (3) Analyzing article
according to the data found from some texts selected.
The first stage was to determine web storing journals
of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurship and
learning. The main database the author selected was
Emerald (www.emeraldinsight.com). It was because
this database contains many journals related to
entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education.
Meanwhile, character education, the author employed
domestic literatures. The author employed
entrepreneurship education because character
education taught consistent with the state norms
(tempo.co).
The second stage was text (script) reduction. In
this stage, the author searched for article most
appropriate to discussion topic about
entrepreneurship education, and character education.
The author searched for article by taking keywords
“entrepreneurship learning”, “entrepreneurship
education”, and “character education”.
The third stage was that the author conducted
analysis on the article taken from some topics. The
first topic was related to entrepreneurship education
in college. The second topic was character education
in college. In entrepreneurship education topic in
college, the author analyzed the benefit studying
entrepreneurship for the students graduate as adult
learner. Furthermore, the author focused
entrepreneurship education on the effective learning
to improve entrepreneurship mental and character.
The second topic was to analyze character education
in college. Considering those two topics, the author
analyzed what effective character education and
learning is, thereby can be applied in
entrepreneurship education.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Entrepreneurship Education In
College
Drucker (1984) mentions that entrepreneurship is an
innovative action resulting in a new producing ability.
But, this argument cannot be received haphazardly
that everyone who can create new business, and or
have work productivity can be called an entrepreneur.
Drucker states that a gambler cannot be called an
entrepreneur, despite work productivity. The
gambler, according to Drucker, is not an
entrepreneur, as work productivity it has can be
harmful to others.
An entrepreneur is the one with unique and
unpredictable personality (Farhangmehr, et al.,
2016). An entrepreneur’s unique personality leads
some researchers to reveal a myth that to being an
entrepreneur cannot be taught. An argument states
that an individual’s talent and behavior is not
teachable (Fayolle et al. 2006). In contrast, Arasti et
al (2012) suggests that some certain aspects in
entrepreneurship are teachable. Minnitiand Bygrave
(2001) suggest that entrepreneurship is teachable
when it emphasizes on process approach. Thus, to
teach entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial knowledge
alone is not enough. But, education is also needed to
improve the students’ skill and awareness of having
entrepreneurship character (Kuratko, 2005).
College is a formal education channel with two
learning achievements. The first achievement is that
it creates the students who can establish their
independent business. Meanwhile the second one is
that it can produce the students with good character
and professional working skill. Through this learning
achievements, the author agrees with Fenton and
Barry (2014) suggesting that the approach used in
entrepreneurship education in college is adjusted with
the expected learning achievement in college.
Pittaway and Edwards (2012) say that
entrepreneurship education form is divided into four
approaches. Those four approaches are explained as
follows. Firstly, learning about entrepreneurship is
an approach teaching entrepreneurship limited to
basic knowledge related to entrepreneur’s theory and
mental attitude. Secondly, learning for
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entrepreneurship is an approach aiming to make the
students who receive the entrepreneurship material
benefit more than basic understanding. In this
approach, entrepreneurship education process
focuses more on assignments. Through the
assignment given, the students are expected to learn
applying the noble behaviors manifested into the
assignment working process. Thirdly, learning for
entrepreneurship is an approach focusing on direct
practice. Practice can be done in practical simulation
of planning and establishing independent business or
practical simulation of dealing with competition in
work realm. Fourthly, learning embedded
entrepreneurship is the one applying all existing
approaches. It means that through this approach, the
students are expected to implement and to practice all
approaches in behaving within society. The four
approaches in entrepreneurship education are
teachable in colleges adjusted with the intended
learning achievement.
3.1.1 Entrepreneurship Learning Strategy
Referring to some experts’ arguments above, there is
a limitation to teach entrepreneurship. It is in line with
Politis (2008) arguing that entrepreneurship learning
activity in formal domain may not result in a strong
effect in developing entrepreneurial spirit and
knowledge inside the students. However, formal
entrepreneurship learning can be developed to
develop individual creativity and motivation to do
entrepreneurship (Taatila, 2010). Entrepreneurship
learning strategy delivered by some researchers can
improve entrepreneurial spirit and knowledge in
action learning. Saurio (Taatila, 2010) states that
action approach can inculcate work skill needed and
create the students’ character. Hamidi et al., (2008)
suggests that entrepreneurship education programs
found creating the students’ creativity are practical
and acting (simulation) approaches. Entrepreneurship
learning, as suggested by Arasti et al., (2012), aims to
improve the entrepreneurship consciousness as career
option and to improve an understanding on the
process involving the students in business institution.
Arasti, et al., (2012) states that to teach
entrepreneurship, the objective of entrepreneurship
education should be understood first.
Entrepreneurship learning with learning about
entrepreneurship achievement can be taught using
seminar method (Arasti: 2012), success story and
video (Gerba, 2012). Meanwhile, the learning for
entrepreneurship achievement can be accomplished
with practical simulation learning strategy. Finally,
learning through &embedded entrepreneurship
achievement can be taught using action-based
learning (Man: 2012).
3.2 Character Education in College
Chrisiana (2005) divides character education in
college in three stages. In preliminary stage, character
education should start with exemplifying the portrait
of character displayed in college’s civitas academica
(role modeling) (Berkowitz and Bier, 2005).
However, the introduction of character portrait has
not been able to lead the students to a good character.
It is because not all of students acquire knowledge
about the good character standard. Thus, there should
be civic education or religion education (Farida,
2012) to equip the students in determining a good
character standard to be applied in life.
Intermediate stage, is the one emphasizing on
independent learning process among the students, as
the form of socialization practice and to improve their
sensitivity to others. The example of character
education applied to special course is
entrepreneurship and civic education. The last stage,
according to Chrisiana, is the development of
character to create graduates appropriate to work
realm demand. To meet the job realm’s demand, the
students should find out the condition in work realm,
so that when they are graduated, they will be well-
equipped to enter the job realm. Character education
improving the students’ competency of entering job
realm can be implemented through apprenticeship
activity.
3.2.1 Learning Strategy in Character
Education
A character education appropriate to high education
level is the character establishment concept “Tut
WuriHandayani” (Suyadi, 2013). This concept means
that lecturers in college serve as facilitator for
developing the students’ potency. Lecturers no longer
serve more as the instructor encouraging and
motivating the students to have good achievement.
The lecturers in learning character education in
college serve more to support and to give counseling.
Suryadi (2013) reveals that learning process in
character education is transfer of knowledge and
transfer of values. It means that to educate an
individual’s character, role modeling is required.
Through role modeling, the students are expected to
imitate the right character profile. Meanwhile, to
improve the students’ achievement motivation,
lecturers should invite the students to think critically.
Entrepreneurship Learning Strategy in College to Create Student Character
125

Learning strategy in character education is
reapproved by Zamroni (Wibowo; 2013). Zamroni
offers the objective of character education that can be
implemented in college. Those objectives are: (1) to
determine goal and target to be achieved clearly and
really, (2) to establish cooperation required with triple
helix concept (academician, community, and
industrial business realm) in teaching character, (3) to
apply hidden curriculum, exemplifying the character
of lecturers to the students when the lecturers interact
with the students, (4) to create a learning emphasizing
on creativity, cooperative competency and decision
making skill, and (5) to create learning adjusted with
college culture (keep complying with the organized
norm and cultural orders).
3.3 Entrepreneurship Learning
Strategy of Creating Character in
College
The strategy used in entrepreneurship learning in
college is entrepreneurship learning strategy within
which character education is internalized. The
entrepreneurship learning strategy has learning about
entrepreneurship achievement that can be taught
using inquiry learning strategy. The reason of using
inquiry learning strategy because inquiry contains a
series of activities in the process of thinking critically
and analytically (Suyadi, 2013). In addition, the
problem-based (inquiry) learning emphasizes on the
importance of learning through experience (Wibowo,
2013). Thus, inquiry learning strategy is assessed as
an appropriate strategy to transmit entrepreneurial
experience and character to students. Inquiry learning
strategy can be taught using success story method.
Success story method, as suggested by Murtini
(2008), has the following stages. (1) Preliminary
stage, in which a stimulus, in the form of a successful
entrepreneur’s success story, is given. Stimulus can
be given through video (indirect method) and
lecturing conducted by business practitioners (direct
method). The next stage is the process of internalizing
the learning in order to be motivated and inspired
more after completing their education.
Entrepreneurship learning strategy with learning
for entrepreneurship and learning through
entrepreneurship achievements can be taught through
apprenticeship program or entrepreneurship field
practice (Murtini, 2008). Entrepreneurship practice
can be taught through Entrepreneur Student Program
and Business Incubator. These two programs are
raised by Dikti as advance entrepreneurship learning
program. It means that this program is intended to the
students interested more in the entrepreneurship field
after having attended the entrepreneurship learning.
In addition to create the entrepreneurial character, this
program functions to educate the prospect
entrepreneurs’ skill (Murtini, 2008).
To realize the entrepreneurship learning that can
grow entrepreneurship spirit, an education process is
required that holding on the character education
principles. The first principle is that educating the
students in order to be experienced and to behave
entrepreneurially requires sustainable attempt
(Murtini, 2008). It is line with Berkowitz and Bier
(2005) revealing sustainable principle in teaching
character. In addition, corresponding to the principle
of entrepreneurship learning in college, an
entrepreneurship education should be implemented
corresponding to culture and norm embraced in
certain college. Furthermore, in line with character
education principle, it should involve triple helix
concept in bringing the character values into reality
(Wibowo, 2013). Thus, for the implementation of
entrepreneurship learning to create the student
character consistent with the society’s demand, it
should hold on triple helix concept. Finally,
entrepreneurship learning in college should be taught
through action simulation process (Gerba, 2013). It
means that the process of delivering entrepreneurship
science, the lecturers should exemplify its practice.
For example, the creation of disciplined spirit can be
taught through applying deadline of assignment
submission.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The strategy used in teaching entrepreneurship in
college is to adjust it with the learning achievement.
To create the student character, the entrepreneurship
learning strategy cannot be taught through theory
only. But it also needs entrepreneurship consistent
with the principle of character education. When
entrepreneurship learning has been taught
corresponding to character education, it is possible
that the graduates of entrepreneurship learning will
have entrepreneurial spirit needed by job realm.
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