The Application of The Entrepreneur Program in Early Age
Character Development
Farah Rizkita Putri and Heny Djoehaeni
Early Childhood Education School study program of Postgraduate, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Entrepreneur Program, Character.
Abstract: Character building was a wide-spreading issue that came to the inclusive concern. The number of issues
associated with character, in the case of negative behavior – such as cheating, indiscipline, misdeeds, lying,
denouncing and other negative behaviors – were the issues arose due to the lack of an individual positive
character value. The significance of character building became an assignment that needs to be accomplished,
considering that character is the foundation of child self-development for the sake of their future lives. The
good character establishment could be stimulated through the meaningful learning process for children. This
article aimed to offer an alternative character values development program that could be inserted in the
learning process at school and become daily habituation for children. The entrepreneur program is a program
that aimed to instil positive character in children from an early age. This program implemented in the learning
activity in Early Childhood Education Program (PAUD) and was expected to aid children to understand,
realize and reflect the positive character implanted in them. The writing method of this article was a literature
study, so as this article afford to describe and analyze the entrepreneur program as one of the learning
programs attempted to develop children’s character. Therefore, this article was expected to be the child
character value development reference in the realm of early childhood education.
1 INTRODUCTION
The positive character building in early childhood
through the habituation activities – on simple to
complex habits – was a daily learning process. In
these activities, a stimulus was given the children for
embedding and building the character value from an
early age, hence their positive potentials could be
elaborated. It was in line with the agreement reached
in the First Conference of Indonesian Kindergarten
Teachers Association of 8th Service Period, stated
that in relation to the utmost human character
building, the Early Childhood Education (PAUD)
was the one of important aspects in the children
founding and development concept. PAUD
constituted the basis for the Indonesian character
building in the nation’s life (Isjoni, 2011). Thus, as
the base of the character building of the nation, the
early childhood should get throughout and
professional attention in the realm of education.
There are several related studies on the character
values development through various approaches:
According to Nuraeni (2014), inculcating character
values from an early age was a shared responsibility
between parents, educators, caregivers, the
community and government. Therefore, it was
necessary to raise and optimize the togetherness,
cohesiveness and partnership in the values of
characters’ inculcation from an early age. In addition,
the liable and honest character instilled in early
childhood would process the child's self-experience
in the brain quickly and implicated on the child's
behavior. Thus, the character instillation – especially
the liable and honest character – which done earlier
was highly appropriate, because when they eventually
grown up or stepped into the next stage this sense of
liability and honesty would be the substantial point
(Wibowo, 2012). Other studies suggested that the
importance of Character Education for children; with
the children’s learning environment lies in preschool
and family; therefore, the results of the determinants
preschool parents care about show that the application
of storybooks and plays could be on the same pace
with preschool curriculum activities. What preschool
parents secondly value is parents moral/character
value; therefore, the preschool could hold a regular
parenting conference or workshop for parents and
community members. (Chingos and Peterson 2011;
Putri, F. and Djoehaeni, H.
The Application of The Entrepreneur Program in Early Age Character Development.
In Proceedings of the 1st Inter national Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 1, pages 333-338
ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
333

Jacques, 2008; Janis, 2006; Marilyn, 2012; Vicki,
2007) while in Taiwan’s education system, the long
term process of educating young children to develop
good character could be traced from Confucianism
(Lockwood, 1997; White and Warfa, 2011). It is also
the blending of moral/character education learning
activities into family education to have children
acquire, organize, demonstrate, and communicate
information (Berkowitz and Vier, 2004).
The above studies were stem from the gap of the
needs of the child character instillation issue. Since
the poor character value instillation could cause
various impacts on the next stage of the child's life,
hence the character values instillation issue which not
properly resolved from an early age would lead
children tend to negatively behave. For instance,
children who were low in the liable character would
grow into a selfish, hedonic, consumptive, and self-
satisfying generation (Mulia, and Aini, 2013).
Moreover, the phenomenon of the juvenile negative
characters oftentimes became the source of news in
various media, among others, are violence, brawl,
mischief, cheating on the exam and so on. Mazzola
(2003) conducted a survey on bullying in schools.
The survey found the following findings:
 About 160,000 students get bullied in school
every day.
 1 out of 3 surveyed respondents (students at the
age of 18 years) had experienced violence
 75-80% of surveyed students had observed
violence,
 15-35% of surveyed students were victims of
violence from cyber-bullying.
In further reviewed, the design of the program as
a solution related to the issues of child's character
required for the early childhood character building
nowadays. Accordingly, the approach taken was the
concept of character development by means of the
entrepreneur program. Students should begin to be
taught creativity and independence from an early age
by giving them an opportunity to express their
imagination by way of various activities ranging from
simple to complex, ranging from easy to difficult, and
self-managed so as they would be able to support
themselves. This entrepreneur program was
constituted the reference of the character
development research of the thesis on the
independence, reflective and religious attitude
internalization of the educators by means of the
entrepreneurship learning program (Sumarsih, 2012).
The concept of character building was about how
learning process could develop the program
facilitated children’ activities, hence this entrepreneur
program was expected to be optimally applied on the
of children's character building program optimally
(Ciputra Enterprenurship School, 2009; Sumarsih,
2012).
The entrepreneur program was the conformation
of creative behavior process in entrepreneurship
education which is preceded by the understanding
establishment process for the pattern or model that
had been applied. This process included the
integrated, balanced development of character, skills
and understanding (Sumarsih, 2012).
The phenomenon of wide-spreading entrepreneur
program refers to one of the programs of the future
development for Indonesian. According to the data,
Ciputra had cited data from Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor (GEM) and presented a comparison between
Indonesia, Singapore and the US. In 2005 – according
to GEM – Singapore has 7.2% of entrepreneurs of its
total population, whereas only 2.1% in 2001. In the
United States thereupon in 1983 – with a population
of 280 million – there had been 6 million
entrepreneurs or about 2.14% of the entire population.
While Indonesia – according to Ciputra’s statistics –
only had 400,000 entrepreneurs or about 0.18% of the
total population. Based upon these data the
entrepreneur program should have an impact in the
realm of education. (Fayolle et al., 2006). Moreover,
the espousal of the entrepreneur program in contrived
the children's independence establishment process,
hence they are able to learn to notice, seek, manage
and create opportunities by means of the innovative
ideas, and the result of these innovations could be
accepted by others accordingly (Ciputra
Entrepreneurship School, 2009).
The entrepreneur programs were suitable for early
childhood because this program could be
implemented for children. (Verni et all, 2015). The
entrepreneur program – if coached early – would
afford to develop the aspects of development in
accordance with the age of children. Not only
highlight the business skills of the children, but was
constituted the development that strengthens the
character as well. (Verni et all, 2015).
Aside from drilling the children’s entrepreneurial
spirit, it drilled children to possess the firm mental
and character as well; children were taught to
recognize themselves, to control their emotions, to
manage their time, to be communicative and flexible
in various situations, and able to choose and made
decisions. Teaching and instilling patience in
children, as well as building entrepreneurial spirit,
was immensely suitable to be done in childhood or
early age. Because in the independent character
building – theoretically and practically - the amount
of time and process was required (Fithriyani, 2016).
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2 METHODS
The method was a literature study with related
journals applied in this study. The analysis on the
application of the entrepreneurship program within
the educational program of character buildings in
early childhood was conducted.
3 DISCUSSION
3.1 Character
According to Ratna (2010), character building was a
conscious effort to educate children in order that they
are able to make wise decisions, and practice them in
their daily life, hence they could positively contribute
to their environment.
The character building was the configuration of
direction and guidance in order that an individual
possesses a good behavior in accordance with the
values of morality and diversity. Besides, the
character building provides the behavioral and
personality coaching; and the learning process which
undertaken at educational institutions was expected to
capable to instil the values of virtue that could be
implemented in the future.
The character building teaching the habitual ways
of thinking and behaving with which people assisted
to live and work together as family, community and
citizens; assisted them to make the responsible
decisions, or it could be said that character building
was teaching children how to think smart and
possessed the healthy characters (Khan, 2010).
There are nine pillars of character (Ratna, 2010),
namely:
 The devotion to God and all of His creation;
 Independence and responsibility;
 Honesty / trustworthiness;
 Respect and courtesy;
 Philanthropic, helping each other and mutual
assistance;
 Confident and hardworking;
 Leadership and justice;
 Kind and humble, and;
 Tolerance, peace, and unity
3.2 Entrepreneur Program
The entrepreneur program contrived the children's
independence establishment process, in order that
they became capable to learn to notice, seek, manage
and create opportunities with innovative ideas, hence
the results could be accepted by others. Accordingly,
children could get used in finding and communicating
their innovative ideas along with honest and
responsible attitude, and they had sensitivity toward
the needs of others. By way of this program, children
were well-equipped with the skills to deal with all the
risks that possibly occurred, got them apprehended
how to solve problems in everyday life through
innovative ideas and methods and an open attitude in
order to gain the best outcomes.
There are four activities in this program that
are categorized as entrepreneur values in the learning
process stages in accordance with the purpose and
type, namely:
 The story of success: children were read, hear
and watched the stories of individuals’
struggles and successes in achieving or creating
something. The stories are tailored to their age,
interests and its proximity to the world of
children. The purpose of this activity is to
inspire and build a positive image in children.
 The real world: children used the real media,
visit, met, and observed the concrete events in
their environment, such as historical sites
designed to offer the positive value to their
lives. These activities aimed to provide
inspiration and the real knowledge, assist them
in connecting the concepts they had learned
with the real world events.
 The challenges: children undertook the
activities designed to build their confidence in
taking on challenges and solving the problems
they faced, both independently and in
collaboration.
 The events: schools organized activities related
to entrepreneurship practices, such as the
entrepreneurship exhibition week, hence they
capable to communicate in public everything
they had learned. The events were always
related to the student's learning process and
could be considered as a summative activity of
an exploratory unit. (Ciputra Entrepreneurship
School, 2009).
The entrepreneur perspective was the elaboration
of the 4 activities above. Example:
 Design: children learnt to create something by
means of the principles of design, and the
deliveries were sold to the public.
 Performing art: children learnt to planned the
performing art, managed the production,
performed the organized staging and held
promotion.
 Food technology: created the appealing foods
with new features
The Application of The Entrepreneur Program in Early Age Character Development
335

 Business plan: the activity facilitated by the
school, in which children created a business
activity, ranged from the exploration stage to
the evaluation stage. (Ciputra Entrepreneurship
School, 2009).
3.3 The Cycle of The Entrepreneur
Program Learning Process
The learning cycle is the stages of learning within the
one learning theme. Teachers were playing the role in
designing the learning steps and facilitate children so
as they capable to go through these stages and
achieved the optimal learning outcomes. The stages
are:
 The stage of exploring: under the curiosity,
children learnt some facts and data to get the
theme of exploration. At the end of this stage,
children had the awareness of the target and
direction of the exploration.
 The stage of Planning: with additional
information related to the learning theme they
studied, they could apprehend about the
learning outcomes and indicators of
achievement of the theme, and what kind of
project to be created.
 The stage of doing: since the concept was
learned, from various sources that vary they
then finally pour the ideas, concepts, and skills
in a concrete work that could be observed by
others.
 The stage of communicating: children
communicate their work to others, usually by
inviting parents, hence they win the recognition
and appreciation.
 The stage of reflecting: children carried out the
identification of what has been achieved and
what should be improved on the next project.
This stage involved the aspects
concept/knowledge obtained, and skills and
characters developed. Either those that had
evolved and that are still being noticed.
(Ciputra Entrepreneurship School, 2009).
The analysis of the literature study suggested that
the implications of the implementation of this
entrepreneur program was the process of
establishment and fostering positive character for
children, which of course required the amount of time
and the process of habituation. If all human beings are
positive, the life of the world was expected to be
peaceful and freed from the harmful immoral deeds.
If the methods and strategies used are appropriate,
then exemplary values, the development of soft skills
– among which are critical thinking, creative,
effective communication, and problem solving –
children were expected to possess the positive
characters (Verni et all, 2015). In addition, Loebler
(2006) suggests to reflect on entrepreneurial learning
from a social constructivist perspective. The
perspective in developing a learning process could be
built by means of the liable character (Gergen, 1999;
von, 1995; Loebler, 2006). The implementation of the
character might be impacted by the behavior in the
next stage of life (Berkowitz and Bier, 2004; Branson
and Demchak, 2011). Whereas, when associated with
the entrepreneur program, the outcomes of learning
the program were that the character became the
potentials of the children.
It takes a design to create a character education
program. The development of the character of human
resources in a country can be implemented through
the educational process undertaken in schools. This
character education can be said to be interesting
because it integrates the development of children's
behavior with academic achievement. The character
building was just now beginning to surface in the
national dialogue on how we could turn schools into
the safe place. Whether due to positive influences and
a growth of negative ones, character building was
offered the youth the information and skills they
needed to reach the ethical and virtuous maturity. By
the means of character building, it was not only the
behavioral improvement that could be seen, children
were also experienced the academic improvements.
(Esther F., 1999) In other words, school was an
important role in character building.
The entrepreneur program was one of the
programs in early childhood education, the program
actualized the instillation of positive character in
children. Children were not just being capable to do
business, but more than that, entrepreneurs for early
childhood are about how children come up with
creative ideas, innovate to create something simple
and demonstrate it in their environment. The impact
of entrepreneurship program didn’t seem to be just a
broad concept that includes the assessment of student
learning outcomes, but involving potential (positive)
effects on social and economic aspects of society as
well, as a result of life in the future.
Fayolle and Gailly (2013) calls for researches that
includes and compares educational factors, not only
on entrepreneurial behavior but also to study
entrepreneurial behavior education among children
involved in entrepreneurship programs. (Charney and
Libecap 2000; Fayolle and Gailly, 2013). The process
of entrepreneurship programs in childhood must
consist of 4 activities: i. e. children designed a
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particular product, they were displaying work on
stage, they were creating a new food display in order
to raise the selling power, and children set the 5 stage
programs ranged from business plan to the review.
By means of the entrepreneur program developed
by the Ciputra Entrepreneurship School there are 5
stages available which could be done in early
childhood, that is exploring, planning, doing,
communicating and reflecting (Ciputra
Entrepreneurship School, 2009) From these five
stages the character value appeared at each stage
related, according to the teacher’s determination on
which character would appear and on what theme. For
example, the liable character appears on the stage of
doing, at this stage child were responsible to produce
a performance with a simple storyline that would be
held in the next stage, they afterward must create
costumes, script and undertook the rehearsal, hence
on the stage of communicating they are ready to
perform. The character of honesty as well as other.
Other character values will appear when the flow of
each stage is followed, and inadvertently the process
of habituation emerged by itself without coercion,
and positive characters will begin to be implanted
then.
4 CONCLUSIONS
Based on the above explanation, the formation of a
positive character could prevent children from
negative behavior that will harm them in the future.
Accordingly, under the demands of those problems
the positive character of planting could be facilitated
through one of the programs that became the
alternative educational program, that is the
entrepreneur program. Education made the
entrepreneur program as one of the educational
concepts that could encourage children to be creative
in doing things. Therefore, in the entrepreneur
program and the implementation process of the five
stages (exploring, planning, doing, communicating,
and reflecting), the inculcating of positive character
could be inserted. Thus, the positive character values
were expected to became a habituation on the
children's daily life and became a bridge to develop
their positive potential.
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