Investigating Innovative Teaching Practices of U.S. Entrepreneurship Instructors: Inquiry-Based, Learner-Centered, and Technology-Integrated Approaches

Entrepreneurship education scholars have endorsed teaching for experiential learning as an innovative instructional approach. However, empirical studies in the 2010s revealed a persistent reliance on lecture-centered teaching in entrepreneurship classrooms. Since then, few studies have examined this issue in conjunction with emerging trends, particularly the accelerated technology integration. This study addresses this research gap through a mixed-methods approach, combining 107 survey responses and 9 interviews with U.S. entrepreneurship instructors. Findings reveal the current pedagogical landscape of entrepreneurship education: (1) the widespread adoption of inquiry-based and learner-centered teaching in entrepreneurship education and mixed adoption of technology integration, (2) the influence of instructors’ perspectives on entrepreneurship in adopting inquiry-based teaching, (3) the benefits of professional development programs, and (4) structural barriers to fully adopting experiential learning in higher education. These results also illuminate key contemporary issues such as the importance of entrepreneurial identity for innovative teaching practices, the lack of a theoretical framework regarding the relationship between technology and entrepreneurship, as well as the challenges faced by underserved communities in ensuring authentic experiential learning. These findings inform higher education leaders about ways to enhance the quality of entrepreneurship education and provide scholars with fruitful directions for future research.