THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCE OF STUDENTS: THE CREATIVE APPROACH OF AMERICAN TEACHERS

Abstract

The development of entrepreneurial competence is a new pedagogical phenomenon of modern secondary education. Entrepreneurship is the key driver of the economy; and the successful prosperity of the country and a significant number of new jobs are created by small and large enterprises founded by entrepreneurs. People involved in entrepreneurial activities claim that they have more opportunities for creative projects, high self-esteem and a sense of control over their own lives. As a result, a significant number of experienced businessmen, political leaders, economists, and educators believe that the development of entrepreneurial competence maximizes individual, collective, economic, and social success at local, national, and global levels. Therefore, young people who will take a step into adulthood, while studying in high school, should receive the necessary knowledge about the conditions and methods of entrepreneurship, planning and organization of the labour process, lawful behaviour in the business environment, objectively assess their potential and realize their need for the development of society. It is obvious that the formation of entrepreneurial competence of students at the beginning of the third millennium has become a necessary component of secondary education institutions abroad, in particular in the United States, which is a leader in the launching of enterprises. The article based on the analysis of scientific sources clarifies the essence and structure of the entrepreneurial competence of the individual, which is offered by American educators, and contains the following qualities: innovation, dedication, autonomy, initiative, willingness to take risks, responsibility, competence, willpower, «self-efficacy», high level motivation, and the growing sense of «locus of control». The essence of entrepreneurial education in secondary schools in the United States is disclosed, which implies a sufficient number of developed standards (in particular, «National Standards for Business Education» and «National Financial Literacy Standards» for secondary schools in the United States), curricula (in history and social science including economic information), courses («Entrepreneurial activity »), textbooks («Entrepreneur: children’s books about children-entrepreneurs»), which highlight the content component of the investigated phenomenon. It is noted that in the process of developing or improving existing curricula for secondary schools in the United States for the development of entrepreneurial competence of students, these standards will undoubtedly adapt to the public needs and peculiarities of the policies of each state. The activities of American teachers in the formation of entrepreneurial competence of students in US secondary schools are considered, which implies a variety of forms and methods, both traditional and interactive (lectures and seminars; the development and implementation of creative projects, the organization of practice in industrial and agricultural enterprises, the use of methods of analysis qualities and skills of an entrepreneur, case study, business, training, master class, launching of mini-enterprises, mini-banks, etc.).