Date of Degree

5-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program

Education

Advisor

Sandra L. Guzman Foster

Advisor

Stephanie Grote-Garcia

Advisor

Tracie C. Edmond

Advisor

Nursen A. Zanca

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education (EE) is a hot topic and has gained the attention and interest of scholars in the United States and globally. Despite the growth of EE, scholars have been marginalizing the impact of EE at the community college level and there is a dearth of studies in this area (Liguori et al. 2019; Mars & Ginter 2012). Therefore, I conducted this study to bridge this indicated gap and contribute to the EE literature through exploring the entrepreneurial learning and practical experiences of community college student entrepreneurs.

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to better understand the lived entrepreneurial learning and practical experiences of 2-year community college students who have completed entrepreneurship training bootcamps and started their businesses in South Texas. In addition, I explored and narrated the participants’ training bootcamps experience and its impact on their entrepreneurial journeys based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT).

I used a narrative inquiry design to explore the entrepreneurial learning and practical experiences of community college student entrepreneurs. Narrative inquiry is a common qualitative research approach (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015) and researchers use it to make meaning of human experiences (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Therefore, using a narrative inquiry was an appropriate approach and it served the purpose of this study (Lichtman, 2012; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).

I used a triangulation strategy to collect data from four participants, which enabled me to incorporate a variety of data collection methods (Creswell, 2014; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015; Tracy, 2010). I used in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary method; additional methods were incorporated to collect rich data such as: (a) artifacts, (b) interview observation notes, (c) post-interview conversations, (d) follow-up questions via email, and (e) member checking.

I presented the findings in two forms, which are narratives (stories of student entrepreneurs) and thematic analysis. Four major themes emerged from the analyzed data which are: (a) entrepreneurial self-efficacy, (b) entrepreneurial outcome expectations, (c) entrepreneurial learning journey, and (d) social support. Part of the findings of this study was a significant positive impact of entrepreneurship training bootcamps on participant entrepreneurial learning and practical experiences. Finally, in this study I present the impact model of the entrepreneurship training bootcamps based on SCCT.

I conclude from my study’s findings that the staff of the entrepreneurship training bootcamps incorporated a variety of educational approaches, techniques, and tools (e.g., hiring mentors and teaching important business concepts) to provide student entrepreneurs with a holistic and optimal entrepreneurial learning experience. These findings reveal a significant positive impact of the entrepreneurship training programs and its staff on the participants’ entrepreneurial learning and practical experiences. I emphasize, as one of the most influential factors, the important role that mentors played in student entrepreneurs learning and practical experiences. I indicate, in addition, several limitations, the lack of consistency regarding the information about the entrepreneurship training program, and limited access to data and statistics about community college entrepreneurship programs. Furthermore, because my study was based on a small local entrepreneurship training program, generalization from the study is not intended; but the study does provide a larger picture of the experiences of student entrepreneurs. In this light, I suggest for future research further exploration of the entrepreneurial experiences of student entrepreneurs using a larger sample, diverse groups, and different entrepreneurship training programs.

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