For entrepreneurship scholars who seek a career as an academic, the statement of teaching philosophy is an important document. It is intended to capture the beliefs and practices of a soon-to-be instructor. Examples of teaching strategies, tactics, and successes can be used to explain the broader entrepreneurship teaching philosophy.
Clearly, such a statement will evolve over time, as a scholar discovers her strengths and preferences as an instructor. Many PhD students start teaching during their doctoral degrees. They are quite likely to refine their teaching practices over time, based on peer reviews, mentor input, and student feedback. For example, some may adopt team-based learning as an integral part of their teaching strategy, while others may believe that entrepreneurial learning is best achieved through the individual study of theory and real-world cases.
A teaching statement is a wonderful tool for a novice entrepreneurship educator to consolidate his beliefs about learning. After all, a statement of teaching philosophy is as much a statement of learning philosophy since the objective is to generate learning outcomes.
An entrepreneurship educator has often to teach undergraduates as well as postgraduate students. The former are likely to be focused on establishing their careers and be content as passive learners. The latter, however, are likely to be part of a diverse group with interests ranging from academic research and pedagogy to policy-making, ecosystem creation, and data analysis. Thus, the philosophy for teachers of entrepreneurship has to be aligned with the aspirations of each student group.