Exploring the process of digital artifact adoption in entrepreneurship education

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education (EE) has become an important subject that many higher education institutions (HEIs) are currently offering it to their learners. Furthermore, the use of digital technology in teaching EE has been among the recently discussed topics, and the use of digital artifacts (DA) in teaching entrepreneurship has been studied. However, existing literature lacks a theoretical framework that identifies the different factors that facilitate and/or impede the process of adoption of DA in EE. The process of technology adoption in EE remains understudied. This study investigates the process of how adoption of DA unfolds in EE, in Oman. Applying grounded theory approach, the study explores the facilitating and the impeding factors to technology adoption, and the strategies to overcome the impeding factors. Data collection was achieved through semi-structured interviews with 30 entrepreneurship educators from different Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Oman. The findings demonstrate that learners’ positive attitude, embracing the available different technologies, educators’ positive role, and management support are the main facilitating factors to DA adoption. However, the main impediment factors include the following: first, the learners’ background and mentality, and their focus on grades and marks over acquiring learners. Second, educators’ teaching style, their incompetency in teaching the subject, and their high teaching load. Third, the absence of management awareness, understanding, and support, and the lack of entrepreneurial culture among the institution. Effective technology adoption involves the active engagement of various stakeholders, including learners, educators, and management. However, the educators play a predominant role in technology adoption and in improving teaching approaches. This research contributes by developing a framework illustrating the process of how DA adoption in EE unfolds overtime.