Pedagogy and Professional Development

Entrepreneurship education in fashion study programs: The instructor's perspective

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Abstract

This research addresses the pressing need for innovation and entrepreneurial thinking in the fashion industry. Small fashion retail businesses, comprising 98% of the sector, face high failure rates. This may be solved by increasing entrepreneurship classes in the apparel field. The study explores the gap in entrepreneurship curricula for fashion studies students, emphasizing the importance of preparing instructors to teach entrepreneurship content. The literature highlights the significance of entrepreneurship education (EE) for students in the competitive fashion industry. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) guides the mixed-method approach, assessing fashion studies instructors' perceived importance of EE and its incorporation in courses. The study reveals that university confirmation does not moderate the relationship between instructors' attitudes and intentions to include EE, possibly due to a lack of support and awareness from the university. Instructors express frustration with the absence of guidance in curriculum development for EE. The findings underscore the emergent phase of EE in fashion studies, emphasizing the need for increased support, program advocacy, and collaboration to enhance awareness and implementation of entrepreneurship curricula.

Keywords: Apparel Entrepreneurship, Apparel Education, Apparel Instructors, Instructor Support

How to Cite:

Worrall, E. M. & Linda, N. S., (2024) “Entrepreneurship education in fashion study programs: The instructor's perspective”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 80(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17536