PLANTING THE SEED: THE IMPACT OF AN EARLY ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION PROGRAM ON INNOVATION MINDSETS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Tuiasosopo Latu (1), Vaele Sualau (2), Maile Pio (3)
(1) National University of Samoa, Samoa,
(2) University of the South Pacific, Samoa,
(3) National University of Samoa, Samoa

Abstract

Early entrepreneurship education has the potential to foster innovation and critical thinking skills in children. As the global economy becomes increasingly driven by innovation, it is essential to develop the entrepreneurial mindset in young learners. This study explores the impact of an early entrepreneurship education program on the development of innovation mindsets in primary school children. It focuses on how exposure to entrepreneurship concepts influences children’s attitudes towards creativity, problem-solving, and risk-taking. The purpose of this study was to assess whether an entrepreneurship education program could cultivate innovation mindsets in primary school students. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining pre- and post-program surveys with qualitative interviews and classroom observations. The sample consisted of 150 primary school students from diverse backgrounds who participated in a 12-week entrepreneurship program designed to encourage creative thinking, collaboration, and idea generation. The results showed significant improvements in students’ innovation mindsets, with a 25% increase in creative problem-solving skills and a 30% increase in their willingness to take calculated risks. Additionally, qualitative data revealed a positive shift in students’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship, with many expressing interest in starting their own businesses in the future. This study highlights the importance of integrating entrepreneurship education at an early age to foster a culture of innovation. It suggests that such programs can play a vital role in shaping future generations’ ability to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Full text article

Generated from XML file

References

Baldassa, A. (2025). Teaching children to cross safely: A full-immersive virtual reality training method for young pedestrians. Safety Science, 187(Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2025.106855

Climent, M. M. (2025). Social eXtended Reality (XR) and Virtual Production: Toward New Engaging Immersive Experiences. Imx 2025 Proceedings of the 2025 ACM International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences, Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34, 458–461. https://doi.org/10.1145/3706370.3731642

Everard, G. (2025). Self-adaptive over progressive non-adaptive immersive virtual reality serious game to promote motor learning in older adults – A double blind randomized controlled trial. Neuroscience, 571(Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34), 7–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.02.053

Guang, F. (2025). Research on the impact mechanisms of immersive virtual reality technology in enhancing the effectiveness of higher folk dance education: Base on student perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 30(11), 15467–15505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13413-y

Jallad, S. T. (2025). The Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation as an Innovative Learning Strategy for Acquisition of Clinical Skills in Nursing Education: Experimental Design. Games for Health Journal, 14(2), 110–118. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0139

Ke, Z. (2025). The effectiveness of immersive virtual reality on the psychology of older adults: A systematic review and Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. General Hospital Psychiatry, 94(Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34), 86–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2025.02.024

Kelley, B. (2025). Segmentation and Immersive Visualization of Brain Lesions Using Deep Learning and Virtual Reality. Proceedings Vrcai 2024 19th ACM SIGGRAPH International Conference on Virtual Reality Continuum and Its Applications in Industry, Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34. https://doi.org/10.1145/3703619.3706035

Kundu, R. K. (2025). RelaxVR: Cybersickness Reduction in Immersive Virtual Reality Through Explainable AI and Large Language Models. IEEE Access, 13(Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34), 84689–84712. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3566958

Liu, C. (2025). Research on the impact of immersive virtual reality classroom on student experience and concentration. Virtual Reality, 29(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-025-01153-w

Liu, Y. (2025). The Effect of Immersive Virtual Reality-Enhanced Experiential Learning on Middle School students’ Knowledge Retention, Creativity, and Perceptions. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 18(2), 173–195. https://doi.org/10.18785/jetde.1802.09

Oh, J. (2025). The effectiveness of virtual reality with or without head-mounted displays: Focusing on the role of spatial presence and immersive tendency for responding to particulate matter. Virtual Reality, 29(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-025-01156-7

She, X. (2025). Quality Evaluation of Immersive Virtual Reality Interactive Art Design under Cultural Heritage Digitization under Interval Valued Neutrosophic Numbers. Neutrosophic Sets and Systems, 81(Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34), 369–381.

Vontzalidis, G. (2025). Spatial Audio Cues in an Immersive Virtual Reality STEM Escape Room Game: A Comparative Study. Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2271(Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34), 317–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80475-5_23

Wu, J. F. (2025). The effectiveness of immersive media in promoting consumer Products: Augmented vs. Virtual reality. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 86(Query date: 2026-01-04 12:38:34). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104323

Zeka, F. (2025). The Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Treatment for Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 151(3), 210–230. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13777

Authors

Tuiasosopo Latu
tuiasosopo@gmail.com (Primary Contact)
Vaele Sualau
Maile Pio
Latu, T., Sualau, V. ., & Pio, M. . (2025). PLANTING THE SEED: THE IMPACT OF AN EARLY ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION PROGRAM ON INNOVATION MINDSETS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. International Journal of Educatio Elementaria and Psychologia, 2(6), 334–344. https://doi.org/10.70177/ijeep.v2i6.3084

Article Details