Emerging trends in innovative learning environments and entrepreneurial learning

This book is a reprint of the Special Issue of the Administrative Sciences journal (MDPI) edited by Muhammad Zaheer Asghar and Samma Faiz Rasool. Its main theme is an in-depth exploration of the convergence between innovative learning environments, emergent technologies and entrepreneurial learning, with a critical lens on individual and social variability to achieve sustainable inclusion. This book does not present a single linear argument, but is an anthology that combines conceptual frameworks with a series of empirical studies from around the world. Its approach is multidisciplinary, bridging the fields of administration, education, psychology and entrepreneurship studies. This manuscript attempts to address the pressing challenges of 21st century education: how to design a learning ecosystem that can foster entrepreneurial mindsets and skills (such as creativity, resilience and opportunity recognition) in all learners, while taking into account the diversity of individual needs and social inequalities (pp. 8–9).This book was edited by two academics with strong track records in their fields. Muhammad Zaheer Asghar is affiliated with the Learning and Educational Technology Research Lab (LET) at the University of Oulu, Finland. His background in educational technology and learning processes provides depth of analysis on the aspect of “innovative learning environments”. Samma Faiz Rasool from the University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, and the University of Nizwa, Oman, brings expertise in management and information systems, enriching the organisational and entrepreneurial perspectives in this book (pp. 5, 8). As editors, they not only compiled the work of others, but also made significant intellectual contributions through their introductory article (editorial) that frames the entire volume, as well as co-authoring several research articles within it. Their editorial (pp. 8–11) serves as a conceptual roadmap that articulates the knowledge gaps, challenges and future directions of the field with great clarity.This book opens with administrative sections and a table of contents (pp. 1–7), before entering into the main substance, which is divided into two major components, namely, editorial articles and a collection of research articles. The editorial articles written by the editors (pp. 8–13) serve as the conceptual foundation of the book. With the theme of “Sustainable Inclusion: Emerging Technologies, Innovative Learning Environments, and Entrepreneurial Learning …”, this section sharply maps out six crucial areas that demand innovative approaches, ranging from adapting entrepreneurial learning to diverse individual needs, fairly integrating emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, to instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in a broader social context. In addition, this editorial emphasises the importance of holistic integration of sustainability and social impact, the development of adaptive ecosystems and leadership, and the removal of disciplinary barriers. Not only does it summarise the contributions of each article in the volume, but the editorial section also proposes a strong future research agenda, including encouragement for longitudinal studies, technological ethics reviews, and the development of measurements for the concept of “sustainable entrepreneurial mindset”.A collection of research articles consisting of nine empirical studies provides substantial insight into the theoretical framework established in the editorial article. In the field of entrepreneurship education and individual intentions, an article by Suha Tahan (pp. 14–34) examines entrepreneurship education in Lebanese universities by combining the Planned Behaviour and Stimulus–Organism–Response theories. The findings show that the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in encouraging innovation intentions is largely determined by students’ psychological capital and ability to recognise opportunities, while negative psychological factors such as fear of failure can be significant obstacles. This perspective is enriched by an article by Iqra Bashir and colleagues (pp. 55–70) that highlights the role of information literacy in the context of business students in Pakistan. This study proves that an individual’s capacity to effectively search for, evaluate, and utilise information has a strong influence on the formation of entrepreneurial intentions and the development of their entrepreneurial skills.In the realm of innovative work environments and leadership roles, the article by Pouya Zargar and colleagues (pp. 35–54) shifts the focus to the teaching side by examining the innovative work behaviour of lecturers in Turkey. The results of the study show that ethical leadership plays an important role in encouraging innovation, especially when this influence is mediated by the level of work engagement and further strengthened by perceived organisational support. This leadership theme continues in the article by Fida Ragheb Hassanein and colleagues (pp. 71) set in the context of Lebanon, where supportive leadership is shown to improve the well-being of academic staff, with organisational climate and organisational support as determining variables in this relationship. The discussion then expands to cross-disciplinary and sustainability contexts through contributions by Adina Cocu and colleagues and Angel Eustorgio Rivera and his team, listed in the table of contents. The first article highlights technology-based green entrepreneurship learning, while the second explores the role of relational capital in organisations. A more critical social perspective is presented by Marisa Farina-Sanchez and colleagues through an empirical study of gender gaps and digital rights among young entrepreneurs. Overall, although each article stands independently, all contributions in this volume are bound by a strong common thread, namely, that positive educational and organisational outcomes such as innovative intent, skill development and well-being are the product of complex interactions between individual factors, leadership qualities and systemic and organisational support.This book concludes that the traditional, uniform paradigm of education and training is no longer adequate for an era of complexity and rapid change (p. 8). To foster inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial capabilities, a holistic and contextual approach is needed. This approach must be: (1) Personal: Accommodating individual variability through adaptive pedagogy and psychological resource strengthening. (2) Technological: Utilising emerging technologies ethically and fairly to democratise access and personalise learning experiences. (3) Social-Organisational: Be built on ethical and supportive leadership, and surrounded by a supportive organisational ecosystem (positive climate, perceived support). (4) Purpose-driven: Integrate principles of sustainability and social impact into the core of entrepreneurship learning.This book makes a significant contribution to the development of science through several key achievements. Firstly, it successfully integrates various disciplines that are often fragmented, such as educational administration, positive psychology and entrepreneurship, educational technology and organisational studies, thereby opening up a more comprehensive dialogue in understanding entrepreneurial learning and innovation. Secondly, by presenting research from various geographical contexts ranging from Lebanon, Turkey, Pakistan, Oman, to Europe, this book enriches the literature that has been dominated by Western perspectives, while emphasising the importance of contextual factors, such as the role of fear of failure in high-pressure environments or the urgency of information literacy in developing countries. Thirdly, the empirical contributions in this book collectively strengthen and apply various key theoretical frameworks, including the theory of planned behaviour, social exchange theory and self-determination theory, by demonstrating their relevance and explanatory power in the context of entrepreneurship education and organisational innovation. Finally, through its editorial article, this book not only summarises the contents of the volume, but also systematically maps out the future research agenda, such as the study of artificial intelligence ethics, the need for longitudinal studies, and the development of new metrics, thereby serving as a catalyst for further research.Overall, this book has a number of key strengths, including its high thematic relevance to 21st century global challenges such as technological disruption, demands for innovation and issues of social inequality, as well as its good balance between a strong theoretical framework and empirical evidence from a variety of research methods. The diversity of geographical perspectives and disciplines of the contributors enriches the analysis and avoids narrow generalisations, while its status as an open access publication under a Creative Commons licence broadens its reach to academics, practitioners and policymakers. However, as a collection of articles from a special issue, the cohesion between chapters is not as strong as in a monograph, so readers need to construct deeper connections between findings themselves. In addition, the very broad scope of topics makes the discussion of certain sub-themes feel less in-depth, and there is a tendency for repetition in the introduction and literature review sections of several articles, especially in the explanation of core theories.This book is useful for a wide range of readers, from academics and researchers who need up-to-date theoretical references and inspiration for further research, to education practitioners seeking guidance on designing technology-based entrepreneurial learning and innovative environments, to policymakers who need an empirical basis for formulating equitable and sustainable education policies. For postgraduate students in the fields of education, management and psychology, this book also serves as a comprehensive introduction to the current research landscape as well as a concrete example of academic writing. Overall, “Emerging trends in innovative learning environments and entrepreneurial learning” is a valuable contribution because it successfully combines an ambitious conceptual vision with strong empirical evidence and offers a clear direction for future academic and practical development.