Hacking Entrepreneurship Pedagogy With Near-Peer Mentoring at UC Berkeley

The productivity of an entrepreneurship program is assessed by its socio-economic impact, not just graduation rates. A study at UC Berkeley used social cognitive measures to evaluate the program, focusing on ethics and near-peer mentoring. Students present innovations addressing social issues. Social Cognitive Career Theory examines career development through social cognition, considering individual traits and environmental influences. The research employed pre- and post-program surveys to assess entrepreneurial self-efficacy and education effectiveness, with 25% and 34% improvements respectively. Adapted from prior studies, the measures for self-efficacy and learning were calibrated at the program's start and end. Entrepreneurial pedagogy should address ethics, risk-taking, and success/failure patterns with near-peer mentors like Innovators-in-Residence. This study aims to enhance entrepreneurship education for a more impactful transformation of capitalism and social entrepreneurship.