The change agent teaching model: Educating entrepreneurial leaders to help solve grand societal challenges

Abstract

Higher education is increasingly expected to educate change agents who can help with solving grand societal challenges. Social and sustainable entrepreneurship (SSE) education and social and sustainable leadership (SSL) education provide promising directions to develop the education that prepares these students for their future roles. However, both educations are part of different research streams and have their respective pedagogical approaches. In this systematic literature review, we identify the differences and similarities between SSE and SSL education. We used the teaching model framework to map systematically the elements of the teaching and learning process. Our results show that the different streams share the aim of educating change agents in authentic, collaborative learning processes that are experiential in nature and challenge students to create value for others. However, SSE education focuses more on creating societal value, whereas SSL education captures the personal development of students. Based on the review, we present an overarching teaching model for educating change agents. Our teaching model can guide practitioners to design change agent education. It illustrates the urgency to change pedagogies fundamentally and how students, staff, and teaching infrastructures should be approached using such pedagogies to realize impactful change agent education.