Adopting Babson College for entrepreneurship education in Taiwan: a case study of university entrepreneurship teaching model

Babson College’s entrepreneurship education enjoys global recognition, having been ranked as the top entrepreneurship university in the world 25 times. This study explored the application of Babson College’s practices by educators in Taiwan, focusing on four professors who participated in exchange learning visits to Babson College. Grounded theory methodology was employed for data analysis to understand the instructional procedures of university professors in Taiwan using Babson College’s ET&A™ teaching method. The main findings included: (1) Babson College’s entrepreneurship courses prioritize practical application as a fundamental component; (2) the course design and teaching methods of the returning professors in Taiwan diverge from conventional approaches, fostering student engagement and critical thinking; (3) the study proposes the OPSAE entrepreneurship education curriculum and teaching model based on the research findings. Recommendations were: (1) strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit in courses by implementing the ET&A™ teaching method; (2) shift the focus in entrepreneurship education from solely examining students’ entering behavior to understanding their entrepreneurial motives; (3) revise assessment methods by incorporating handwritten reports or peer evaluations to enhance student reflection and engagement.