Embedding Entrepreneurship Mindset in Lifelong Learning Activities for the Pursuit of Eudaimonia

Abstract

Leaving apart the traditional idea of entrepreneurship of starting a business and enhancing the aspect of recognizing and taking advantage of any chances, this constitutes the starting point of pathways of lifelong learning not only for gaining skills and competences but also for being in touch with eudaimonia (happiness). Entrepreneurship mindset liberates and enhances the emancipation of adult learners and helps them to their transformation of becoming lifelong learners who enjoy any learning activity where their imagination and creativity flourish. Active citizenship, respect to other people’s rights, uniqueness and diversity, collaboration and sensitivity to sustainability, digitalization and green transition as well as lifelong happiness could be parts of their orientation towards their participation in learning activities. Thus, unlearning and relearning as well as upskilling and reskilling do not refer only to the workplace but to the whole journey of their life. Τhe recognition and exploitation of opportunities to participate in learning activities as an imprint of the entrepreneurial mindset was not recognizable by the research participants. Adult learner transformation where liberation and emancipation empower the gaining of entrepreneurial skills could be a pathway to eudaimonia.

1. Introduction

Scholars over the years have developed many theories for adult education and the adult learner which try to elaborate on the reasons why learning is important for adult’s identity, and it is different at various ages, from early adulthood to old age as well as references on its benefits to the quality of whole life. These theories stress the content, dimensions, types, barriers and the evaluation of learning, different pedagogical approaches, the adult learner and the role of the adult educator, lifelong and life-wide learning. Even though more emphasis is given to competencies and furthermore, on the key competence of entrepreneurship, which constitutes one of the eight key competencies of the European Reference Framework for Key Competences for Lifelong Learning [1, 2], there are no studies to analyze the value of entrepreneurial mindset beyond the expected outcomes of any structured learning activities and particular to learner’s happiness.

The transition from adult education to adult learning and then to lifelong learning has been favored by the majority of international entities such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) as well as the political and economic orientation of the European Union towards creating job opportunities and empowering citizens to acquire marketable skills shed light to key competences of lifelong learning. Furthermore, the transfer from adult education to lifelong learning implies, in the light of responsibilities, the shifting from the state to individuals and has accelerated the growth of the framework of competences which is associated with the individuals’ empowerment.

The two Recommendations of the European Parliament and the European Council, dated 18 December 2006 and 22 May 2018, on key competences of lifelong learning [1, 2] make apparent that entrepreneurial spirit is remarkable and important. That is why European strategies recommend entrepreneurship education at all levels of formal education, the primary, the secondary and the tertiary.

The comparison of these two recommendations in terms of the key competence of entrepreneurship, which in the first document is mentioned as a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship and in the second as entrepreneurship competence proves the evolution of the meaning of lifelong learning and, thus, in the end, lifelong learning can be characterized as the symbol of growth for the future of Europe [3].

The term competence includes ability and adequacy, and in case of entrepreneurship, competence involves a set of skills such as taking the initiative, critical and creative thinking, problem solving, making decisions, communicating and collaborating with other people, taking risks, working in uncertain conditions, managing time, diversity and emotions and having courage, patience, persistence and self-discipline. The entrepreneurial mindset has a broader meaning as it includes a set of skills that enable people to identify and make the most of opportunities, overcome and learn from setbacks and succeed in a variety of settings [4].

The objectives of this study are to investigate the meaning of learning for adults with a focus on the value of adopting an entrepreneurial mindset and how lifelong learning activities can help on the path to happiness. This study aspires to make evident the value of the entrepreneurial mindset, stress its value to lifelong learning activities and highlight its importance on the eudaimonia of the learner. It also pursues to stimulate discussion about the creation of learning patterns for the interpretation of the path to the learner’s eudaimonia.

2. Adult education and adult learner

There are many theorists and philosophers who have researched and analyzed adult education, adult educator, adult learner, adult learning, learning and its process, lifelong learning and other types of learning, but this study selected only some of them that are considered more appropriate to the analysis of the issues involved to it, without underestimating the value and contribution of the rest.

The analysis of the purpose of education, the role of adult educators, and the way learning takes place seeks to outline the characteristics of the adult learner and the type of learning that can foster the development of an entrepreneurial mindset.

The response to the question of what is the purpose of education was given by many theorists. One of them claimed that the purpose of education is to foster self-actualization and democracy unit [5]. Learning can be facilitated through environments characterized by reciprocal empathy, conditionality, authenticity and flexibility to cover the demands of every learner and the correspondent educational system. Another response puts stress on education, which fosters the development of a higher level of thinking in individuals in a socio-cultural context [6], where they have the opportunity to learn their culture’s ways of thinking and doing. Learning can be facilitated primarily through social interaction with more competent adults or peers who participate in the learner’s experiences.

In an attempt to compare the two perspectives [7], both of them, Rogers and Vygotsky emphasized the learner’s potential, especially in relationship with respect to the unique idiosyncrasy and interests of each learner. Teaching, in their view, should be flexible and adaptive to any new circumstances. One difference in the two views is that Rogers believes in society as a collection of individuals by highlighting individualism, whereas Vygotsky emphasizes the way individual emerges from and within the context of collective life. Both believe that relationships help individuals shape themselves and become more self-regulating.

Rogers’ theory sees the teacher as the key role in the process of learning, not as a walking textbook transmitting its contents but as the facilitator of learning. In order to serve this role, he has to be himself, able to communicate and understand the student’s feelings and their attitudes towards learning instead of judging and evaluating them. However, the facilitation of significant learning rests upon the attitudes and mindset that appear in the relationship between the facilitator and the learner [8]. Significant learning involves the whole person; it combines cognitive and affective-experiential elements; it includes self-initiated learning, independence, creativity, self-responsibility and self-reliance [9].

When the process of teaching-learning is based on the relationship between the facilitator and the students, students should participate by understanding the uniqueness, authenticity and empathy of the teacher, by responding to situations perceived as a problem and by following their natural motivation to learn [9].

Indeed, learning is not limited to the classroom and the relationship between the teacher and the students, but it has a significant role in everyday life even though it is not easily recognizable [10]. Thus, learning is both experiential and existential [11]. As our world is not a constant and unchanging place, there are always many chances to learn new things, find new explanations, acquire new knowledge and skills as well as to form and reform attitudes and behaviour. This makes apparent the need for lifelong and life-wide learning.

The holistic approach towards learning is captured by the following definition [12]: the combination of processes throughout a lifetime whereby the whole person – body (genetic, physical and biological) and mind (knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, emotions, beliefs and senses) – experiences social situations, the perceived content of which is then transformed cognitively, emotively or practically (or through any combination) and integrated into the individual person’s biography resulting in a continually changing (or more experienced) person [12].

Congruent with this perception of learning is the transformative learning extensively developed by Jack Mezirow. Kitchenham [13] elaborated a review of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory through which he explained the stages of transformative learning, the influences on the theory, transitions into the criticisms as well as the evolution and development of the theory. He concluded that transformative learning theory has been developed and will continue to influence adult learning praxis across different disciplines [13].

The two main influences on Mezirow’s theory dealing with free thought, critical reflection, liberation and emancipation were Freire’s [14] theory on conscientization and Habermas [15, 16] theory on the domains of learning.

Freire defined conscientization as ‘learning to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions – developing a critical awareness – so that individuals can take action against the oppressive elements of reality’ [14]. He argued that it is of great importance for teachers to form a transformative relationship between themselves and the students, students and their learning, and students and society. To Freire [14], education does not stop in the classroom but continues in all aspects of a learner’s life, and this reveals his view towards lifelong learning.

At the 30th anniversary edition about the pedagogy of the oppressed, Freire [17] refused the idea of banking education where education is an act of depositing, the students are the depositories, and the teacher is the depositor. This kind of education makes students passive collectors and derives them from inquiry and praxis. According to his philosophy, knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world and with each other [17]. Education that supports liberation leaves space for authentic thinking (thinking that is concerned about reality) and takes place through communication that gives meaning to human life.

The proposal of Habermas [15] in concern with the three domains of learning and the importance of people communicating with each other in an effort to come to a common understanding [16] has strongly influenced Mezirow. According to Habermas [15], the three domains of learning are the technical, the practical and the emancipatory. Technical learning is the learning that is rote, specific to a task, and clearly governed by rules; practical learning involves social norms, and emancipatory learning is introspective as the learner is self-reflective and experiences self-knowledge [13].

Mezirow [18] has changed the three domains of learning to instrumental, dialogic and self-reflective learning after expanding the view of perspective transformation by relating the emancipatory process to self-directed learning [13]. More precisely, when learners ask how they could best learn the information is instrumental learning; when and where this learning could take place is dialogic learning; and why they are learning the information is self-reflective learning.

It is evident that transformative learning is congruent with the learner’s liberation, emancipation and critical and authentic thinking while it deals with the acceptance and the management of uncertainty. As uncertainty constitutes a critical issue of an entrepreneurial mindset, it is evident that transformative learning can lead learners to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

3. Entrepreneurial mindset in lifelong learning activities

Even though there are many theories of entrepreneurship, there is not a single unified, widely accepted definition [19]. These theories describe entrepreneurship differently in terms of change, risk, uncertainty, innovation, exploitation of opportunities, profit and other economic issues or concerning the traits, skills and personality of the entrepreneur.

The concern of this study is not to write down and describe the different approaches of the theories of entrepreneurship but to describe and shape the entrepreneurial mindset. For this reason, there will be no reference to the theories that have mainly economic content but to those that describe the act of entrepreneurship and the traits, skills and characteristics required to qualify someone as an entrepreneur. In this way, an attempt will be made to outline the entrepreneurial mindset.

Entrepreneurship competence refers to the capacity to act upon opportunities and ideas and to transform them into values for others. It is founded upon creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving, taking the initiative and perseverance and the ability to work collaboratively in order to plan and manage projects that are of cultural, social or commercial value.

Entrepreneurial mindset caters for the creation of a philosophy instead of combining different skills in a set. According to the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) [14], a global educational nonprofit organization, the entrepreneurial mindset pairs traditional non-cognitive skills with the quintessentially entrepreneurial skills demanded by today’s innovation economy [14]. After a lot of experience and research in teaching entrepreneurship, they have ended up with eight core domains as critical to developing an entrepreneurial mindset, which: future orientation, comfort with risk, opportunity recognition, initiative and self-reliance, communication and collaboration, creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving, flexibility and adaptability.

Some indicative examples of the theories of entrepreneurship that seem to have relevance to the acquirement of an entrepreneurial mindset, by leaving aside the creation of a new business and orientation to the exploitation of opportunities as the main characteristic of an entrepreneur, are the following:

• McClelland [20] (he involves in risk taking and energetic activities, has responsibility, organizational skills, anticipation of future and his main motives are mainly the need for achievement and the need of power)

• Kirzner [21] (he is a decision-maker whose entire role arises out of his alertness to hitherto unnoticed opportunities)

• Drucker [22] (he searches for change, respond s to it, and exploit s it as an opportunity)

• Stevenson and Jarillo [23] (he pursues opportunities without regard to resources he currently controls)

• Casson [24] (he specializes in taking judgmental decisions about the coordination of scarce resources) [19].

The perspective of the recognition and exploitation of opportunities consists of the main domain of instilling an entrepreneurial spirit in different lifelong learning activities.

Participation in any lifelong learning activities to develop some skills or even one of the skills included in the entrepreneurial mindset can become a strong stimulus for further participation. It can provide learners with the satisfaction of achievement, the first step to reaching happiness.

4. The concept and value of eudaimonia (happiness)

As change is the central reality in the current life, learning must be continuous [9]. The new era with technological changes and various social, economic and political changes creates an imperative to acquire new knowledge, new skills and attitudes compatible with the new circumstances. The acquisition of digital skills, green skills, and sustainability development skills is considered necessary. Skilling and reskilling, learning, relearning and unlearning are the only ways of survival in every aspect of life. Learning covers the lifespan and the three categories of lifelong learning, such as formal, non-formal and informal learning.

But the real meaning of learning has to exceed the gaining of knowledge, skills and attitudes and concern the learner as a whole person who is interested in having pleasure, satisfaction and happiness through every lifelong learning activity he decides to participate.

In Ancient Greece, the word eudaimonia was very popular and was translated in different ways. It is happiness that signifies a certain way of being and not of feeling, and is also another word for well-being. The philosopher Socrates (469–399 BCE) presented two equivalent principles of eudaimonia through which it is rationally required from each person to make his own happiness mirror his actions and pursue happiness in order to give fundamental consideration to his actions. Due to the emphasis given to virtue by Socrates, eudaimonia is closely connected to happiness, and thus, it could be identical to happiness as a part of happiness or instrumental for happiness [25]. Another Greek philosopher, Aristotle, stated that eudaimonia can be achieved when a person is excellent. Also, it can be considered a sort of happiness or blessedness that constitutes the best kind of human life. The Greek philosopher Epicurus believed that the main goal and the best good of human life is happiness and that it can be achieved from the absence of mental disturbances and physical pain and by the pursuit of pleasure and the elimination of anxiety.

Undoubtedly, the concept of eudaimonia (happiness) has timeless value, and it is still the basic pursuit of human beings over the years, but in the present with the perspective of the future, it is presented with the concept of well-being. It encompasses all aspects of life and all dimensions of lifelong learning. Indeed, it is a multidimensional concept, and this is reflected by the indicative conceptual clarifications in Table 1, which is based on various conceptualizations from the different editions of the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Concept and types of well-being	Authors	International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Well-being in Place; It is a fluid concept that is place and time-dependent and defies specific definitions. It can be conceptualized through different theoretical foundations, including utilitarianism, the human needs perspective and the capabilities approach. It is connected to the rationale for societal and national well-being as well as global well-being	E.O. Onyango & J. Kangmennaarg	Second edition 2020
Well-being in the workplace; It is connected to burnout as; poor well-being leads to burnout due to personal and other factors	S. Sonnentag	Second edition 2015
Well-being at its simplest; It is identified as a state of happiness, health and comfort understood and rooted in and achieved through an awareness of the self and the maintenance of balance and success	S.C. MacKian	Edition 2009
Social well-being; It can be classified into three main lines where the core element is enjoyment or happiness; it is a specific emotional quality of feeling well it is supra-term for positive emotions like enjoyment, pride, satisfaction, etc. it is a multidimensional concept combining cognitive and emotional factors	T. Hascher	Third edition 2010
Well-being in the Self-Determination Theory (SDT); This theory is a motivational theory of personality, development and social processes that examines how social contexts and individual differences facilitate autonomous motivation and controlled motivation and in turn predict learning, performance, experience and psychological health. SDT proposes that all human beings have three basic psychological needs – the needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness – the satisfaction of which leads to effective functioning and wellness	E.L. Deci &; R. M. Ryan	Second edition 2015

Table 1.

Different conceptualizations of well-being.

Source:https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/wellbeing

Contemporary approaches to well-being are represented by the Agenda 2030 well-being and UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization having as its main goal to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all (https://www.oecd.org). The OECD, through its project, the Future of Education and Skills 2030, with the aim to help education systems and students to their future, suggested the Learning Compass 2030. This compass defines the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that learners need to fulfill their potential and contribute to the well-being of their communities and the planet. Accordingly, it pays attention to the teacher profiles/competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes and values) needed to help students learn and improve their well-being and to the teaching curriculum [26].

The main focus of the curriculum is on embedding values and attitudes for shaping a better future by cultivating positive attitudes and values in a learning ecosystem.

The OECD, through the Learning Compass 2030, aspires to orient and prepare students for their future and well-being by suggesting they become change agents, where agency means to be responsible for having a positive impact on their surroundings and on their own well-being. This sense of responsibility covers their understanding and interpretation of their and others’ actions and feelings, the acceptance of diversity and individuality as well as the ability to shape the framework for achieving goals. The Learning Compass 2030 [26] stresses the development of transformative competencies, which include the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values students need to transform society and shape the future for better lives by creating new values, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, and taking responsibility.

In the same vein, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is based on UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 to cover any aspect of human life, and these are (1) no poverty; (2) zero hunger; (3) good health and well-being; (4) quality education; (5) gender equality; (6) clear water and sanitation; (7) affordable and clean energy; (8) decent work and economic growth; (9) industry, innovation and infrastructure; (10) reduced inequalities; (11) sustainable cities and communities; (12) responsible consumption and production; (13) climate action; (14) life below water; (15) life on land; (16) peace, justice and strong institutions; (17) partnerships for the goals [27]. It is evident that the high value of well-being is included in the seventeenth sustainable goal.

As Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is characterized as a key driver for achieving all the SDGs, a complimentary resource bank has been designed for educators, education planners and practitioners in order to offer them hundreds of pedagogical ideas for classroom activities and multimedia resources detailing how best to integrate ESD into teaching and learning [28]. From the two recent tendencies for fostering a better future and sustainability for all, well-being plays a crucial role in the better life of individuals, communities and the whole world.

5. Research methodology: design, data collection and findings

5.1 Research approach and design

The methodology of the present research study combines a literature review with a qualitative approach with an emphasis on observations and discussions with adult learners. The combination of the two qualitative methods was selected in order of perceptions, attitudes and skills of participants in lifelong learning activities, mainly with regard to their entrepreneurial mindset, to be investigated, studied and determined. Biographical interviewing was chosen as it constitutes a considerable source of information about the way people view their life history with the narrative to be regarded as fundamental to the creation of meaning [29]. The main question which addressed the narrative of the participants was ‘Can you describe one of your learning activity to which you have chosen to participate by estimating that it would give you any kind of benefit?’ The participants’ responses to this question were expected to clarify the recognition of an opportunity and the exploitation of it to have a benefit of it.

The content and language analysis were used for the data analysis with the aim of a holistic understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset. The limited in number sample constituted candidate adult educators who are in their preparation for their entry into the labour market and study a subject relevant to electronic and new type of entrepreneurship.

In the present research study, the qualitative approach was selected as it is considered to be a means for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem or the complexity of a situation, where data is collected mainly in the participants’ settings and gives the opportunity to the researcher to makes interpretations of the meaning of the data quite often with a focus on individual meaning [30].

In addition, qualitative research can include comments by the researchers about their role and their self-reflection, and the specific type of qualitative strategy being used not easily used in other designs [31].

This research was conducted mainly by the following research questions:

1. When and how does learning take place in adult education?

2. What is the role of adult educator and adult learner?

3. What type of learning is appropriate for cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset in lifelong learning activities?

4. What are the concepts and the value of eudaimonia?

The appropriate literature review, the observations and discussions of participants in lifelong learning activities provide answers to the above-mentioned research questions.

5.2 Data collection

Data collection was based on a comprehensive literature review and the role of the researchers, the one as adult educator and the other as adult learner correspondingly. Therefore, on the one hand, it includes introspection on the path of self-awareness (knowledge of thyself) for one as an adult educator from teaching adults in praxis, and for the other as an adult learner and as an observer, whereas on the other hand, it includes observations and discussions with adult learners in a multiplicity of acts, actual moments and situations where the rich resource of learners’ personal histories often emerges. Concerning the biographical approach of the present study, it is mostly aligned with the themes highlighted by Bornat [32], which are interactivity, subjectivity and structuring. In more detail, interactivity is represented by the collection of data through some kind of direct social interaction such as an interview or at least a face-to-face conversation. Subjectivity refers to the expression of the self, with an emphasis on feelings and emotions and the individual perceptions and understandings of situations and experiences. The structuring, either obvious or implicit, is connected to the means of direct questioning or the nature of individuals’ own responses [32]. As this study is limited to specific issues, it is certainly necessary to do a great deal more research than it is currently receiving in order to understand the process of adopting an entrepreneurship mindset in all kinds of learning activities in both lifelong and life-wide contexts and how eudaimonia (happiness) can be achieved in lifelong learning activities.

A concise literature review, narratives about the learning activities of the 14 participants, some episodes of the teaching-learning process of the biography of the researcher acting as an adult educator and conversations with adult learners constituted the main resources for this research study. The sample consisted of 14 candidate adult educators who are prepared to join the labour market.

5.3 Research findings

The main purpose of adult education is to develop a relationship between the adult educator acting as facilitator of learning and the learners being aware of the significance of the role of educator and of their responsibility for their learning concerning their openness to new experiences and their problem-solving skills.

Based on this perspective, some learning episodes were designed in order for the identification of entrepreneurial skills to become possible. The core issues in the first episode for participants were to work in teams and analyze case studies of the real world in order to find solutions to the presented problem. The second episode was to undertake a project of their choice, which they will design and implement from the beginning to the end. The third episode includes conversations and discussions about their experience in the two episodes.

From the first learning episode, it was evident that all the participants found the correct solution to the problem they were assigned to solve. From the cooperative observation of the adult educator, the participants demonstrated skills such as communication and collaboration skills, critical and analytical thinking, exploratory and organization skills, and at the end, after the evaluation of their solutions, they felt satisfied with their achievement.

The second learning episode made apparent the difficulties faced by the participants. Ten out of 14 had very good ideas for the theme of their project; they took the initiative to start but delayed in finding the right team to carry out their plan. The majority of them collaborated in a good way almost throughout the whole process; they had appointed the team leader and shared responsibilities while developing a good relationship with each other. They completed their work in the scheduled time, and the team leader presented it to the plenary.

The set of skills presented were creative thinking and innovation, communication and collaboration, opportunity recognition, initiative and self-reliance, time management, self-efficacy and comfort with the risk.

The other two participants showed the ability to create new ideas and recognized the opportunity to have new experiences; they did not take the initiative to form a team and preferred to operate individually. They had difficulty completing the project, and they did not seem happy with the whole process.

The set of skills presented were creativity, opportunity recognition, risk-taking, self-regulation, self-esteem and autonomy.

The last two participants had quite good ideas about the project and the way of its implementation, but they always asked for help and specific guidelines; they did not succeed in completing their project on time and feel disappointed for the whole process.

The set of skills presented were creativity, organizational skills, difficulty with uncertainty, low self-appreciation and discomfort from the risk.

In the third episode, fruitful conversations and discussions liberate the participants to express their feelings, and their obstacles to risk-taking and uncertainty management.

There were not simple talks that took place because a simple talk is not a way of communicating with others. The real communication takes place when someone asks a question, and this is a chance to hear him, to be in touch with him, to reveal what is hidden in our interpersonal relationships, to enrich our lives and to be in touch with what is universally true [33]. The experience of conversations can reveal many things concerning the people present at the time it takes place, parts of their inner self, hidden and expressed emotions, their way of thinking and their culture and the way they choose to communicate. Furthermore, conversation is a meeting of minds with different memories and habits where participants not only exchange facts but also transform and reshape them and may create different implications and thoughts [34].

The conversations made clear that the main reason for the difficulty in risk-taking, uncertainty management and self-reliance was the lack of learning experiences based on self-regulated learning, the teacher-centred learning activities and the absence of entrepreneurship spirit.

The narratives of the participants made evident that the main motives for participating in various learning activities often were the acquirement of knowledge and skills, and they did not have in mind neither the perspective of the recognition and exploitation of opportunities nor the aspect of well-being.

The type of learning and the conceptualization and value of eudaimonia emerged from the literature review. Transformative learning seems to be appropriate for building an entrepreneurial mindset as it considers change and uncertainty precursors of learner transformation. Except this, any other type of learning which is learner-centred and offers openness to new experiences, opportunities for risk-taking, creativity and innovation, initiative and self-reliance, freedom to act and express emotions, and fosters liberation and emancipation could be a good choice.

6. Conclusions

Lifelong learning experiences constitute the main part of our real life whether they are intentional or accidental. Instilling the entrepreneurial spirit in them concerning the recognition of opportunities and the exploitation of them in action can help the learner’s emancipation. In this vein, the purpose of education could be the facilitation of change and learning, as only the process of seeking knowledge gives a basis for security in an insecure world [8].

As the Learning Compass 2030 aims to help students orient themselves and navigate through uncertainty towards well-being for themselves, their community and the planet, the development of the entrepreneurial attitude is of great importance. The entrepreneurial mindset includes the development of vital skills such as self-management, familiarity with uncertainty, risk-taking, decision making and respecting failure as a prominent step to success. Apart from this, the orientation towards well-being in both an individualistic and a collective manner can enhance what Howard Gardener claims about the adoption of a collective well-being [35].

More precisely, he emphasizes the idea of converting our own sense of agency to a commitment to work with others for the common good under the provision of powerful educational supports that are available for the full spectrum of human beings and being able to help them achieve their full potential. He also highlights the consideration of circumstances and challenges of the present times where computational literacy is exposed, and relevant new techniques and technologies can be deployed [35].

Compatible to the Learning Compass 2030 is the Sustainable Development Goals framework, which is characterized as a rescue plan for people and the planet. It is crucial for all to take responsibility for their and other’s well-being and contribute the most to the sustainability of the whole world.

Taking into account that transformative competencies can be taught and learned in schools, in the family and in the community, during interactions with others, conversations, narrative and storytelling could be fruitful approaches to teaching and learning in accordance with the adoption of entrepreneurial mindset where the tendency of creating new value is apparent. It is also worth mentioning that one can teach what one does not know if the student is emancipated, that is to say if he is obliged to use his own intelligence [36].

Communication plays a vital role in active and transforming learning compatible with gaining an entrepreneurial mindset and other transformative competences and indeed, real conversations can enhance its outcomes. Considering conversation as a meeting of minds, the sparking of the minds can bring excitement [34] and maybe satisfaction and well-being.

In addition, the development of collective well-being could be the vehicle for the existence of eudaimonia based on ethical values where respect for the rights, needs and uniqueness of human beings encompass the whole lifelong and life-wide learning activities.

7. Research limitations, implications and suggestions for further research

There are limitations in this study, among which are the selection of some theories to support the assumptions, the opinions, the research questions, the arguments and the documentation of the research results. In addition, the limited number of learning episodes and discussions with learners as well as the selection of the particular sample, make difficult to cover all the issues concerning lifelong learning, the identification of entrepreneurial mindset and the eudaimonia.

This research study could be the trigger for many interested parties to design detailed curricula in programmes aiming at developing skills related to the entrepreneurial mindset.

The combination of lifelong learning with entrepreneurial mindset could stimulate the interest in a deeper and more detailed analysis with an interdisciplinary orientation and in the identification of a set of skills in congruence with the demand of green, digital and sustainability skills in current reality.

Finally, the development of other in-depth analyses as well as other qualitative and quantitative research studies would guide further research where comparisons and synthesis of multiple approaches would offer valuable and useful findings.