Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Tehran University entrepreneurship faculty
2
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
3
Department of Entrepreneurship Development, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
4
Department of Entrepreneurship Development, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jed.2026.371357.654323
Abstract
Objective: In many developed countries, the basic education system is designed to foster an entrepreneurial society; one where individuals learn responsibility, creativity, and problem-solving skills. In such an educational process, students learn to identify and describe problems in their surrounding environment and ultimately strive to select the best solutions. This educational process is not independent of the culture and background of societies but is highly dependent on the context and domain of implementation. In Iran, despite some sporadic innovations, no sustainable connection has been established between basic education and the cultivation of entrepreneurial citizens. This research, adopting a genealogical approach, examines problem-solving education as one of the core pillars in the formation of entrepreneurial citizens throughout the history of Iran’s basic education system.
Method: Iran’s basic education system, influenced by various political and social factors and an uneven historical development, has acquired particular complexity. Exploring its issues necessitates considering diverse and multifaceted dimensions. The persistence of unresolved educational challenges and the significant gap between policies, objectives, and official documents on the one hand, and practice on the other, indicate fundamental and deep-rooted issues that cannot be addressed without taking historical factors into account. Genealogy, by historicizing phenomena, identifies their historical forms and diverse discourses, and challenges their taken for granted aspects. Instead of seeking linear explanations, the genealogical method focuses on how forces and power relations are formed. The understanding gained through this approach provides a suitable tool for critiquing the current situation.
Findings: The results indicate that Iran’s basic education has not followed an evolutionary and continuous path; rather, it has been influenced by discourses and random changes. The framework developed in this study summarizes the current situation through propositions such as: 1) Instability of discourses, 2) Sporadic and case-based development of problem-solving ability,3) Historical discontinuities in the actions of the basic education system, 4) The precedence of power interests over the development of problem-solving components, and 5) Lack of balance in the development of problem-solving components. These propositions have been categorized and directed within a three-layer conceptual framework into equivalent reform propositions for the basic education system, ultimately aiming to foster entrepreneurial citizens. These citizens are:- Creative in terms of their mindset, nurturing novel ideas, approaching and redefining problems, envisioning the future, questioning, and breaking free from fixed patterns.-Innovative in designing new solutions, implementing them, and collaborating in teams,-Responsible in accepting the consequences of their decisions, pursuing solutions, and engaging in participatory practices.
Conclusion: Recreating Iran’s basic education system requires the formation of a balanced and sustainable discourse on teaching the three-stage component of problem-solving ability and liberation from the dominance of power interests . The proposed conceptual framework can serve as a foundation for policymaking aimed at nurturing entrepreneurial citizens and transitioning toward an entrepreneurial society.
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