Kolb's Experiential Learning: An Empirical Test by Science Field on Student Innovativeness in Creating Startups Business in Indonesia

Abstract

Purpose: The increasing amount of unemployment of university graduates has set off an increase in entrepreneurship studies. Unfortunately, student entrepreneurship has been neglected in bringing out the innovativeness of creating startups business, including less attention to students' fields of science. To fill this gap, the application of experiential learning (EL) model is an alternative. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Kolb's EL model and field of study groups on student innovativeness in creating startups business at universities in Indonesia. Methodology: A quantitative approach of quasi-experimental type was used in this study, with a 2 x 2 factorial design. The research sample comprised active students who were enrolled in entrepreneurship courses, identified through stratified random sampling. A project-based assessment tool was used as the research instrument, based on indicators of innovativeness in creating start-ups business which met validity and reliability. All data were analyzed statistically, namely descriptive statistics and comparative analysis. Findings: The results showed that there was some effect of Kolb's EL model on student innovativeness and its interaction with the student's field of study group on student innovativeness. Implications for Research and Practice: This study illustrates that the EL aspect has a strong theoretical framework for entrepreneurship learning, therefore, it needs to expand through further studies.