31 October, 2024

Trudie Murray was conferred with her PhD today by Professor Maggie Cusack, President of MTU.  Trudie’s PhD began during the Covid shutdown in 2020 under the Staff PhD programme.  Supervised by Dr Breda Kenny, the Hincks’ Dr Helen McGuirk and Professor Tom Cooney from TU Dublin the research explored how entrepreneurial education can be introduced in preschools in Ireland.  

Prof Tom Cooney, Dr Helen McGuirk, Dr Trudie Murray, Dr Breda Kenny, Ms Caroline O’Reilly, Mr. Gerard O’Donovan.

It was a very proud day for Dr Murray, her family, her supervisors, and her colleagues and students.   Trudie is a lecturer in the Department of Management and Enterprise at the School of Business and researcher at the Hincks Centre. 

Trudie with her supervisors after the conferring ceremony on MTU’s Bishopstown Campus

Summary of the research: 

Trudie’s doctoral thesis entitled ‘The Playful Entrepreneur - Fostering Entrepreneurial Education in Early Childhood Education’ explores how entrepreneurial education can be introduced in preschools in Ireland. The study highlights the importance of teaching children essential skills like creativity, problem-solving, and independence at a young age, to help them succeed later in life. While early childhood education in Ireland receives substantial investment, current teaching methods tend to emphasise social, emotional and cognitive development, leaving entrepreneurial skills largely unaddressed.

This research, using a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach, explores how teachers can nurture an entrepreneurial mindset in young children, with play identified as a key tool for learning and the development of these skills. The study presents a new and novel framework to integrate entrepreneurial education into preschool settings, highlighting the key role of educators and the need for improved training and policies. This approach aims to prepare young learners to thrive in a global society that increasingly values entrepreneurship and innovation.

Helen McGuirk
Head, Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence.