In the AI Era, Teachers Embrace Personal Branding... Korea Economic Association Launches Entrepreneurship Training for Educators

Teachers Need to Develop Skills for Collaboration with AI
84.3% of Educators Express Willingness to Participate in Personal Branding
Korea Economic Association: "We Will Continue to Strengthen Educational Capabilities"

The Korea Economic Association’s Center for Entrepreneurship Development has launched a winter training program for principals, vice principals, and teachers nationwide, aiming to spread essential entrepreneurial values to the next generation within educational settings.

Taking place over five days from January 12 to 16 at the Korea Federation of Teachers’ Associations Training Center, the program is composed of three courses: “Innovative School CEO Classroom” for principals and vice principals, “Innovative Economics Classroom” for teachers, and “Innovative Entrepreneurship and Leadership Classroom.” The initiative is designed to reexamine the roles and value of teachers as key players in education, and to strengthen their professional capabilities based on a deeper understanding of the economy and entrepreneurship in the era of AI and technological transformation.

Given the increasing interest in AI among educators, the training will focus on the competencies needed by future talent, educational case studies utilizing AI, and the evolving roles of teachers. In the first course, “Innovative School CEO Classroom,” lectures were delivered by Kim Jeongjin, professor at Seoul Women’s University, and Lee Kyungsang, professor at the Graduate School of Future Strategy at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology).

Professor Kim Jeongjin, who gave a lecture on “Leadership That Transforms Schools,” pointed out that tensions are building in schools due to academic pressure, career uncertainty, and interpersonal conflicts. As an alternative to problem-focused approaches, she proposed “Appreciative Inquiry,” which emphasizes strengths and potential. She also stressed that school leadership should be based on trust and rationality, encouraging participation and positive interactions among members, so that schools can become platforms for continuous change and growth.

Employees of tenant companies are moving at the Korea Economic Association in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Professor Lee Kyungsang, addressing the theme of “AI and Future Education,” explained the evolution of AI technology and highlighted the shift in the relationship between humans and AI from competition to collaboration. He emphasized that the future of jobs is not simply about maintaining or losing existing roles, but about restructuring work based on collaboration with AI. He suggested that education must also adapt to these changes by shifting toward competency-based learning.

In a pre-training survey of teachers nationwide (714 respondents), more than half (56.0%) said they were familiar with entrepreneurship. Additionally, 71.1% of teachers believed that entrepreneurship is closely linked to the teaching profession. Specifically, teachers identified their entrepreneurial qualities as: forecasting future changes and presenting and disseminating educational visions (27.5%), engaging in self-directed and creative educational activities (25.4%), and demonstrating innovative planning and proactive execution in education (22.0%).

Overall, 84% of teachers reported being satisfied with their work. However, among those who were dissatisfied (16%), a significant portion (83.3%) had considered changing jobs or leaving the profession within the past year. The main reasons for dissatisfaction included “a decline in efficacy and psychological stability due to increased infringement of teachers’ rights” (46.5%), followed by “excessive administrative work unrelated to teaching” (24.6%), and “low compensation relative to workload” (22.8%).

With the widespread use of platforms such as YouTube, blogs, and social networking services, more teachers are building personal brands based on their expertise and unique know-how. When asked about their plans for personal branding, 67.9% of respondents expressed an intention to develop their own brand through activities such as writing books, producing YouTube content, or giving lectures, based on their educational philosophy or expertise.

The most common reason cited was “a desire to share and disseminate educational achievements and know-how with other teachers” (25.8%), followed by “a wish to enhance expertise and grow proactively as an educational professional” (23.9%), and “the need for personal branding in preparation for post-retirement career plans” (22.1%). The lowest response rate was for “earning additional income” (13.6%).

If training or camp programs were offered to help teachers build their personal brands under the theme of “Teachers’ Entrepreneurship,” as many as 84.3% of teachers said they would be willing to participate. They showed particular interest in topics such as “the qualities and direction of life needed in the AI era” (29.0%), “understanding startups, investment, and financial management” (22.0%), and “AI-based education and technology trends” (21.3%).

The Korea Economic Association’s Center for Entrepreneurship Development plans to continue strengthening teachers’ professional capabilities and laying the foundation for fostering entrepreneurial spirit in future generations through a variety of training programs.

Jung Cheol, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Development at the Korea Economic Association, stated, “We have confirmed that many teachers are eager to grow proactively and to widely share their know-how and educational values. This aligns with the core elements of entrepreneurship: problem-solving, growth, and value creation. Going forward, we will continue to enhance teachers’ professionalism and pride through the integration of education and entrepreneurship, and we will steadily strengthen educational capabilities.”