Navigating Pedagogical Dilemmas when Fields Are in Flux

Educators sit within scholarly fields, many marked by strong disciplinary boundaries or paradigms of thought. Yet, not all fields share cohesion. Fields with low paradigms have a plurality of frameworks and less consensus, which can complicate the task of course design. When low-paradigm fields confront rapid growth and are in flux, field boundaries weaken and educational mandates broaden or come into question. These conditions can generate dilemmas: opposing alternatives with distinct advantages or disadvantages but no clear path to resolution. While the lens of dilemmas has informed theories of student learning, little research has examined the pedagogical dilemmas educators face when designing courses or how they address them. We examine this question in the low paradigm, high growth field of entrepreneurship. We interviewed 27 entrepreneurship educators at a range of institutions and analyzed 86 syllabi from 84 U.S. universities (74 at business schools). We identify three pedagogical dilemmas related to learning outcomes, topic breadth, and delivery modalities. We show how educators cultivate a repertoire of strategies to navigate these dilemmas and unpack the rationales underpinning each (i.e., amplifying, retrenching, or stretching). Overall, we contribute by linking field conditions to dilemmas that emerge for educational practice, with consequences for students, educators, and the field.