Entrepreneurship Education in Schools: Empirical Evidence on the Teacher's Role

ABSTRACT

Different approaches and methodologies for entrepreneurship education have been introduced for schools. However, a better theoretical and empirical understanding of the antecedents of entrepreneurship education is needed. The authors analyze what entrepreneurship education practices are used in schools and what role the school and the teacher are playing in determining the entrepreneurship education practices. The data cover school levels from basic to upper secondary education. The findings indicate that the training teachers have received in entrepreneurship seems to be the main factor determining the observable entrepreneurship education provided by the teachers. Further studies on the antecedents of entrepreneurship education are encouraged.

Keywords:

• basic and upper secondary education
• enterprise education
• entrepreneurship education, teacher characteristics
• teaching practices

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elena Ruskovaara

Elena Ruskovaara is working as a researcher, lecturer, and project manager at Lappeenranta University of Technology. For the past 15 years, she has worked in the field of further education for teachers and has been involved in many national and international entrepreneurship projects. Her main interests are entrepreneurship education and especially the challenges of measuring and evaluating entrepreneurship education.

Timo Pihkala

Timo Pihkala is a Professor of Management and Organizations, specializing in entrepreneurship and small business management. He received his doctorate from the University of Vaasa, Finland. Since 2001, he has been working at the Lappeenranta University of Technology, and he is the Director of the LUT Lahti School of Innovation. His research interests include entrepreneurship, innovativeness, strategic management, and interfirm networking.