Entrepreneurship and enterprise in schools are concepts that are appearing more and more frequently in local curricula for the compulsory nine-year school system in Sweden. The meanings of the concepts of entrepreneurship and enterprise in schools vary, however. Over the last few years, the concept of entrepreneurship has started to appear in contexts other than economic ones, and economic authorities are now expressing a need for a widening of the concept of entrepreneurship to include all sectors of society. This article further problematizes entrepreneurship and enterprise by discussing the following issues: the broader application of the perspective of entrepreneurship, the entrepreneurial perspective that focuses on a business orientation, and the enterprise perspective concerning the development of an individual's inherent abilities. The results show that teachers are still wrestling with the contribution of entrepreneurship in school activities.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present and develop models of educational approaches to entrepreneurship that can provide complementary analytical structures to better study, enact and reflect upon the role of entrepreneurship in higher education. Design/methodology/approach A general framework for entrepreneurship education is developed by using theory as well as practical experiences from the fields of business, engineering and pedagogy. The paper is mainly conceptual where the unfolding Swedish practice is used as contextual backdrop. Findings The FOR/IN/THROUGH/ABOUT (FITA) taxonomy is presented and used to develop three models of how to approach entrepreneurship in higher education depending on purpose. As there exists a didactical divide between entrepreneurial education for business and entrepreneurial approach to teaching and learning, educators and researchers ought to let their specific context influence the adoption of the taxonomy as well as the presented models. Research limitations/implications The differentiations suggested by the presented models can be used to both structure the designs and limit claims of future research. More heuristic research is called for. Practical implications The use of FITA in the designing of entrepreneurship education offers new opportunities for enhancing complementary student learning in higher education. Social implications The study suggests that any political or scholarly initiative must acknowledge the diversity of entrepreneurship education and chose different approaches depending on what is to be achieved. Originality/value The multidisciplinary approach has made it possible to present and create models that denote a common ground for a productive discussion on how to better understand and make use of entrepreneurship in higher education.
The northern part of Sweden is characterised by depopulation and relatively high levels of unemployment among young people. As a consequence, a number of projects have been established for the purpose of strengthening young people's creativity and spirit of enterprise. The aim of this article is to problematise the concept of 'enterprise education' as understood in Swedish schools. This is done by visualising the rhetoric that surrounds the effort of introducing Enterprise in Schools ('Företagsamhet i skolan') and by trying to understand what the concept means in practice from the perspective of apprenticeship theory. The authors' research involves classroom observations and interviews with teachers and students from different schools. The results show that the discourse about Enterprise in Schools is based on catchwords such as cooperation, power of initiative, creativity and activity. The authors' studies of the organisation and implementation of the teaching have visualised the collaborative aim and emphasis on learning through schoolwork.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to uncover the meaning of entrepreneurship in schools and a school leadership which aims to nurture an entrepreneurial attitude. The authors will also discuss what challenges there could be for principals to lead activities to develop an entrepreneurial attitude to learning and teaching. Design/methodology/approach -The paper integrates policy documents and scientific material concerning entrepreneurial attitude, leadership and school culture. Findings -In Sweden as well as internationally there are clear policy intentions for renewal of schoolwork in a more entrepreneurial direction. The most striking challenges for principals are to be enough creative within the boarders set by school authorities when setting vision and goals for the development of their schools to enhance an entrepreneurial attitude, building trust and distributing power among staff, along with having courage to think outside "the box". Research limitations/implications -The point of departure is entrepreneurial attitude in education as understood in a Swedish context. International policies as well as research are discussed. Practical implications -The paper illuminates strategic ways of thinking and acting according to leadership in an entrepreneurial learning school context. Originality/value -The role of principals as well as the significance of culture in a school context focused on developing an entrepreneurial attitude is quite often discussed in research. School differs from business in that there are more restrictions set by school authorities. The paper shows an undeveloped area which can be useful to identify and problematize challenges for leadership.
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