Educational approaches to entrepreneurship in higher education

Abstract

PurposeThe 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/approachA 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.FindingsThe 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/implicationsThe 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 implicationsThe use of FITA in the designing of entrepreneurship education offers new opportunities for enhancing complementary student learning in higher education.Social implicationsThe 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/valueThe 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.