SNEE.

Entrepreneurial pedagogy

Sjödin, Ulrika
Stockholm University

Abstract:
Problem. Sweden has a relatively low proportion of entrepreneurs. Consequently the Swedish government wants to implement entrepreneurial education through out the school system. Entrepreneurial education involves moments of creativity and risk taking. However, the educational systems in all of Europe do not usually enhance those factors. This paper is a study of a Swedish entrepreneurial education, “the Market Academy”, at Stockholm University, which addresses the following questions, “What shall entrepreneurial education involve?” and “What is entrepreneurial pedagogy?”
Method. Explorative approach. Interviews with various concerned parties such as students, teachers and entrepreneurs.
Result: The surprising results in this study indicate that focus should not mainly be placed on the potential entrepreneurial individuals, or even on the entrepreneurial education, focus should be mainly on the teachers. Rather than attempting to make all students into business entrepreneurs, the teachers should have a mentality that is prepared for experimentation and for the unexpected, a mind set prepared to take risks, to be “entrepreneurial” themselves, and in this way inspire and help students release their full strength and potential, and become whatever they wish to become.
European integration. The lack of an Entrepreneurial approach in the higher education systems is problem in all of Europe. Universities in Europe can learn much from this Swedish example.