eThesis - School of Business electronic theses

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Purpose: This thesis aims to explore the role of entrepreneurship education in Finnish high schools from the perspective of high school principals and entrepreneurship education professionals. The key research questions are: 1: How do high school principals and entrepreneurship education professionals define entrepreneurship education and understand its (potential) role in Finnish high schools? What are the main commonalities and differences in their perceptions? 2: What is the particular role of high school principals in the implementation of entrepreneurship education in Finland? How do high school principals perceive themselves in this potential role, and what are the main standpoints of entrepreneurship education professionals? Theories and methods: Based on a review of the recent entrepreneurship education literature, the thesis identifies the under-researched role of entrepreneurship education in high schools. Following this, it draws upon in-depth interviews with high school principals and entrepreneurship education experts to examine the nature of discourses around entrepreneurship education in Finland. Key contributions: This thesis contributes to entrepreneurship education research by providing novel insight into the particular role of principals in the implementation of entrepreneurship education in high schools. The thesis highlights the different understandings and sense-making of the notion 'entrepreneurship education' between high school principals and entrepreneurship education professionals, and emphasizes the needed for further research on how to build a greater awareness of what 'entrepreneurship education' means and how it can be adequately implemented in high schools.