Natural Science and Technology : Interpretations of Entrepreneurial Learning in Early Years of Education

Abstract

In 2009, the Swedish government decided that entrepreneurship education is to be conducted throughout the entire public school system in Sweden. The implementation of the concept entrepreneurship is far from obvious; there is no single, unambiguous model for how to work with such an approach in schools. Earlier research has for the most part emphasized that it includes aspects like creativity and motivation for learning, but there are also scholars that stress the need for critical reflection. What happens when a concept from the business sector is brought into an educational context? The study contributes to the development of knowledge concerning how teachers perceive entrepreneurial learning and how it is enacted in practice. The study was conducted in a Swedish municipality in 2014 and involved preschools and primary schools. A stimulated recall method was adopted. The result shows that teachers’ understanding of entrepreneurial learning is connected to a) entrepreneurship, b) science and technology and c) personal development. Each school and preschool have had to do its own interpretations of what this concept entails and the understanding and interpretation of what the concept entails become dependent upon single individuals.