Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate a model for facilitating employees’ and full-time, non-business students’ entrepreneurial capabilities during their optional entrepreneurship studies at one Finnish Open University. Design/methodology/approach – The case study investigates the course in which transitions from employees or non-business students to nascent entrepreneurs are presupposed to happen. The examined phenomenon is the lecturer’s (the author’s) facilitating process. The key method is to support the ES students in developing their daily practices and reflecting on these from an entrepreneurial view. Findings – For the ES students identified as latent nascent entrepreneurs, the development period facilitated by exploiting small-sized entrepreneurs’ attributes, skills and behaviour mainly awakened intrapreneurship. Intrapreneurship was an unexpected phase because the lecturer did not offer it as an alternative. This necessitated the lecturer to investigate her instructions during the ES students’ development processes to find out the crucial factors that might have awakened their intrapreneurship. Practical implications – In the current case, intrapreneurship seems to be an essential phase between latent nascent and nascent entrepreneurship. Therefore, it is important to note the elements in the facilitation process that may strengthen intrapreneurship. The implications of latent nascent entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial processes should be further investigated, whether strengthening intrapreneurship would produce more nascent entrepreneurs than processes without noticing intrapreneurship. Originality/value – Developing and reflecting on one’s practices from an entrepreneurial viewpoint as an employee or a full-time, non-business student seem worthy of more examinations. Generally, opportunities for encouraging new start-ups by these people comprise an unknown area when considering supported entrepreneurial processes.

Purpose – This study focuses on the implementation of entrepreneurship education in non-business education at the basic education level and in class-teacher education in Finland. The subject to learn was music, which did not include any entrepreneurial content. Accordingly, this study looks closely at the way learners behave when studying music. The purpose of this paper is to see whether entrepreneurial behaviour is appropriate in non-business education. Design/methodology/approach – The study used the action research approach; in particular, it used the special teacher-as-researcher method. The analysis was based on content analysis. Findings – In this study, the teacher-researcher looked at entrepreneurial learning as experimenting with alternative learning methods and different learning contents. To ensure that every learner received the support they needed in their self-chosen tasks, peer learning was encouraged. Learners got the support they needed both from each other and from the teacher-researcher. Practical implications – Although this study was only carried once during some music lessons in one particular comprehensive school and once in one class-teacher education in Finland, the findings may prompt teachers in other subjects and other countries to add entrepreneurial activities to their learning environments. Originality/value – There is a lack of research into entrepreneurship education practices at lower educational levels and where education is not business-oriented. Using the entrepreneurial approach in general education raises another question: is the approach suitable for every learner? Neither of these facets has been studied in depth.

No abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine and model entrepreneurial learning processes as a continuum from non-business basic education to vocational education. Previous studies and policy programs in Europe suggest that entrepreneurship education should be a core part of the education system. Design/methodology/approach – This is an action research piece of work in which two researchers (the authors) have first studied each other’s own data independently, and then combined these two sets of data. One data set has been collected in a non-business, basic education setting, whereas the other focuses on business studies in vocational education. Here, the entrepreneurial learning process is seen as a synthesis of experimentation with discovered and created opportunities and managing knowledge and competences through reflective practices and decision-making processes. Findings – The main finding is that entrepreneurial learning can be enabled and may manifest itself as a useful process both in non-business and business school contexts. Another related essential finding is the importance of developing learners’ reflective practices. Practical implications – This research aims to provide scientific evidence that different school levels should cooperate to establish entrepreneurial learning as a continuous process. This case has been researched in the Finnish educational system, but it may also prompt teachers at different school levels in other countries to enable their students’ entrepreneurial learning. Originality/value – Although entrepreneurial learning has been researched frequently, there is still a lack of investigation concerning lower educational levels, especially non-business basic education. In addition, the point when growth to become entrepreneurial could begin has not been studied in depth. This research focuses on demonstrating how entrepreneurial learning can be planned and executed as a continuum at lower educational levels.

Purpose Entrepreneurship education is recommended for implementation throughout the entire educational path. However, there have been challenges in implementing entrepreneurship education for many kinds of students, especially in non-business education. The case study presented in the current paper asks how 15-year-old students in Finnish basic education are able to find their ‘entrepreneurial selves’ by looking at their musical activities through an ‘entrepreneurial lens’. Design/methodology/approach This case study examines an intervention carried out among music students in basic education. The music teacher interpreted the enterprise approach as guiding the students to experiment with different styles in singing and playing instruments, to seek various opportunities to sing and play both individually and as a group, and to reflect upon their activities. To awaken their entrepreneurial selves, the students were guided to assess their musical activity using 12 enterprise concepts. Findings The study shows that students in basic education can be encouraged to reflect on their music studies by comparing their musical activities with small-sized entrepreneurs’ attributes and activities. For example, the students pointed out the ability to take initiative and cooperate. One principle in organising the music learning environment was to allow the students to make choices based on their own interests. The alternatives given led students to discover opportunities and to make decisions to experiment. Their reflective practices enabled them to make new decisions and finally own and lead their music learning paths. Practical implications This investigation shows that encouraging students to reflect on their study practices through an entrepreneurial lens may awaken them to their entrepreneurial selves regardless of the subject and context. Despite examining only music studies in basic education, the findings may prompt teachers and educators in other non-business educational contexts and subjects to apply the ideas shared in the current paper. Originality/value Music as a subject and basic education as an educational level have not been examined in depth as enterprise learning environments. Only a few previous studies have focused mainly on non-business students’ enterprise activities without training in business skills.