Methods in entrepreneurship education research: a review and integrative framework

Abstract

Purpose -Research in entrepreneurship education faces substantial tensions and methodological challenges. Building on a review of extant empirical studies in the field, the purpose of this paper is to develop an integrative methodological framework for studying entrepreneurship education. Central questions are: What forms of entrepreneurship education research exist? Which data sources, research methods and approaches are used in this research? What are the methodological strengths and weaknesses of entrepreneurship education research? How can entrepreneurship education research be improved methodologically? Design/methodology/approach -The paper combines a literature review with a conceptual discussion. The review identifies 88 journal articles reporting empirical studies of entrepreneurship education published between 2002 and 2012. The literature is coded according to method used, type of study, data collection and analysis techniques. From the analysis of the reviewed literature, a conceptual discussion of the advantages and drawbacks of various methods is undertaken, and an integrated approach to entrepreneurship education research is proposed. Findings -Research in entrepreneurship education is fragmented both conceptually and methodologically. Findings suggest that the methods applied in entrepreneurship education research cluster in two groups: first, quantitative studies of the extent and effect of entrepreneurship education; and second, qualitative single case studies of different courses and programmes. Benefits and drawbacks haunt both clusters. Quantitative studies bring objectivity, comparability and generalizability, but show limited appreciation of the heterogeneity of the education they seek to measure. Qualitative single case studies are ripe with contextually sensitive descriptions and best pedagogical practices, but suffer from limited comparability and generalizability as well as severe biases of teacher-researcher conflation. Originality/value -The suggested methodological framework builds on a systematic review of the research methods applied in extant entrepreneurship education research. It integrates qualitative and quantitative techniques, the use of research teams consisting of insiders (teachers studying their own teaching) and outsiders (research collaborators studying the education) as well as multiple types of data. To gain both in-depth and analytically generalizable studies of entrepreneurship courses and programmes, the suggested framework integrates the empirical sensitivity of qualitative techniques and diverse research positions, with the rigour of quantitative measures. The authors argue that studies of entrepreneurship education benefit from this integration. Furthermore, the authors describe a variety of helpful methods, explore the potential relation between insiders and outsiders in the research process and discuss how different types of data can be combined. The integrated frameworkThe current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at

In Search of Alignment: A Review of Impact Studies in Entrepreneurship Education

“…Our focus on entrepreneurship education interventions in a university setting is governed by a fast-growing body of empirical research on entrepreneurship education outcomes that need to be studied [6]. We built our search and selection strategy on the established method of systematic literature review [18,23], which has been recognized within the entrepreneurship field in general (e.g., [24][25][26]) and within the field of entrepreneurship education in particular (e.g., [4,5]). Following Henry et al [11] we started by compiling a list of corresponding journals within which to do our literature search.…”

“…The impact of entrepreneurship education has received increasing attention in recent review studies [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Prior reviews have for the most part used a methodological rigour lens examining extant empirical studies on entrepreneurship education impact [2,3,7].…”

Analysing entrepreneurship education: a bibliometric survey pattern

“…Leading journals in the field were included in the sample. We identified 345 articles that compound entrepreneurship and education, which are half of the 646 initial articles identified in a broader literature set by Blenker et al (2014). Meyer et al (2014) refer that many irrelevant article records may be retrieved when the string "entrep" is used as a filter and more systematic clearance of data is needed.…”

“…Through a metaanalysis, Blenker et al (2014) found that almost half of the existent entrepreneurship education literature comes from UK. The scholars discuss the research methods adopted in entrepreneurship education research and they note that the field is fragmented in both content and methods.…”

Educational Action Research and Triple Helix principles in entrepreneurship education: introducing the EARTH design to explore individuals in Triple Helix collaboration

“…Recent studies suggest that humanistic competencies such as reflection, criticality, and knowledge creation can be harnessed into creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial competencies with societal, cultural, and economic impact (Jensen 2012, Etzkowitz 2014a, 2014b, Gulbrandsen and Aanstad 2015. Studies in entrepreneurship education (Erikson 2003, Matlay 2006, Blenker et al 2014) and our local educational practices at the humanities (Jensen 2012, Jensen 2014 indicate that entrepreneurial competencies can be supported through engaging with external partners for the benefit of students in their learning processes, career choices, and for the benefit of society and industry, as well. The Triple Helix provides a conceptual approach to integrate external partners into innovation and entrepreneurship education for developing and supporting students' entrepreneurial competencies, which can be explored and evaluated through Educational Action Research.…”