The research group provides knowledge that strengthens the work on entrepreneurship education in primary and secondary education and training. The group initiates and participates in national and international projects, publishes refereed articles, research reports and theses, and presents findings at conferences and seminars. Many research activities are done in a close collaboration with schools in Norway and abroad.

Our research distinguishes between three approaches to entrepreneurship education. First, education about entrepreneurship investigates entrepreneurship as a societal phenomenon. Education for entrepreneurship is about the acquisition of skills and knowledge of relevance when starting up a new enterprise. Education through entrepreneurship uses the entrepreneurial process as a method or tool to achieve a specific set of learning objectives. These goals include learning subjects and basic skills, developing key competences and 21st Century skills, and knowledge and a reflected perception of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship educations should contribute to the mix between theoretical and practical work at school, as well as to build cooperation between schools and working life.

The promotion of entrepreneurship in primary and secondary education and training is a strategic objective for Norway and the EU. The EU defines entrepreneurship as a key competence, and the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plans states that every young person should have ‘at least one practical entrepreneurial experience before leaving compulsory education’. Norway has been an international frontrunner with three National Action Plans on entrepreneurship education, and almost all lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools offer entrepreneurship as a subject and/or as interdisciplinary projects.

Master student projects

Five master students at the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning have participated and written their master theses in the international research projects Innovation Cluster for Entrepreneurship Education and Why Europe Matters.

• Brit Kari Drejer (2018): Young voices in Europe. Youth imagining belonging and citizenship.
• Ingunn Elder (2017): Ofte opplever jeg at jeg virkelig lærer noe, fordi elevene kan mer om sin interesse enn det jeg kunne'' - En kvalitativ studie om læreres opplevelser av å lede kreative og innovative prosesser i nær relasjon med elever i Ungdomsbedrift (in Norwegian).
• Julie Kristin Aae (2017): Ungdomsbedrift som tilrettelegger for et inkluderende læringsmiljø - En kvalitativ studie av ungdomsbedrift som metode for å tilrettelegge for et inkluderende læringsmiljø (in Norwegian)
• Ruth Ida Valle (2017): Hvordan oppleves det å delta i ungdomsbedrift for elever med særskilte behov? En kvalitativ intervjustudie av hvordan to elever med særskilte behov opplever å arbeide i ungdomsbedrift, med fokus på inkludering (in Norwegian).
• Trine Hove Langdal (2018): En kvalitativ studie av læreres opplevelser med skolers tilrettelegging for utvikling av lærerrollen i forbindelse med Ungdomsbedrift (in Norwegian).