Progressing Context in Entrepreneurship Education: Reflections from a Delphi Study

Abstract

Stimulating entrepreneurial agency among citizens, companies, and organizations is a central objective of many policymakers, potentially requiring arenas for innovation, networks of advisors, training, infrastructure, and finances, among other things. Nonetheless, central to agency is the individual’s own willingness and empowerment to engage. Some aspects of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial action have been argued to be broadly applicable across disciplines, geographies, and cultures, while others are significantly dependent upon a set of variables in which one is embedded. Thus, considering ways in which the contextual complexity of entrepreneurship (and education) is represented in entrepreneurship education is critical. Recent literature establishes that it is important to design for and with context in entrepreneurship education (Thomassen, et al., International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 26(5):863–886, 2020), but we lack documented knowledge regarding how this can and potentially should be done. In this chapter, we aim to progress a research agenda by identifying current challenges and future opportunities brought forward by experts in entrepreneurship education research through a Delphi study in order to advance the contextualization of entrepreneurship education.