Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education operates, recognising the implications for professional practice
Entrepreneurship education is about teaching students how to start and run their own businesses. It covers everything from writing a business plan to actually launching a company. It aims to boost students' confidence, skills, and desire to become entrepreneurs. Many universities now offer these programs, hoping to help students turn ideas into start-ups.
Entrepreneurship education (EE) has a small but consistent effect on increasing students’ entrepreneurial intentions (r = .143 ➕➕), though this effect becomes non-significant when accounting for students’ intentions prior to taking the course (Bae et al., 2014). This suggests that EE may reinforce intentions more than create them from scratch. However, it significantly improves entrepreneurial knowledge and skills (rw = .237 ➕➕) and positive attitudes toward entrepreneurship (rw = .109 ➕➕), especially when students engage in experiential activities like simulations or venture creation (Martin et al., 2013). Nabi et al. (2017) found that intention-focused programs are most successful when they include action-based learning and reflection.
The design and delivery format of EE matters: programs that run for a full semester or longer and include hands-on elements (e.g., starting a mini-business) produce larger gains than short workshops or purely theoretical courses. Venture creation-based education outperforms traditional business planning approaches in developing both intent and capability. EE has a greater impact on female students and those without entrepreneurial family backgrounds, indicating its role in closing demographic gaps in entrepreneurial aspirations. Some studies in the review also highlighted the role of teacher expertise, with entrepreneur-taught programs yielding stronger outcomes.
Despite positive effects on intentions, attitudes, and skills, evidence for actual entrepreneurial behaviour post-course is still limited and inconsistent, suggesting a need for long-term follow-ups to track outcomes like business formation or self-employment.
This summary draws on three high-quality reviews: Bae et al. (2014) meta-analysed 73 studies on EE and intentions; Martin et al. (2013) meta-analysed 42 studies on EE and human capital outcomes; Nabi et al. (2017) systematically reviewed 159 studies linking EE to a wide range of outcomes. These studies used robust methods, including control for pre-existing intentions, and covered a wide variety of student samples and program designs.
Bae, T. J., Qian, S., Miao, C., & Fiet, J. O. (2014). The relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions: A meta–analytic review. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 38(2), 217–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12095
Martin, B. C., McNally, J. J., & Kay, M. J. (2013). Examining the formation of human capital in entrepreneurship: A meta-analysis of entrepreneurship education outcomes. Journal of Business Venturing, 28(2), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2012.03.002
Nabi, G., Liñán, F., Fayolle, A., Krueger, N., & Walmsley, A. (2017). The impact of entrepreneurship education in higher education: A systematic review and research agenda. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 16(2), 277–299. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2015.0026
