Role Models and Role Aspirants in Entrepreneurship Education

In the research field of entrepreneurship education, role models have been extensively studied. However, the other party in the role modeling process, role aspirants, has received less interest in terms of research. This article argues that without entrepreneurial role aspirants who strive to identify with potential entrepreneurial role models, there would be no such role models. Entrepreneurial knowledge and a positive perception of entrepreneurship are necessary elements in the formation of a role aspirant. Hence, this study discusses the formation of entrepreneurial role aspirants by examining the significance of school and entrepreneurial family background in the creation of entrepreneurial knowledge and a positive perception thereof. Data used in this article was gathered from 15-year-olds in Finland ( N = 26,063). The results indicate that an entrepreneurial family background creates role aspirants by delivering entrepreneurial knowledge and creating a positive perception of entrepreneurship. In contrast, school can deliver knowledge of entrepreneurship, but it does not create a positive perception of it. This article discusses how this might affect the planning and implementation of entrepreneurship education.