In a nutshell
Design thinking may be everywhere in entrepreneurship education, but it’s not always used the same way. This study explores how educators across Europe are interpreting and applying it in practice — often informally, creatively, and on their own terms.
Design Thinking is one of those ideas that sounds simple enough: put people at the centre, explore problems creatively, and test ideas quickly. But what does that actually look like in a university classroom? While it’s become a bit of a staple in entrepreneurship education, it turns out that most educators are making it up as they go.
This new study by Schneider, Huxtable-Thomas, Bowen, and Högsdal takes a deep dive into how 29 entrepreneurship educators from different parts of Europe actually use Design Thinking in practice; not in handbooks or policy documents, but in the day-to-day work of teaching.
Instead of assuming a single definition of Design Thinking, the researchers were more interested in what educators thought it was, and how they made it fit into their courses. For some, it was a matter of sprinkling in a few familiar tools or activities, like using empathy maps or asking students to prototype their ideas. For others, it shaped entire courses, guiding the way they taught, designed assignments, and helped students deal with the inevitable uncertainty that comes with entrepreneurship.
What stood out was how deeply personal and context-specific each educator’s approach was. Design Thinking wasn’t something most of them were “trained” in — instead, they picked it up informally and simply adapted it to their needs, using the concept as a loose guide rather than a fixed formula. In fact, many of these educators didn’t even realise they were using Design Thinking until they were asked to reflect on their methods. Others had embraced it completely, treating it not just as a set of tools, but as a mindset that’s human-centred, iterative, and more focused on exploring the right problem rather than jumping to the right solution.
Publication Date: April 10, 2025
Authors: Hannah Laura Schneider, Louisa Huxtable-Thomas, Robert Bowen, Nils Högsdal
Institutions: Swansea University (UK), Stuttgart Media University (Germany), Cardiff University (UK)
Study Type: Peer-reviewed journal article
Sample Size: 29 entrepreneurship educators from higher education institutions across Europe
Research Focus: To explore how entrepreneurship educators conceptualise and integrate design thinking into their teaching practices, and to identify the variations and commonalities in these approaches
Research Methodology: Qualitative, interpretive approach using semi-structured interviews
Main Findings: The study identified four distinct approaches to integrating design thinking in entrepreneurship education: selective, idea-centric, procedural, and holistic. It highlighted that educators often adopt design thinking informally, leading to varied implementations. The research underscores the need for clearer frameworks and training to support educators in effectively applying design thinking principles.
Citation: Schneider, H. L., Huxtable-Thomas, L., Bowen, R., & Högsdal, N. (2025). Diverse approaches: Educator-centric insights into design thinking practices in entrepreneurship education. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research. Link
But the paper doesn’t just celebrate this flexibility — it also points to some of the tensions and uncertainties that come with it. Some educators found that the term “Design Thinking” itself could be confusing or off-putting for students, while others noted that it was difficult to explain or justify its use in more traditional academic settings. And while many valued the mindset it promotes, with its focus on empathy, iteration, and embracing failure, they also expressed a need for clearer language and more accessible ways to share what they were doing with colleagues and institutions.
Rather than offer a single definition or best practice, this study shows how Design Thinking is already being redefined through teaching. The researchers suggest that there’s no “correct” way to use Design Thinking in entrepreneurship education, because it’s flexible, personal, and deeply shaped by each educator’s values and teaching style. Instead of prescribing a single model, this research provides a kind of mirror: a way for educators to reflect on how they use Design Thinking, why they use it, and what that means for their students.
In a field where methods can quickly become buzzwords, this paper reminds us that the most meaningful changes in education often come from the ground up — not from adopting flashy frameworks, but from educators quietly reshaping them to fit the real world of teaching and learning.
Read more Research Recaps on entrepreneurship education.
