Many educational systems all around the world have a mission to foster and educate entrepreneurial citizens (Deuchar, 2004) where rapid changes in an uncertain future is one argument. The purpose is to create citizens who actively can contribute to the development of society in both an economic and a social manner. The European Commission (2014) emphasizes the importance of creating entrepreneurial individuals across all walks of life.

In Swedish curriculum for upper secondary school the content of the concept of entrepreneurship has two directions and goals: one direction to educate about how to start a run businesses, while the other is about an approach to teaching and learning which includes working methods that stimulate pupils’ development of entrepreneurial abilities. Entrepreneurial abilities are identified as creativity, curiosity self-confidence, transform new ideas into action, solve problems, take initiative, responsibility, work independently, and work with others, social competences and communicative competences (National Agency of Education, 2011). There is no consensus on what methods that are best suited to stimulate and develop this abilities and there are no guidelines for how entrepreneurial education actually should be conducted (Ruskovaara & Pihkala, 2013).  

However, there are research that provide indications that seem to favour and develop the entrepreneurial abilities and these are when students take considerable responsibility for their education and their tasks, working actively with actors outside the school, project-based learning, co-operative learning and where teachers are working as facilitators (Jones & Iredale, 2010; Leffler,2009; Seikkula, 2011 ).

Critical scholars argues that what is made visible is a desire for the employable citizen, that an adequate citizenship can only be achieved through full employability, activity and the contribution that citizens can make to growth (Carlbaum, 2012; Dahlstedt & Hertzberg, 2001). The concept employee has according to Pontgraz & Voss (2003) been replaced with entreployeé, an individual who symbolize an active employee who fits into the flexible, knowledge-based society. The concept of the entrepreneur has a strong connection to economic values and has been criticized when reaching school and critics argue that democratic values in school has been put back (Beach & Dovemark, 2011).

Entrepreneurial education can be said to rest on progressive pedagogy, strongly associated with the American philosopher and educator John Dewey (Pepin, 2012). Dewey emphasizes the importance of that school should represent life and be as authentic as possible. Teachers should be grounded in the student's life-world, abilities and experiences (Dewey, 1980).  Dewey is highlighting activity and language as very important for learning and understanding society (Dewey 1916). Dysthe (2001) argues that an essential objective for education is to include students of different discourse communities i.e. equip them with concepts and ways of thinking. Thus, in this case socialize and introduce them into entrepreneurial concepts and abilities. Some questions regarding entrepreneurial education and progressive education are to be raised: Why develop the entrepreneurial abilities and the entrepreneurial language in students? According to Rose (1998) the purpose is that the students should develop the entrepreneurial-self so they can maximize their human capital in a neoliberal spirit adjusting to the changing labour market which will purpose an individual perspective. The progressive education according to Dewey and stated in his book Democracy and Education, emphasizes that education is important both for the individual and for building a democratic society. Is entrepreneurial education though, claimed to be progressive, compatible with Dewey's ideas about how the progressive education could contribute to building a democratic society?

The aim in this empirical study is to analyse if entrepreneurial education and the ideas of progressive education has the same goal. The analysis is based on student interviews in upper secondary schools.

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