Abstract:

This study investigates how university extension can function as a bidirectional entrepreneurial learning laboratory, fostering the development of entrepreneurial competences not only in the target-school students but also in the undergraduate facilitators responsible for delivering extension activities. In Brazil, curricularised university extension mandates that a minimum of 10% of undergraduate program hours be allocated to structured extension activities, positioning extension as a strategic environment for experiential, socially engaged and competence-based learning. Despite this policy emphasis, empirical evidence concerning how extension initiatives contribute to entrepreneurial competence development among undergraduate facilitators remains limited.

The research examines Minds of the Future project (Federal University of Juiz de Fora, 2023–2025), which employed Lego® Education robotics, Python programming and active learning methodologies to promote STEAM and entrepreneurial competencies among public high-school students from socially vulnerable communities. Across its implementation, the project trained over 400 students and involved 23 undergraduate scholarship holders from diverse disciplines who exercised substantial autonomy in planning, adapting and delivering workshops. Their roles required real-time decision-making, management of uncertainties, interdisciplinary integration and leadership of collaborative learning processes.

A qualitative action research design was adopted. Data were collected through conversation circles (n=14), open-ended questionnaires (n=9), participant observation, field notes and pedagogical artefacts. Thematic analysis combined deductive coding based on the European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp) and Teacher Entrepreneurial Behaviour (TEB), with inductive themes derived from participants’ narratives. Results demonstrate robust development across all 15 EntreComp competences, with particular emphasis on initiative, creativity, collaboration, coping with uncertainty and ethical and sustainable thinking. The facilitators also exhibited behaviours aligned with TEB dimensions such as innovativeness, proactiveness, resource mobilisation and leadership, despite not being professional teachers.

The findings show that active methodologies—project-based learning, design challenges, robotics prototyping and iterative experimentation—created conditions for authentic entrepreneurial behaviour. Facilitators repeatedly highlighted that autonomy, responsibility for real classes and exposure to unpredictable scenarios were decisive for their development. At the same time, secondary students benefited from engaging, hands-on experiences that combined robotics, coding and problem-solving, confirming the bidirectional impact of the extension model.

Overall, the study conceptualises university extension as a powerful space for entrepreneurial competence formation within undergraduate education. It aligns with Brazil’s extension curricularisation policy and offers a scalable model for institutions seeking to integrate entrepreneurship, innovation and social engagement in higher education. The results also inform ongoing efforts at UFJF to map and systematise active methodologies for entrepreneurship and innovation education, contributing to broader international discussions on how universities can cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets through socially meaningful, practice-based learning environments.

Keywords:

Entrepreneurial competences, university extension, EntreComp, educational robotics, active methodologies, teacher entrepreneurial behaviour.