Mapping of scientific production on design thinking as a tool for entrepreneurship education : a bibliometric study of a decade

Purpose: Design thinking (DT) is still a relatively new methodology in the context of entrepreneurial education, which presents itself as an important tool for the development of entrepreneurial skills when inserted into the educational system. This research aimed to analyze studies about DT related to the entrepreneurial mindset in international journals over a period of ten years (2009–2019). Entrepreneurial education has been a constant in academic debates as well as practices and methodologies to apply this education, and such context has moved educational institutions to adopt practices and initiatives focused on the theme. Design/methodology/approach: The tool used in the present study was the bibliometric database of the Web of Science through the words “Design Thinking” (DT) and “Entrepreneurial Education”. The research is characterized as descriptive and quantitative, and 146 publications were investigated in the period from 2009 to 2019, in the respective database. Findings: The study also highlighted the new generation of young students forcing a change in education with an approach centered on the individual. Speech does not prevail in the teachers but in the students, and the teacher educator starts to collaborate for this new educational demand with didactics relevant to the world in this way preparing these young people and delivering society to critical, proactive and participatory individuals. Originality/value: In the course of the study, we observed practices and examples of schools and universities that have adapted ways to allow new interactions in the school environment by promoting and encouraging innovative education.