My doctoral research focuses on how municipal-level digital education strategies support teachers’ professional learning and the development of digipedagogical competence in Finnish basic education. In Finland’s decentralized education system, municipalities play a central role in translating national curriculum goals into practice. My first PhD substudy draws on longitudinal survey data (2021–2023, N = 1,121) and examines how teachers assess and develop their digipedagogical competence. The study identifies different teacher profiles based on their engagement with digital pedagogy and explores how these profiles change. The findings suggest that while the profiles remain relatively stable, there are small shifts, which highlight the need for sustained and differentiated support for teachers.

By the time of the EdTech 2026 conference, I will be at the early stages of my second study. At the moment, I am trying to better understand how to connect the structural perspective (municipal strategy and its implementation) with the individual perspective (teachers’ experiences, agency, and professional learning) in a meaningful and coherent way across my dissertation. Defining the scope and focus of this next study still feels quite open, and I am focusing on how to best position it in relation to my first study.

Alongside these research-related questions, I have also been reflecting on the nature of doctoral work more generally. Working as a full-time doctoral researcher has required a high level of independence and self-direction, and the long-term nature of the process can at times feel overwhelming. Especially in this early phase, much of the responsibility for structuring the work and maintaining progress comes from oneself, which can make the process feel quite solitary. At the same time, I have found peer support to be extremely important, and discussions with others in similar situations have been a key source of motivation and perspective.

In the roundtable, I would particularly appreciate elaborative feedback and discussion, for example on the following questions:

• How can I meaningfully connect my first study and my second study so that they form a coherent whole?
• What are effective ways to combine structural (strategy-level) and individual (teacher-level) perspectives within one study or dissertation?
• How have others dealt with stress, pressure, uncertainty, and self-doubt during the doctoral process?
• What kinds of practices have helped you maintain a sense of balance and self-compassion while continuing to make progress in your work?

I see this roundtable as an opportunity to both clarify the direction of my research and to reflect on the broader experience of doing a PhD, together with others who are going through similar processes.

This paper examines the role of technology-enhanced pedagogies in fostering responsible and competency based entrepreneurship learning with a focus on Science, Technology, and Engineering Entrepreneurship (STEE) contexts. It draws from several peer reviewed academic studies to investigate the use of virtual learning environments, blended learning, and AI tools – including large language models (LLMs) and generative AI – to support the development of entrepreneurial competencies such as opportunity recognition, creativity, business modelling, and ethical and sustainable thinking. The analysis includes diverse contexts, such as project-based technology entrepreneurship, immersive virtual simulations, and AI-supported business modelling. The findings demonstrate that these technologies can enhance learner engagement and entrepreneurial intention, while also bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. In addition to this, the findings emphasise key considerations around access, reliability, and the ethical use of AI and digital platforms. Building on these insights, the paper develops a theoretically grounded framework that integrates technology-enabled learning and competency based entrepreneurial models. Through this analysis, design principles and teaching strategies for STEE entrepreneurship education are proposed. The study offers guidance for educators seeking to integrate immersive and AI tools responsibly, which in turn supports students in developing practical and ethically aware entrepreneurial capabilities suited to uncertain and digitally mediated environments.