Abstract
The present study addresses the issue of entrepreneurial thinking among high school students as a psychological construct. The development of psychological readiness for independent decision-making, initiative, and responsibility for the outcomes of one’s actions represents a key priority of modern education. However, the level of development of entrepreneurial thinking among high school students remains insufficiently explored within empirical psychological and pedagogical research. This underscores the need to develop diagnostic criteria and level-based indicators that enable an objective assessment of its formation within the educational process. Methodology and Methods. The study employed a combination of research methods, including a psychological and pedagogical experiment, diagnostic techniques for assessing indicators of entrepreneurial thinking, methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as statistical methods for processing empirical data. Results. The study identifies key indicators and levels of entrepreneurial thinking among high school students and reveals differences in the degree of development of its structural components. In addition, the specific characteristics of the initial level of entrepreneurial thinking among students are described. Scientific novelty. The study provides, for the first time, empirical evidence based on a criterion-level assessment of the structure and levels of entrepreneurial thinking among high school students, encompassing motivational, reflexive-value, and personal components. Practical significance. The findings can be applied in the design of educational programs and diagnostic tools aimed at fostering entrepreneurial thinking and developing entrepreneurial competencies within the system of general secondary education.