Does the entrepreneurship learning approach influence self-efficacy? The role of students’ entrepreneurial competence and satisfaction

Abstract

This study examined the influence of an entrepreneurship education learning approach on students’ self-efficacy, with a specific focus on the mediating roles played by entrepreneurial competence and satisfaction. Informed by a conceptual framework drawn from pertinent literature, data were collected through purposive sampling from a diverse cohort of students within technical universities. Employing the AMOS structural equation modelling (SEM) method, the analysis revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between the entrepreneurship learning approach and self-efficacy without mediating variables. However, the study observed no significant direct relationship in the presence of these mediating factors. This suggests that entrepreneurial competence and satisfaction fully mediated the impact of the learning approach on self-efficacy. It is important to note that the study’s findings are contextually bound to technical universities within a less developed economy, cautioning against generalising them to traditional universities. Nonetheless, the study underscored the pivotal role of entrepreneurship education, self-competence, and student satisfaction in bolstering students’ self-efficacy, serving as a potent catalyst for fostering entrepreneurial intentions. Consequently, the study advocated for integrating entrepreneurship learning approaches in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.