The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Intentions of University Students: An Empirical Study of a Provincial-Level Public University in China
Entrepreneurship has become an important driving force for economic development in China, with university students being the group with great entrepreneurial potential. Entrepreneurship education plays a vital role in nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit of students and preparing them for the job market. There is an urgent need to strengthen research in this field. The purpose of this study is to identify the key factors that affect the entrepreneurial intention of university students in China and explore the impact of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial intention. This study has developed a new conceptual framework that extends the existing models of the theory of planned behaviour and social cognitive theory. A mixed methods approach was adopted in the data collection, including a questionnaire survey on 497 final-year students at a Chinese university, as well as focus groups and interviews with students, faculty and parents. The research results confirm that entrepreneurship education (classroom teaching and social practice) has a significant positive impact on entrepreneurial intention. Other factors that affect entrepreneurial intention include entrepreneurial attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and cultural values such as uncertainty avoidance. In addition, stakeholders (faculty/students/parents) have a significant impact on entrepreneurship education. These findings make a good contribution to the literature and provide useful practical implications for improving entrepreneurship education in Chinese universities.
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