The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on the Development of Students' Entrepreneurial Intentions and Competencies

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Bibliographic Details
Title: The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on the Development of Students' Entrepreneurial Intentions and Competencies
Language: English
Authors: Yingjun Sun (ORCID 0009-0000-2794-0826), Rui Zhang, Kai Huang
Source: European Journal of Education. 2026 61(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 9
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Entrepreneurship, Business Education, Intention, Job Skills, College Students, Program Effectiveness, Self Concept, Competence, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1111/ejed.70539
ISSN: 0141-8211
1465-3435
Abstract: The objective of this article is to analyse the impact of entrepreneurship education on the development of entrepreneurial intentions and competencies among students in China. The study involved 274 students enrolled in entrepreneurship programs in the fields of 'Economics' and 'Management' at three universities in China. Statistical testing methods, including the t-test and discriminant analysis, were employed for the analysis. The results demonstrated that entrepreneurship education has a positive influence on the development of the entrepreneurial environment, self-awareness, and competencies of students, thereby confirming the importance of adapting educational programs and supporting the proposed hypotheses. The findings revealed that the average score for the entrepreneurial environment was 5.74, whereas the score for the role of education in developing self-awareness was 5.32, with numerous statistically significant differences (p-value < 0.05) across various indicators. Furthermore, students' self-assessment of their entrepreneurial competencies averaged 5.13, indicating a high level of confidence in their skills. Thus, the positive impact of entrepreneurship education on the development of change management competencies was identified. The effectiveness of the educational program in developing students' skills necessary for entrepreneurship was confirmed. Future research is planned to focus on the long-term impact of entrepreneurship education, including tracking graduates' career trajectories and assessing how individual differences among students affect their business success, with results differentiated by gender and prior experience. Furthermore, it may be useful to study the influence of external factors, such as government support and the availability of startup infrastructure, on students' entrepreneurial intentions.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1507085
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The objective of this article is to analyse the impact of entrepreneurship education on the development of entrepreneurial intentions and competencies among students in China. The study involved 274 students enrolled in entrepreneurship programs in the fields of 'Economics' and 'Management' at three universities in China. Statistical testing methods, including the t-test and discriminant analysis, were employed for the analysis. The results demonstrated that entrepreneurship education has a positive influence on the development of the entrepreneurial environment, self-awareness, and competencies of students, thereby confirming the importance of adapting educational programs and supporting the proposed hypotheses. The findings revealed that the average score for the entrepreneurial environment was 5.74, whereas the score for the role of education in developing self-awareness was 5.32, with numerous statistically significant differences (p-value < 0.05) across various indicators. Furthermore, students' self-assessment of their entrepreneurial competencies averaged 5.13, indicating a high level of confidence in their skills. Thus, the positive impact of entrepreneurship education on the development of change management competencies was identified. The effectiveness of the educational program in developing students' skills necessary for entrepreneurship was confirmed. Future research is planned to focus on the long-term impact of entrepreneurship education, including tracking graduates' career trajectories and assessing how individual differences among students affect their business success, with results differentiated by gender and prior experience. Furthermore, it may be useful to study the influence of external factors, such as government support and the availability of startup infrastructure, on students' entrepreneurial intentions.
ISSN:0141-8211
1465-3435
DOI:10.1111/ejed.70539