Effect of Entrepreneurship Education on Female Polytechnic Students’ Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Survey Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines the effect of entrepreneurship education (EE) on entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and entrepreneurial intentions (EI) among female polytechnic students in Nigeria, with a specific focus on the mediating role of ESE in the EE–EI relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed, collecting data from 162 female students across multiple disciplines at a Nigerian polytechnic. Validated scales measuring EE (33 items, α = 0.912), ESE (5 items, α = 0.877), and EI (5 items, α = 0.891) were administered. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression and mediation analysis (PROCESS Macro Model 4; 5,000 bootstrap resamples). Findings: Entrepreneurship education significantly predicts entrepreneurial intentions (β = 0.443, p < 0.001), explaining 19.5% of variance. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy partially mediates this relationship (indirect effect = 0.240, 95% CI [0.144, 0.351]), accounting for 50.1% of the total effect. The final model explains 34.0% of variance in entrepreneurial intentions. Notably, entrepreneurial intentions (M = 4.08) significantly exceed self-efficacy levels (M = 3.62), suggesting an intention–capability gap. Demographic controls (age, qualification, marital status) showed no significant moderating effects. Originality/value: This study is among the first to empirically test the mediating mechanism of entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the entrepreneurship education intentions link specifically among female polytechnic students in sub-Saharan Africa. The partial mediation finding refutes assumptions of full mediation derived from Western samples and reveals context-specific dynamics. Findings inform targeted curriculum design for female entrepreneurship education in developing economies.