ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION IN PREDICTING STUDENTS’ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This study aims to examine entrepreneurial role model as one of the factors that
influence entrepreneurial intention. The study is underpinned by the Theory of
Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Social Learning Theory (SLT). Using cross-sectional
survey research design with multi-stage sampling technique, data were collected from
290 final year undergraduates of two universities in Bauchi State and analysed using
IBM SPSS Statistics 25 and Partial Least Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM)
technique. Despite the weak explanatory power of the study model as evidence by
33.5% coefficient of variation, the study yields some interesting findings. The
hypotheses testing results showed that entrepreneurial attitude, perceived behavioural
control and entrepreneurial role model have a positive and significant influence on
students’ intention for self-employment. However, entrepreneurship education and
subjective norm do not have a statistical influence on their intention. Perceived
behavioural control of the students has the greatest influence on their entrepreneurial
intention. The study concluded that entrepreneurial role model had a great role as an
antecedent of students’ intention for self-employment. In the end, the study offered
theoretical, managerial, methodological implications and directions for future
research.