The association between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention: A moderated mediation model

Zhipeng Ye^1,2,*, Eng Hoe Wee², Jiajian Wang³, Xiang Li¹, Dake Lin⁴
1 School of Economics and Management, Sanming University, Sanming, China
2 Faculty of Education, Languages, Psychology and Music, SEGi University, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
3 Student Affair Office, Sanming University, Sanming, China
4 Logistics Department, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
* Corresponding Author: Zhipeng Ye. Email: email

Journal of Psychology in Africa https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2026.073646

Received 22 September 2025; Accepted 30 April 2026; Published online 02 June 2026

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Abstract

This study investigated the mediating role of goal orientation and the moderating role of business insights in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. Survey data were collected from 1097 Chinese undergraduates (68.5% female; M_age = 20.13, SD = 1.14) using psychometrically validated instruments. Conditional process analyses were performed via the SPSS PROCESS macro (Model 14; 5000 bootstrap iterations). Results revealed that entrepreneurship education enhanced entrepreneurial intention both directly and indirectly through goal orientation, supporting partial mediation. Notably, business insights moderated the goal orientation–entrepreneurial intention relationship to be weaker, such that the indirect effect was stronger among students with lower business insights. Theoretically, this study extends Social Cognitive Career Theory by elucidating a goal-regulatory mechanism and advocates for differentiated entrepreneurship curricula calibrated to students’ business insight profiles. These findings suggest that substantial business insights may compensate for goal-driven motivational pathways, thereby attenuating goal orientation’s mediating function.