Entrepreneurship Education's Impact on Entrepreneurial Intention Using the Theory of Planned Behavior: Evidence From Chinese Vocational College Students

This study is the first to examine the impact of entrepreneurship education (EE) on entrepreneurial intention (EI) among vocational college students in China. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and the EI Questionnaire the study investigates the relationships between EI, its antecedents and EE. The data were collected by surveying 383 vocational college students in Wuxi, Jiangsu, in the People's Republic of China. The researcher used Least-Squares Regression modeling to find significant positive relationships between personal attitude, perceived behavioral control, and EE with EI. Mediation analysis found personal attitude to partially mediate the EE–EI relationship. The results suggest EE is effective in stimulating EI in China. This study provides implications to policy-makers, vocational institutions, and scholars given the current state of China's economy, recent government policies, and the ongoing debate surrounding the EE–EI relationship.