The effect of action-based entrepreneurship education on intention to become an entrepreneur

Abstract

The kingdom of Morocco has launched over the last decade major reform projects in order to strengthen youth entrepreneurship. Therefore, it is important to identify factors contributing to enhanced youth entrepreneurship activity. Hence, this method article examines the determinants of public university students’ entrepreneurial intention, by focusing on the importance of action-based entrepreneurship education. Data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire from management students who had completed a program in action-based entrepreneurship. The data analysis design incorporates both exploratory (PCA using IBM SPSS Statistics 26) and confirmatory factor analysis (PLS-SEM using SmartPLS 3). Findings showed that action-based entrepreneurship education positively and significantly affects attitude towards entrepreneurship, and perceived entrepreneurial capacity. In addition, social norms positively influence attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived entrepreneurial capacity, which turns to enhance students' entrepreneurial intention. Managers of Moroccan higher schools of technology may use this method article to pinpoint critical factors for enhancing students' entrepreneurial intention.•This method article proposes a practical approach to teaching entrepreneurship based on the learning-by-doing approach.•This method article can be used as a reference for researchers interested in studying the role of entrepreneurship education in promoting entrepreneurship in universities.•This method article can be used in order to identify the determinants of entrepreneurial intent among engineering students.