Linking Entrepreneurial Education and Opportunity Recognition to Intention: The Central Role of Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Entrepreneurial intention is a critical precursor to entrepreneurial behaviour. While entrepreneurial education and opportunity recognition are often considered important antecedents, their effects on intention remain inconsistent. This study investigates whether self-efficacy serves as the central pathway through which entrepreneurial education and opportunity recognition influence entrepreneurial intention. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) on survey data from 341 students in Assam, India. The results demonstrate that self-efficacy significantly predicts entrepreneurial intention and fully mediates the effects of entrepreneurial education and opportunity recognition. These findings highlight the importance of building self-efficacy in entrepreneurship education to foster entrepreneurial intention.