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From entrepreneurial learning engagement to entrepreneurial intention among Chinese university students: the roles of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and uncertainty avoidance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: As universities play a growing role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship to support economic growth, researchers have increasingly focused on understanding the mechanisms through which entrepreneurial education influences students' entrepreneurial intention. Accordingly, on the basis of learning engagement theory, social cognitive theory, and cultural dimension theory, this study investigated the relationships between entrepreneurial learning engagement, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, uncertainty avoidance, and entrepreneurial intention. Methods: Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 1,578 university students in Jilin Province, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the direct, mediating, and moderating effects among the study variables. Results: Entrepreneurial learning engagement was positively associated with entrepreneurial intention both directly and indirectly through entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Multigroup analyses showed that its associations with self-efficacy and intention differed significantly between uncertainty-avoidance groups. In the high-avoidance group, only the indirect association was significant, whereas both direct and indirect associations were significant in the low-avoidance group. However, the between-group difference in the indirect association did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: The findings highlight entrepreneurial self-efficacy as an important psychological correlate of both entrepreneurial learning engagement and entrepreneurial intention and indicate that these relationships differ across groups characterized by different levels of uncertainty avoidance. These patterns underscore the relevance of efficacy beliefs and uncertainty-related orientations for understanding students' entrepreneurial intention. Given the cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted as statistical associations rather than evidence of temporal ordering or causality. Future longitudinal or experimental research is needed to examine these relationships further.

Source: Frontiers in Psychology

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1851960

Authors: Pengzhong Dong, Chia Ching Tu, Xinmin Li, Limeng Dong

Institutions: Jilin Engineering Normal University, Krirk University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Language: English

Topic: Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences

Subfield: Management of Technology and Innovation

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801