BEYOND DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION: PARALLEL PATHWAYS THROUGH ATTITUDE AND SELF-EFFICACY TO DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164021Keywords:
Digital Entrepreneurial Attitude, Digital Entrepreneurial Intention, Digital Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy, Digital Entrepreneurship Education, Higher Education, Malaysia, PLS-SEMAbstract
Digital entrepreneurship education is increasingly important in preparing students to identify and pursue digitally enabled venture opportunities. However, the psychological mechanisms connecting educational exposure with digital entrepreneurial intention remain insufficiently differentiated. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study examines digital entrepreneurial attitude and digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy as parallel pathways linking digital entrepreneurship education to digital entrepreneurial intention. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 304 Bumiputera students representing five categories of MARA higher education institutions in Malaysia. The proposed relationships were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results showed that digital entrepreneurship education was positively associated with digital entrepreneurial intention (β = .197, p < .001), digital entrepreneurial attitude (β = .700, p < .001), and digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy (β = .697, p < .001). Digital entrepreneurial attitude (β = .120, p = .008) and digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy (β = .197, p < .001) were also positively associated with digital entrepreneurial intention. Both indirect pathways were statistically significant, with digital entrepreneurial attitude mediating the relationship between digital entrepreneurship education and digital entrepreneurial intention (β = .084, p = .018), and digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy demonstrating a significant indirect effect (β = .137, p = .001). These findings indicate that digital entrepreneurship education is associated with entrepreneurial intention through complementary evaluative and capability-based mechanisms. The study contributes to digital entrepreneurship education literature by distinguishing educational exposure, entrepreneurial attitude, self-efficacy, and motivational commitment within a focused theoretical framework. It also provides practical guidance for higher education institutions seeking to strengthen students’ favourable evaluation of digital entrepreneurship, practical confidence, and readiness to pursue digitally enabled venture creation.
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