Exploring the link between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions: the moderating role of educational fields

Purpose The purpose of this research is to integrate the prediction from entrepreneurship education with the theory of planned behaviors (TPB) to build a conceptual framework and estimate the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention over and above key predictors from an extended TPB model. Also, the moderating impacts of educational fields in the paths from entrepreneurial education, attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control to entrepreneurial intention are tested in this study. Design/methodology/approach The study used a sample of 559 university students who received entrepreneurship education at 12 universities from Vietnam. Confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to test the validity and reliability of all variables and regression analyses were used to estimate coefficient paths. Then, bootstrapping method with the PROCESS approach was utilized to test the indirect correlations. Findings The study reveals that attitude toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control were positively and strongly associated with entrepreneurial intention, while the linkage between subjective norms and entrepreneurial intention was not significant. Also, the findings show that even though entrepreneurship education did not have a direct effect on entrepreneurial intention, it increased entrepreneurial intention via attitude toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control. In addition, this study finds that educational fields moderate the associations between predictors and entrepreneurial intention. Practical implications This study offers both universities and policymakers options to foster youths' entrepreneurial activities. Originality/value This study is expected to significantly contribute to entrepreneurship literature by enriching our understanding of the interesting and crucial linkages between entrepreneurship education, attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial intention. Additionally, the current research reveals that for economic and business management students, the paths are driven from entrepreneurial education, attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control to intention to engage in entrepreneurial activities has become stronger when compared to students of majors in engineering and others.