From social entrepreneurial education: how self-efficacy and family support shape youth entrepreneurial intentions

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of self-efficacy (SE) and family support (FS) on social entrepreneurial education (SEE) and youth entrepreneurial intention (YEI) in Ghana. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), it explores the mechanisms through which these factors shape entrepreneurial aspirations. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 423 youths undergoing training with the Ghana Enterprise Agency, and data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS-SEM (4) to test the direct, mediating, and moderating effects. The findings indicate that SEE has a significant impact on YEI, with SE fully mediating the relationship between SEE and YEI and FS moderating this relationship. These results highlight social entrepreneurship (SE) and financial sustainability (FS) as crucial factors in fostering entrepreneurial intention through social entrepreneurial education. This study highlights the importance of policymakers and educators integrating SEE into formal and informal educational systems to foster entrepreneurial mind-sets and drive societal change. By incorporating the TPB framework and SCT, this study provides novel insights into how SE and FS enhance the effectiveness of SEE in shaping youth entrepreneurial intentions and offers practical implications for fostering entrepreneurship in emerging economies.