The role of entrepreneurship education in developing entrepreneurial intentions among students at the Takoradi Technical University in Ghana

Abstract

Graduate unemployment in Ghana remains a pressing concern, prompting successive governments to prioritize entrepreneurship education (EE) as a strategic intervention. Despite its growing emphasis, the impact of EE on promoting entrepreneurial intentions (EI) among students has been inconsistent, particularly in relation to the mediating role of practical learning in academic programmes. This study investigates the influence of EE on students’ EI, focusing on the effects of practical learning in programmes (PLP) in the context of Takoradi Technical University (TTU), a premier institution in Ghana's technical and vocational education sector. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991), the study employed a quantitative research design with a cross-sectional survey and collected data from 537 students across 28 departments offering entrepreneurship courses. A structured online questionnaire, adapted from established Entrepreneurship Intention Questionnaires (EIQs), captured data on EE delivery, perceptions of PLP and entrepreneurial constructs attitudes towards entrepreneurship (ATE), subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioural control (PBC). Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study assessed the relationships between EE, PLP and EI. The findings revealed that EE positively influenced students’ SN and PBC but had no significant effect on their entrepreneurial attitudes. Practical learning played a pivotal mediating role, strengthening the impact of EE on SN and PBC, though it did not directly influence entrepreneurial attitudes. These results underscore the critical importance of experiential learning, such as internships and hands-on projects in enhancing the effectiveness of EE. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by demonstrating that EE’s effectiveness is significantly amplified when integrated with practical learning. It also challenges the assumption that EE universally enhances entrepreneurial attitudes, suggesting that additional interventions, such as exposure to role models and an enabling environment, may be required. By differentiating the effects of EE on specific constructs within Ajzen’s TPB, the research provides actionable insights for optimizing EE. These findings offer a roadmap for educators and policymakers to design targeted, experiential EE programmes that foster EI and address graduate unemployment challenges in Ghana.