Entrepreneurial intentions of engineering students from a South African TVET college

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships and interconnections among entrepreneurial intentions, subjective norms, attitude towards behaviour and perceived behavioural control of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college students. The relationships among these constructs were hypothesised according to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). This study collected data from engineering students registered at a public TVET college in the Western Cape, South Africa. The data was analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling. The study found that attitude towards behaviour positively and significantly influenced the students' entrepreneurial intentions. It also found that perceived behavioural control positively and significantly influenced the students' entrepreneurial intentions. However, it found that the influence of subjective norms on the students' entrepreneurial intentions was mediated by attitude towards behaviour and perceived behavioural control, resulting in a significant total indirect effect. This study extends the application of TPB to explain the entrepreneurial intentions of TVET college students from a developing country.