American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Innovation and entrepreneurship education has become an important component of higher education, particularly in developing students’ capacity to recognize opportunities and pursue entrepreneurial careers. This study examined the relationship between entrepreneurial potential and entrepreneurial intention and explored whether exposure to innovation and entrepreneurship education influences these outcomes. A quantitative research design was adopted with 133 third-year undergraduate students from two academic programs at a private university. The participants included 65 students who had not received formal innovation and entrepreneurship education and 68 students who had received such education. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational approaches. The findings showed that entrepreneurial potential (M = 4.63) and entrepreneurial intention (M = 4.43) were at moderate levels on a seven-point Likert scale. Students exposed to innovation and entrepreneurship education reported higher levels of entrepreneurial potential and entrepreneurial intention, by 0.22 and 0.31 points, respectively, than students without such educational exposure. Entrepreneurial potential was positively associated with entrepreneurial intention across the overall sample (R = 0.692). However, the association was stronger among students without innovation and entrepreneurship education (r = 0.722) than among those who had received it (r = 0.648). These findings suggest that innovation and entrepreneurship education can strengthen students’ entrepreneurial potential and intention, although its influence on the relationship between these two constructs may be limited. The study highlights the importance of designing entrepreneurship education that not only develops entrepreneurial capabilities but also effectively converts those capabilities into sustained entrepreneurial aspirations.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Potential; Entrepreneurial Intention; Innovation Education; Entrepreneurship Education; Higher Education; Entrepreneurial Development.