Does entrepreneurship education in China develop entrepreneurial intention? the role of self-efficacy and experience

Entrepreneurship education has attracted much attention in recent years. However, the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention has not achieved an agreement yet. To reconcile these conflicting conclusions, we explore the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention from the content of the entrepreneurship education programs and different types of individuals who have participated in the program. Leveraging the self-efficacy theory and event system theory, we examine the mediation of entrepreneurial self-efficacy from five dimensions and the moderation of entrepreneurial experience. The sample of this study comprised 243 individuals who participated in entrepreneurship education in China (female = 40.3%, The majority of responders with an age range from 21 to 30 years). The results reveal that entrepreneurship education has a significantly positive influence on entrepreneurial intention (β = 0.331, p < 0.001). Entrepreneurial self-efficacies in searching (β = 0.382, p<0.001), planning (β = 0.249, p<0.001), and marshaling (β = 0.134, p<0.05) play mediating roles in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. We also find that entrepreneurial experience negatively moderates the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention (β = -0.212, p<0.05). The results have implications for entrepreneurship education scholars and policymakers in China.