Learning designs and entrepreneurial intentions of Undergraduate Tourism Students in selected Kenyan Universities

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic development, and higher education plays an important role in preparing students with the skills and mind set needed to pursue entrepreneurial careers. However, limited research exists on how tourism education, especially its learning approaches such as tasks, resources, and support, influences students’ entrepreneurial intentions. This gap is more pronounced in developing countries, where tourism holds great economic potential. The study addresses this gap by examining how tourism education influences the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate students in selected Kenyan universities. The specific objectives were to examine the influence of learning tasks on the entrepreneurial intention of tourism student’s, to examine the influence of access to learning resources on the entrepreneurial intention of tourism students and to examine the influence of learning support on the entrepreneurial intention of tourism students. The theoretical framework was based on the Learning Design Framework and Entrepreneurial Event Model (EEM). The study was grounded in the positivist philosophy and employed explanatory research design. The target population included 164 fourth-year tourism students from four Kenyan universities offering tourism programs. A sample of 113 students was drawn from this population using a formula-based method to ensure a representative group for the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the participants in the study. Data were collected through questionnaires. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data. The regression models had a coefficient of determination R2 of .554 indicating that 55.4% variation in learning designs was explained by entrepreneurial intention. The findings indicated that there was a positive significant influence of learning tasks (β1=0.422, p=0.001) and learning resources (β2=0.332, p=0.001) designs on entrepreneurial intention. Learning support (β3=0.184, p=0.006) had a negative but significant influence on entrepreneurial intention. The study concludes that learning tasks, resources and support all influence entrepreneurial intentions of tourism students. The study recommended that universities improve learning tasks by making them clear, structured, and closely aligned with entrepreneurial goals; enhance learning resources by providing up-to- date, practical materials and tools that support entrepreneurial skill development; and rethink learning support strategies to ensure they offer personalized, empowering guidance that fosters student independence and confidence in pursuing entrepreneurship