THE EFFECT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-EFFICACY ON ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION AMONG VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BEKASI CITY

Abstract

This study examines the effect of entrepreneurial knowledge and self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intention among vocational high school students in Bekasi City, Indonesia. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, data were collected from 125 students across two state vocational high schools (SMKN 1 Bekasi and SMKN 3 Bekasi) who had completed at least one semester of the "Creative Products and Entrepreneurship" course. The research integrates Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as the theoretical framework. Data analysis employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0 software. Results demonstrate that entrepreneurial knowledge has a significant positive effect on entrepreneurial intention (β = 0.312, t-statistic = 2.456, p < 0.05). Additionally, self-efficacy shows a stronger positive effect on entrepreneurial intention (β = 0.524, t-statistic = 4.127, p < 0.01). Most importantly, self-efficacy serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between entrepreneurial knowledge and entrepreneurial intention (indirect effect β = 0.219, t-statistic = 2.634, p < 0.01). The combined effect of entrepreneurial knowledge and self-efficacy explains 66.7% of the variance in entrepreneurial intention. These findings underscore the critical importance of integrating cognitive and psychological approaches in entrepreneurship education. The study recommends that vocational educators focus not only on transmitting entrepreneurial knowledge but also on building students' confidence and psychological readiness for entrepreneurship through experiential learning, successful role modeling, and constructive feedback mechanisms.