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Family capital and entrepreneurial intentions of vocational undergraduates: the chain mediating role of social support and critical thinking


Citation

Zhang, Zeqing and Abdullah, Haslinda and Ahmad Ghazali, Akmar Hayati and D’Silva, Jeffrey Lawrence and Ismail, Ismi Arif and Huang, Zerui (2025) Family capital and entrepreneurial intentions of vocational undergraduates: the chain mediating role of social support and critical thinking. Frontiers in Education, 10. pp. 1-9. ISSN 2504-284X

Abstract

Background: Vocational undergraduates in China often face structural barriers in entrepreneurship, including limited family resources, weak social support, and insufficient critical thinking skills. Understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying their entrepreneurial intentions is essential for improving support strategies. Objective: This study investigates the chain mediating effect of social support and critical thinking on the relationship between family capital and entrepreneurial intentions among vocational undergraduate students. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used, with the questionnaire link randomly distributed across departments of a vocational university in Guangdong, China. Data were collected from 858 valid participants through the Wenjuanxing online platform. Four established instruments were used: the Family Capital Scale (FCS), Individual Entrepreneurial Intentions Scale (IEIS), Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3), and the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27.0 and PROCESS macro with bootstrapping to examine the hypothesized chain mediation model. Results: Family capital significantly predicted entrepreneurial intentions (β = 0.523, p < 0.001), social support (β = 0.110, p < 0.001), and critical thinking (β = 0.236, p < 0.001). Social support significantly predicted both critical thinking (β = 0.564, p < 0.001) and entrepreneurial intentions (β = 0.733, p < 0.001). Critical thinking also positively predicted entrepreneurial intentions (β = 0.407, p < 0.001). The total indirect effect of social support and critical thinking was significant, supporting the chain mediation hypothesis. Conclusion: Family capital enhances vocational undergraduates’ entrepreneurial intentions through the mediating roles of social support and critical thinking. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening both external support networks and internal cognitive resources in entrepreneurship education. Policymakers and educators should consider targeted strategies to improve social capital and critical thinking development among vocational students.


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Additional Metadata

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Educational Studies
Faculty of Modern Language and Communication
Institute for Social Science Studies
DOI Number: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1462419
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Keywords: Critical thinking; Entrepreneurial intentions; Family capital; Social support; Vocational undergraduates
Depositing User: Ms. Zaimah Saiful Yazan
Date Deposited: 23 Jul 2025 07:18
Last Modified: 23 Jul 2025 07:18
Altmetrics: http://www.altmetric.com/details.php?domain=psasir.upm.edu.my&doi=10.3389/feduc.2025.1462419
URI: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118778
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