Vol. 14 No. 3 (2026)
September 2026

Articles

Enhancing entrepreneurial self-efficacy development through teaching quality, learning methods, and university support systems

Published 2026-09-30

  • James Tuffour
    • ,
  • Albert Acheampong
    • ,
  • Frank Agyemang Karikari
    • ,
  • Edward Marfo-Yiadom

James Tuffour
Burman University

Albert Acheampong
Anglia Ruskin University

Frank Agyemang Karikari
Northwestern Polytechnic University

Edward Marfo-Yiadom
University of Cape Coast

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the article is to identify how universities influence students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) through teaching quality, learning methods, and external engagement activities, with a focus on the mediating role of university support systems.

Research Design & Methods: The study employed a quantitative research design, using structural equation modelling to analyse data from 1 246 students across 11 public and technical universities in Ghana.

Findings: The results show that teaching quality and learning methods directly enhance ESE, while external engagement activities exert their influence indirectly through university support systems. The strongest contributor to ESE is university support systems, followed by teaching quality, learning methods, and external engagement. The study highlights the importance of an integrated teaching approach reinforced by institutional support and external engagement for fostering ESE.

Implications & Recommendations: Universities should strengthen their support systems and adopt teaching methods that combine experiential learning with external engagement activities to enhance students’ ESE. Policymakers and educators should prioritise institutional frameworks that facilitate these interactions.

Contribution & Value Added: The article contributes to self-efficacy and social cognitive career theories by empirically validating the mediating role of university support systems. It also enriches the literature on entrepreneurship education by providing evidence from an emerging economy context (Ghana), where such studies are limited.

Keywords

entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, external engagement activities, learning methods, teaching quality, university support systems

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Author Biography

James Tuffour

Associate Professor at Burman University with over 20 years of industry and academic experience across Ghana, UK, and Canada. His research interests include sustainability accounting, small business development, corporate governance, and business history.

Albert Acheampong

Chartered Accountant currently pursuing a PhD at Anglia Ruskin University in England. His research interests include entrepreneurship, small enterprise development, and sustainable development in the extractive industry.

Frank Agyemang Karikari

Student of Master of Applied Economics at the Northwestern Polytechnical University, China. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His research interests include entrepreneurship, sustainability, and energy economics.

Edward Marfo-Yiadom

Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting, University of Cape Coast, and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana). His research interests include small business finance, working capital management, tax planning, corporate governance, and strategic management.

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