Search

Grit, creative self-efficacy and entrepreneurial self-efficacy have been associated with the development of entrepreneurial behaviours that can prepare students for a rapidly changing world of work. The main purpose of this study is to analyse the relationship between the three variables amongst first-year university students. A positive relationship, albeit modest, was found between grit and the two measures of self-efficacy. Furthermore, findings suggest that grit can be considered a predictor variable for student self-efficacy beliefs in the context of entrepreneurship. However, this relationship was found to be weak and not to offer significant opportunities for the improvement of student creative and entrepreneurial self-perception, beyond those already contemplated in social cognitive theory. Moreover, results revealed a significant and robust positive relationship between creative and entrepreneurial self-perceptions in university students. The strong relationship found between creative and entrepreneurial self-efficacy renders an opportunity to develop informed interventions directed towards improving student entrepreneurial self-perceptions. In this regard, the results suggest the importance of cultivating creativity in educational institutions.

The study and analysis of the self-efficacy beliefs of students has become an important line of educational research. The purpose of this study, conducted at Mondragon University (Spain), is to explore the different perceptions concerning the creative and entrepreneurial self-efficacy of students on their entrance to university. Results revealed clear patterns with regards to discipline and gender. Students commencing their degrees in social sciences show lower creative and entrepreneurial self-efficacy perceptions than their peers in other disciplines. Women show lower scores than men across different disciplines with the exception of women commencing engineering studies. Self-efficacy has been related to student motivation and learning and has been found influential in the choice of the professional career. The high significance of this construct in education makes the results of this study have clear implications for the development of learning environments that address the differences found between gender and disciplines. Directions for future research are also indicated.