THE ROLE OF TEACHER INVOLVEMENT AND MENTORSHIP IN STUDENTS' ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS IN YUNNAN PROVINCE, CHINA

Abstract

Amid China’s continued emphasis on “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” education, understanding the influence of teachers in entrepreneurship education is particularly important in less-developed regions such as Yunnan Province. This study explores how three teacher-related factors—coaching style, involvement frequency, and support—affect students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected via structured questionnaires from 383 college students in three universities. The instruments were adapted from established scales and validated through expert review and pilot testing. Results from descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses indicate that all three teacher variables significantly and positively predict entrepreneurial intention. Among them, teacher support shows the strongest effect, highlighting the critical role of emotional encouragement and resource-based support in shaping students’ motivation. Teacher coaching style and involvement frequency also contribute meaningfully but with comparatively lower weights. These findings not only extend existing research on teacher influence in entrepreneurship education but also offer practical implications for educational practitioners and policymakers seeking to improve program effectiveness. Enhancing teacher-student interaction beyond the classroom may be especially beneficial in resource-constrained educational environments.